Case Study: Trail Tutors Inc.

As owners of Trail Tutors Inc., they’re on a rolling mission to introduce more and more users to Manitoba’s trails, specifically the multi-use Northgate Trails on the edge of Riding Mountain National Park near Dauphin, where on any given day, you’ll find fat bike cyclists, snowshoers, dog walkers and families with strollers circling through the forested paths. They’ve recently developed a new winter cycling package to make it easier for first-timers to experience the trails.

Q: What inspired you to create a new product?

A: Fat biking capitalizes on winter. It is an experience that is novel to most and a completely new way to experience a trail system and the sport of cycling. Fat biking is slower, less risky and can be solitary or with large groups of varying abilities. Why did we really create this product? Because the winter is long and dark, we need more ways to experience the beauty of it, in the sun or under the moon.

Q: How do you know when it is time to grow or evolve your tourism experience/product?

A: If your message isn’t landing with customers or partners and you aren’t generating new or repeat business, it’s probably time to evolve.

Q: Were there any major challenges that you faced in the development process?

A: The barrier our business faced and will continue to face is the accumulation of high-end equipment for use in our programming. We believe that quality equipment drastically improves the user experience. For example, a low-quality, heavy or cumbersome fat bike will likely discourage a novice rider from ever trying the sport again. Quality equipment is expensive, so we are thrilled to get this support from the Tourism Industry Recovery Fund through Travel Manitoba for the capital investment.

Q: Do you have key partners or community connections for this product?

A: We work with the City of Dauphin as ambassadors for Northgate, the Dauphin Derailleurs Cycle Club in managing the trailhead and providing programming (including free programming), Dauphin Settlement Services to provide trail-based programs opportunities to new Canadians, the local gym, Parkfit, in delivery and administrative aspects for things like races or clubs, and recently partnered with Olympia Cycle in Winnipeg, as our supplier and sponsor to help bring new products into our region. These partnerships are invaluable to us. With them, we simply couldn’t do what we do.

Q: What does the economic impact for your local community look like with the development?

A: While Trail Tutors offers services nationally, the local experiences are truly rooted in the DNA of this place we call home. We incorporate the stories of the community in our programming and have developed a web of opportunity for businesses in and around Dauphin. Our model allows for continuous building and evolution by integrating the talents of local people and services to create curated experiences for different interests. Trail Tutors is directly responsible for developing and providing free programming to the community including free group ride programs, free access to equipment programs and trail-building training and mentorship opportunities.

Q: What did you do to prepare to launch the new offer?

A: Trail Tutors is extremely lucky to have Northgate Trails, its general following, as a springboard and continuous channel for its marketing. Working with other marketing agencies, Travel Manitoba, and travel media has also been very helpful.

Q: Are you measuring the success of your new product?

A: Trail Tutors began as a simple model to allow access to affordable rentals and experienced coaches, but quickly evolved to more diverse programming as the market indicated interest (global trends, feedback, and special requests). While there was no formal process in place to define success, customer feedback, inquiries and an increase in bookings have meant success for us.

Q: Does your business have accessibility, diversity/inclusion or sustainability practices or policies in place?

A: We have a general statement that we consider as evolving as our business expands and takes on staff.