The help of mountain biking tourism to Australia

The small town of Melrose in South Australia breaks the dilemma of population decline with mountain biking tourism.

On August 19, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the small town of Melrose located in the Flinders Ranges of Australia was once in a difficult situation due to the continuous decrease in births. The post office and grocery store in the town were once on the verge of closure. Bruce, who runs a café and bike shop locally, has deep feelings about this.

However, when the town shifted its tourism focus to mountain biking trips, a huge change took place. Last year, a "EPIC" mountain bike trail about 38 kilometers long and costing millions of Australian dollars was opened in Melrose. The track designer Patterson called it "a rather crazy road". Riders can fully enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Flinders Ranges during the ride. At the same time, the unique climate advantage of the local area allows tourists to enjoy cycling fun all year round.

The opening of the new route has attracted a large number of cyclists to Melrose. Official data shows that last year, the number of day-trippers to the Flinders Ranges and inland areas reached 577,000, and the number of overnight tourists reached 761,000. Local officials said that Melrose has long been popular with bushwalkers. Now, with the transformation to mountain biking trips, out-of-town tourists have created more job opportunities for locals. Bruce also mentioned that now community incomes have increased and new businesses are opening one after another.

The small town of Melrose has successfully dealt with the dilemma brought about by population decline by vigorously developing the mountain biking tourism industry and also changed the lives of local residents.