The idea is to use the Oamaru Ordinary Cycle Club's members and penny farthings to "develop a unique point of difference" to other towns, capitalising on Oamaru's Victorian heritage and boosting business activity in the central business district.
The chamber has put a proposal to the Waitaki District Council to fund the project through the Waitaki Development Board using some of the $275,000 in reserves built up from rates on central Oamaru businesses.
The council's corporate services committee will consider the proposal today .
The chamber suggested members of the cycle club would be employed under contract to act as ambassadors, stopping in predetermined areas and handing out brochures which would include advertising material.
"Oamaru's history is primarily static-display orientated," the chamber said.
A conscious move to interactive rather than static could create additional revenue opportunities for businesses, including in Oamaru's historic precinct.
"The challenge is to develop tourism product that commands immediate attention by the visitor and identifies the heritage experiences with Oamaru," the chamber said.
If the project goes ahead, it is planned to research its success by involving key tenants in the historic precinct who would be willing to provide customer counts to allow comparison with future numbers.
