January 28, 2021

IBTC 2021: Plenty of opportunities for cycling tourism

As a result of the corona crisis, there are now enormous opportunities for cycling tourism in Europe. These opportunities can be taken advantage of by developing more attractive options for cycling holidays and investing in cycling infrastructure.

This was said by Wim Bot, policy advocacy officer at the Dutch Cyclists' Union (Fietsersbond), at the International Bicycle Tourism Conference (IBTC). This time the conference was 100% online and attracted interested parties from all over Europe. All 150 available 'virtual' seats were occupied and the organization therefore even had to disappoint some interested parties.

Cycling trends

Bot pointed out some cycling trends that are occurring throughout almost all of Europe. The popularity of public transport has decreased drastically due to the risk of infection, there is more attention for a healthy lifestyle and great interest in holidays 'close by'. At the same time, more people are cycling and walking and European cities are building cycle paths at an accelerated pace.

Wim Bot: “All this creates fertile conditions for the development of cycling tourism. This does require additional financing. The European Cyclists' Federation is asking the EU for €3 billion to support initiatives in this area.”

Offer online sessions

The IBTC 2021 included a total of ten lectures and seven roundtable sessions for bicycle tourism professionals. The marketing of cycle routes, campsites for cyclists, influencer marketing and the development of Brussels into a more cycle-friendly city were discussed. Attractive European cycling routes were also discussed, such as the Iron Curtain Trail in Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the LF Zuiderzee route in the Netherlands, the Brenta route in Italy and La Dolce Via and Loire à Vélo in France.

More information: www.ibtconference.com.