Cycling is growing as a sports practice around the world, a circumstance that is already reflected in the tourism sector.
With some 1.640 million euros of profits per year in Spain, and 44.000 in Europe, cycle tourism constitutes a great opportunity for sustainable economic development for territories that seek to enhance their tourism aspect, avoiding one of the sector's usual drawbacks, seasonality.
Everyone knows that tourism is the number one industry in our country., a success that has its foundations, first of all, in enviable and unique 'natural' conditions, such as a favorable climate, a diverse and extensive historical-artistic and natural heritage, and a gastronomy envied throughout the world, among many other factors. Added to this is the progressive implementation, since the 60s, of a powerful business structure around the travel sector, as well as the determined commitment of public administrations to this economic development model.
The result is already known. Spain is one of the leading tourist destinations worldwide, being one of the economic sectors that has best withstood the impact of the economic crises of recent years.. A privileged position that allows us to look to the future with optimism, but that should not make us fall into triumphalism and accommodation. In fact, the new tourism powers, emerging in the north of the African continent and the countries of eastern Europe, have been going strong and it is advisable not to rest on their laurels.
En este sentido, Cycle tourism is emerging as an unbeatable opportunity for business and sustainable economic development for the territories. Cycling has become the most practiced sport in Spain according to the survey of sporting habits carried out by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports. Thus, 38,7% of Spaniards who practiced sports in 2015 did so by bicycle.. A sporting habit, that of cycling, which is reflected - and increases - if we look at the rest of Europe.
When traveling and enjoying their vacations or weekends, the cyclist does not leave his bicycle in the storage room. Quite the opposite. More and more people are traveling with their mounts in tow, either to take routes in stages - such as the Camino de Santiago - or to discover the surroundings of the place where they are staying by pedal stroke.
The result, according to the report “The economic impact of cycle tourism in Europe”, prepared by the Junta de Andalucía y Greenways-Spanish Railways Foundation (FFE)it's a tourism model that invoices around 1.620 million euros annually in Spain, a figure that rises to 44.000 million if Europe is counted.. A tourism model that also contributes to deseasonalizing the offer and, therefore, helps to establish the population, especially in rural areas.
The cycle tourist, of course, is a special client, who requires a certain degree of specialization and a personalized offer., both by the territories and by tourism companies. The cyclist demands quality and, more importantly, the pay - especially the foreign cyclist - so it is worth making an effort to adapt to their needs, offering specialized tourist products, complemented by specific service companies and adapting the accommodations to the requirements of this new client.
Examples of success? We already have some, as in the case of the province of Girona, now converted into a mecca for cycle tourism or Balearic Islands, with special mention to Mallorca, without forgetting the province of Huesca, the first national tourist destination certified as a Bikefriendly Territory.Space Zero Zone de Ainsa, in the Aragonese Pyrenees, specialized mountain bike, got an economic impact of 5 million euros in 2015 for the Sobrarbe region -equivalent to a total of 55.000 overnight stays-, according to data from Government of Aragon.
Other territories of the Spanish state have already gotten to work with major cycle tourism projects. Such is the case of the Region of Madrid y CiclaMadrid, a tourist product where cycling, nature, historical-heritage and the gastronomy of the region come together, with segmented sub-products for each type of user, from the most family-oriented or cycle-tourist, to the youngest and 'enduring' public. , passing by the road cyclist.
With all this data on the table, can anyone doubt the potential of cycle tourism as an engine of economic development for the territories?
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