Overview
Cycling is a European success story tells the first heading of the Declaration on Cycling as a climate friendly Transport Mode. Over the last decade, cycletourism has increased exponentially in Europe, both in terms of infrastructure & service and public attendance. The cycling tourism industry generates an annual turnover of €44bn. It represents nowadays a strategic priority for many territories in Europe mostly due to its potential for attracting addedvalue tourism.
Cycle-tourism has clearly taken substantial advantage from the extended urban mobility developments based on bicycle. New populations of cyclists are claiming for new experiences brought by new models of sustainable tourism. This is also extremely challenging for territorial management and landuse planning since Cycletourism represents a powerful opportunity to provide infrastructures and create services and employments in remote areas. In that sense, natural heritage could deeply benefit of cycletourism
Many territories in Europe are characterized by extended natural heritage in which growth is always subordinated to the strict evaluation regarding preservation of biodiversity and ecosystems at risk. We remind that the EU2020 strategy fostering sustainable environmental development and an efficient use of resources is mandatory for taking off green and competitive economy. Therefore, ECOCICLE aimed for bicycles to become the official sustainable transport to access natural heritage while fostering endogenous economical revival through a popular modality of tourism. In order to determine the best conditions to develop cycletourism in natural heritage context,
ECOCICLE buillt on the experience of the partnership, especially on our advisory partner ECF. The main objective of ECOCICLE was to improve operational programs and regional development policies to allocate SF and other investments funds (about 9M€ is targeted through 24 new projects) in infrastructure and support to cycletourism service providers.
The project addressed the following policy instruments:
- ERDF Operational Programme Andalusia 2014-2020 Autonomous Regional Government of Andalusia, Axis 4, for which the Regional Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning is responsible.
- Regional Operational Programme of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship 2014-2020, for which the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship is responsible.
- Charta of the Leipziger New Lakeland 2030, for which the Administrative District of Leipzig is responsible.
- Operational Programme for the Implementation of the EU Cohesion Policy 2014-2020, Republic of Slovenia (OP), for which the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, Cohesion Policy Department is responsible.
- Basilicata Regione Development Pact, for which the Basilicata Region is responsible.