The upswing of bicycle tourism in Italy, new opportunities and path

The beautiful cities, iconic sights, fine cuisine, and wonderful landscapes are just a part of what makes Italy is one of the world’s top tourist destinations. Through this article you’ll learn about the latest Italy trend: cycling tours, a different way to explore Italy.

The upswing

The popularity of cycling vacations in Europe is on it’s peak, particularly in Italy. It is estimated that this activity, with all the tourist services that are added to it (transport, accommodation, insurance, and a long etcetera) has a potential value of more than €3 billion, and counting.

The Italian Federation of Friends of the Bicycle (FIAB) calculates that each person who rides a bicycle for one day and stays overnight, spends €80.

In the Italian region of Emilia Romagna “The Land of Cycling”, ten clubs were joined in consensus, forming Terrabici, a specialised consortium made up by bike hotels and tour operators). The region received more than 300,000 people in 2013 alone, and 85 % of those visitors were foreigners.

FIAB joined the National EuroVelo Coordinator to bring cycling to the political agenda. The Italian Parliament voted for the development of cycling tourism in the country after passing a proposal of a speed limit of 30 kph in urban areas. The Italian Parliament supports the development and monitoring of national cycling paths; and the resolutions’ focus is mainly cycle tourism. The Arlotti resolution supports and develops the potential of this touristic activity, aiming to involve the entire supply chain. This resolution highlights the tourist offer of specific products and packages, as well as promoting the construction of integrated offers for the same or different cycling routes.

Some of the agreements establish the necessary synergies to allocate specific resources as well as promote the digitisation of information on routes, characteristics, and places of interest.

Italy is the leading manufacturer of bicycles in Europe, where the cycling tourism sector is expanding greatly, especially appreciated by Germans and Dutch. The Italian province of Trento has built to date about 400 km of cycling paths, which generally a revenue of approximately 100 million euros per year from 2009, increasing amount.

This attractive tourist offer, brings tourists the possibility to visit places in Italy which they probably would not visit otherwise.

The cycling vacation best kept secrets are the greenways and bike and pedestrian paths. In 2014 CosmoBike Show, a company dedicated to the world of cycling in Verona, presented an award that reveals those sites in Italy that can be visited by bicycle.

In Veneto, there are more than 1000 km of cycle paths connecting Verona and Florence. The EU co-financed the project Eurovelo8 the Mediterranean route, whose aim is to promote the cyclist route that travels 5900 km of beautiful landscapes.

This year, Even Umbria and Marche, began projects to encourage bicycle tourists, while Sardinia has a regional plan with an average value of € 8 million in investments for work that began to be made this year.

Among the most current trends are the “slow bike” for families, “train bike” for couples, and “e-bike” for alternating routes to go slowly with fast drops, for the cyclists who are looking for something more Emotion on its two-wheeled route.

Although the European country has a growing number of offers for these tourists, these are our favourite paths:

The Appia Antica path (Lazio) known by the Romans as “the Queen of roads” connects Rome with the harbour of Bridsil. This route runs through the vast and green Caffarella natural park, located in the heart of Rome. This path will take cyclists to the oldest monuments, and the most spectacular Mediterranean pine trees..

Another great option is Riviera del Fiori (Liguria) this path has 24 kilometres full of spectacular landscapes, in addition to having off-road options for mountain bikers. Riviera del Fiori is the perfect choice for the adventurers who wish to enjoy the ride surrounded by a beautiful view.

In the favourites list, we also find the Appia Antica path (Lazio) known by the Romans as “the Queen of roads” connects Rome with the harbour of Bridsil. This route runs through the vast and green Caffarella natural park, located in the heart of Rome. This path will take cyclists to the oldest monuments, and the most spectacular Mediterranean pine trees.

Recommended paths to keep an eye on

The Tuscan coastline offers options for beginners and experienced bikers.

From Scansano to Grosseto, this route runs 77 km from the Tuscan coast, famous for its wonderful wild beaches, the clean water of the sea, and the colourful flower fields. A nearby alternative that is perfect for beginners is the Sentiero della Bonifica route from Arezzo to Chiusi, with almost entirely flat terrain.

The Tuscan coastline not only offers a beautiful panorama and options for bikers of all levels, it’s also perfect for gourmet food and wine connoisseurs.

If you’re an agent interested in Italy, you should definitely offer this unique experience. Cycling tours are the trendiest way to explore this beautiful country and enjoy it’s nature, people, and culture.