Listen to the Webinar „Cycling tourism in the Baltic Sea Region”

Last week, on Tuesday 26th March, we had a chance to present the ICTr-CE project at a webinar »Cycling tourism in the Baltic Sea Region« which was organised by EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region Policy Area Tourism Coordinators (EUSBSR PA TOURISM), Baltic Biking UPGRADE and Bike Across Baltic. The last two are Interreg projects similar to our ICTr-CE. The webinar was visited by over 100 participants from Europe and other parts of the world.

 

If you would like to listen to the webinar click here.

 

What do Baltic Biking UPGRADE (BBU) and Bike Across Baltic (BAB) have in common with the ICTr-CE

The BAB project, funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme, is a collaborative initiative to develop the EuroVelo 10 cycling route across the nine countries bordering the Baltic Sea. Despite the growing demand for sustainable and active travel, the project partners identified untapped potential along the EuroVelo 10 route. Inconsistent development and fragmented routes hindered seamless connectivity for cyclists, which in turn hindered the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in cycling tourism. BBU, a project co-funded by the Interreg South Baltic, focuses specifically on the southern part of the EuroVelo 10 – Baltic Sea Cycle Route. Its main objective is to support SMEs by providing them with the necessary tools and resources to exploit the potential of the cycle route. BAB, BBU and ICTr-CE all have in common the same goal, to further develop EuroVelo routes also by increasing cooperation between SMEs, NGOs and other stakeholders, to create innovative tourism products, raise environmental awareness as well as provide the stakeholders with tools and knowledge that will help them further develop innovative tourism products. 

Read more about the projects.

 

At the webinar, there were four very interesting speakers, from the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), Bike Land, One Way Bike Tours and Westpannon. Each speaker presented interesting facts, projects and expertise in the tourism cycling industry. Alexandra Fournier from ECF provided a comprehensive overview of EuroVelo and cycling-friendly offers, unravelling the potential they hold for tourism development in the Baltic Sea Region. Henna Palosaari from Bike Land delved into “Why do bike-friendly businesses matter in cycling tourism development?” shedding light on the symbiotic relationship between cycling-friendly businesses and the flourishing tourism industry based on Finnish practice. Birger Kjærbye brought a hands-on approach, and shared insights into “How cross-border bike rent can help fulfil the potential of EuroVelo routes.” Drawing from practical success stories in Denmark, Birger showcased the tangible impact of a practitioner-oriented approach. Tibor Polgar presented the ICTr-CE project funded by Interreg Central and presented crucial findings from a survey done between almost 800 EU cycling stakeholders (SMEs, NGOs, DMOs). He emphasised that most respondents have answered that they are not familiar with EuroVelo 13, especially respondents from Croatia, Slovenia, Germany and Poland. Having that in mind, there is still a lot of unused potential not only among tourists but also between organisations and stakeholders along the route.

 

EUSBSR PA TOURISM acts on three main actions. First is transnational tourism development in remote and rural areas. Second, investing in people, skills and technology in the tourism industry. Lastly, protection and sustainable utilisation of cultural heritage and natural resources in tourism destinations.