Rising figures in the Isnart and Legambiente report on cycle tourism in Italy, with an impact on the sector's economy of 4 billion euros.
Cycle tourism in Italy has many interpretations and facets, but one thing is certain: it is a sector in strong growth. Some people cycle on an adventure with a tent in tow, not knowing exactly where they will end up or when they will return; others travel light at the weekend to cover as many kilometres as possible. Others still opt for short excursions of a few hours, or comfortable group experiences on e-bikes, staying at high-end accommodation. The result is a gain for the economy of around 4 billion euros. This is what emerges from the report 'Viaggiare con la bici 2023', produced by Isnart, the national institute for tourism research, for the Osservatorio sull'economia del turismo delle Camere di commercio, promoted with Legambiente and presented in Bologna during the second edition of the Fiera del Cicloturismo. An event that, given the figures recorded (around 19,000 visitors in two days), confirms the growing interest in cycling holidays and active tourism.
The report estimates that in 2022 there were more than 33 million overnight stays in Italy, taking into account "pure" cycle tourists and cycling tourists, with an economic impact of more than 4 billion euros. To be clear, "pure cycle tourists" are Italian and foreign travellers who choose Italy specifically for a cycling holiday, and their numbers amount to 9 million overnight stays — more than double the 2019 figure (4.4 million overnight stays). A figure capable of generating an estimated economic impact of more than 1 billion euros. Alongside these travellers is the category of tourists motivated by other reasons, who spend part of their holiday using a bicycle: almost 24 million overnight stays, with spending in the area amounting to nearly 3 billion euros.
"Cycle tourism is an increasingly important driver for the tourism-led promotion of our territory," underlines Isnart President Roberto Di Vincenzo, "and is perfectly in line with the environmental sustainability choices that characterise the Pnrr. Through the report, Isnart has been monitoring the phenomenon for some years now, fully aware of the enormous potential it holds in terms of economic knock-on effects, extending the tourist season and redirecting tourist flows towards villages and inland areas of the country — potential that bike tourism expresses from north to south."
The data paint a picture of what is being called "the pedal-powered revolution" under way in Italy. As Sebastiano Venneri, Legambiente's national head of tourism, explains: "In many parts of the country, cycle tourism is already an excellence of the tourism offering, even though we need to work harder on raising cultural awareness, consolidating the supply of specific services and integrating new cycle routes into local tourism offering systems. It is worth highlighting how the redistribution of cycle tourism flows towards central and southern Italy, and the work that so many areas are doing to use existing infrastructure for cycle tourism purposes, are shaping that 'Italian way' of cycle tourism — which can represent our country's original response to global demand for cycling holidays."
The consolidation of demand is rewarding specialist operators who were quick to spot the trend, offering quality products and services ahead of others: 38 per cent of businesses operating exclusively in the cycle-tourism supply segment recorded revenue growth over the past year. Specialist Italian tour operators are also very upbeat about prospects for further market growth in 2023: as many as 90 per cent expect an increase in their turnover.
Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige and Tuscany alone attract 47 per cent of cycle tourism flows in 2022, but cycle tourism is gradually spreading throughout the country. Between 2019 and 2022, the share of cycle tourists choosing southern regions rose from 7 to 17.4 per cent of the total. Central Italy also grew, rising from 10.9 per cent to 15.8 per cent.
For the regions of southern Italy, cycle tourism represents an important opportunity to extend the tourist season, to counter the phenomenon of overtourism, and a significant potential driver for the tourism-led development of inland areas.
One example is Basilicata, where the regional tourism promotion agency launched initiatives some time ago such as "Basilicata free to move", the interactive smartphone and tablet application that uses geolocation to present 21 cycle tourism itineraries covering a total of 1,729 km. In Abruzzo, the standout experience is that of the Gal "Costa dei Trabocchi", which promotes the eponymous cycle route and a wealth of "comb-pattern" routes between the coast and the hinterland, characterised by varying levels of difficulty. All made possible through synergies and coordination between institutions, the market and local communities.
Calabria has placed a strong bet on the Ciclovia dei parchi, a 545-kilometre route running predominantly along provincial roads and low-traffic arteries that cross the region's Apennine ridge, passing through the national parks of Pollino, Sila and Aspromonte and the regional park of the Serre. In Puglia, the regional government is paying close attention to cycle tourism, with a planning effort aimed at building a new "bike" positioning in collaboration with municipalities, associations and operators, including through the organisation of numerous sport-related initiatives.