'Bonjour' Cycle Tourism!

Last week, we waved 'au revoir' to Jim Sayer, executive director at Adventure Cycling Association, as he made his way to the European Cycle Tourism Conference held in Nantes, France. The conference was jointly hosted by the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF) and the European Greenways Association (EGWA). Jim spoke on the growing power of bicycle tourism in America, while taking in the amazing work being done, particularly in France. 

The conference was timely, as Ed Lancaster, ECF Policy Officer for Regional Policy & Cycling Tourism wrote in a recent blog, "Cycling tourism is one of the biggest growth sectors in tourism." To prove his point, his blog highlights a 2009 study that was recently updated  showing there are an estimated 2.295 billion cycle tourism trips in Europe with a value in excess of ?44 billion annually. And even more to the point, the study states that ECF?s EuroVelo network will generate ?7 billion of direct revenue when completed.

What really caught my eye in Mr. Lancaster's article, was the statement he quoted from the study's author, Dr. Richard Weston from the University of Central Lancashire, ?Cycle tourism disperses visitors to areas that traditionally do not attract tourism and supports employment in local economies.?

It's not unlike the interest we are seeing across America for the U.S. Bicycle Route System. While ECF has been hard at work on their officially recognized network for years, I don't think we are far behind. With the thousands of bike trails, growing route networks (including the Adventure Cycling Route Network), popular event tours and increasing club rides in each part of the country, we just need to connect the dots. Trust me, I realize this is easier said than done. There are a lot of dots, but it can be done!

What kind of impact will a completed U.S. Bicycle Route System have on the American economy? Well, while a comprehensive study hasn't been done, we do take hope in the growing number of regional and state-wide studies being conducted, all of which show impressive results. These studies were consolidated by the League of American Bicyclists and resulted in the above infographic and an updated report entitled Bicycling Means Business. I continue to tout the Wisconsin study where $924 million per year in economic impact was tracked from recreational biking and tourism. That's a pretty hefty financial contribution to a state's bottom line.

We also know that the U.S. is looking to grow tourism and that the adventure travel market is growing. Maybe a study on the impact of bicycle tourism in the U.S. market will be commissioned someday, but while we're waiting, we'll continue building the network at the grassroots level, winning over local communities one route at a time. In addition, we'll work strategically with our partners at a grass-tops level, convincing our leaders that bicycle tourism is a win for local and state economies.

Top photo by Greg Siple, Eurovelo map by European Cyclist Federation, infographic by League of American Bicyclists.

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BUILDING THE U.S. BICYCLE ROUTE SYSTEM (USBRS) is posted by Ginny Sullivan, USBRS coordinator at Adventure Cycling, and features news and updates related to the emerging U.S. Bicycle Route System. The USBRS project is a collaborative effort, spearheaded by a task force under the auspices of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Members of the task force include officials and staff from state DOTs, the Federal Highway Administration, and nonprofits like the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and Mississippi River Trail, Inc.

Source: http://blog.adventurecycling.org/2012/10/bonjour-cycle-tourism.html

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