İzmir, the heart of the Aegean, with its spectacular coastline, lovely coastal towns, extraordinary natural landscapes, and majestic ancient cities, is counting down the days to the 2023 EuroVelo (the European Cycle Route Network) & Cycling Tourism Conference.
The EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference, which will be held in İzmir, one of the most bike-friendly cities in Türkiye, on October 11-13, 2023, will bring together all industry professionals to develop cycling tourism throughout Europe. Industry professionals attending the conference will be accommodated in İzmir, the first city from Türkiye selected for EuroVelo 8 – Mediterranean Route, where they can experience the privileges of “Bike Friendly” certificated hotels.
The 2023 EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference will be organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye, Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), and the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) with the local stakeholders in cooperation with İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. Focusing on the development and future of sustainable cycling tourism, the conference brings together all the stakeholders in cycling tourism, including cycling tourism experts, international cycling associations’ representatives, cycling tour operators, universities and academia, tourism and public authorities, and accommodation and public transport companies.
A conference program focusing on Heritage and Experience
The 2023 EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference, which has “Cycling: A New Perspective on Heritage” as a theme, will offer participants an engaging program focusing on panels, dialogues, and information exchange. The program consists of sessions, workshops, and social events that will provide insight into cycling path networks and cycling tourism and promote best practices in cycling tourism while encouraging the participants to think about the role of cycling in shaping cultural and natural heritage.
The conference will begin with a special event on October 11 in the Historical Coal Gas Factory, one of the industrial landmarks of İzmir. The most influential keynote speakers in the industry will come together at the Swissotel Büyük Efes for the inspiring sessions on the second day of the conference.
Famous journalist Alex Crevar and Pınar Pinzuti, the organiser of the Fancy Women Bike Ride and director of bicycle tourism fairs for the Italy Bikenomist company, will share their inspiring ideas and experiences on cycling as the best way to make the most of a destination’s heritage in "Cycling: a new perspective on heritage" session. During the plenary session "Bringing cycling tourism higher on the political agenda", Dr. Elif Balcı Fisunoğlu, Acting General Manager of the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), Jill Warren, CEO of the European Cyclists' Federation (ECF), and Michael Cramer from Former MEP will share their perspectives on how cycling tourism must be brought to the political agenda at national and international levels with stronger commitment and determination than ever before. This panel will discuss cycling tourism policy, which will focus on the development and sustainability of cycling tourism.
Share of Experiences in Parallel Sessions
The 2023 EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference will also host a series of parallel sessions. The “Cycling products promoting heritage: lessons from across Europe” session will bring several European best practices about discovering cultural history on two wheels. The session "Cycling into Nature: Between Usage and Protection" will discuss how cycling infrastructure gives access to natural areas without adding pressure on biodiversity and ecosystems, including examples from different countries.
The session "Marketing strategies to attract new (and more) cyclists" will discuss ideas on how marketing tools and activities can support making cycling a part of everyone's life. The "Tools to Communicate Cycling and Heritage" session, to be held interactively, will discuss how various media, such as guides, TV shows, games, and applications, can link bicycle practice with the promotion of heritage and invite users to explore a destination by bike, with examples from Europe.
The “Cycling-friendly services: How to improve access to heritage sites?” session will discuss experiences and perspectives from different countries and backgrounds on how high-quality services are crucial to making the perfect match between heritage and cycling tourism. The “Cycle route networks: A link between rural and urban heritage” session will discuss the role of a successful cycle route network in accessing the main attractions of a destination and how to plan a network of cycle routes.
On the last day of the 2023 EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference, participants will make technical visits to essential spots along the EuroVelo 8-Mediterranean Route, including the İzmir section. During these visits, participants will explore the region and the bike-friendly infrastructure, projects, and services.
For more information about the conference, please visit: https://www.euroveloconferenceizmir.com/