Cycling and tourism

Cycle tourism is now growing rapidly in the UK, in parallel
with renewed interest in personal health and fitness, and with
mounting concern over the environmental damage caused by road traffic. The development of the National Cycle Network, with 4,000 miles of route opening in June 2000
and 9,000 miles by 2005, provides both a catalyst and an opportunity for local authorities, tourism promoters and other agencies to define coherent route development and marketing strategies so as to benefit from cycle tourism. Cycle tourism in the UK is currently valued at £635 million per year. The potential for growth here is huge - the forecast for cycle tourism right across Europe is £14 billion per year within 20
years. With potential economic benefits at this scale it is not surprising that there is keen interest in how to develop routes to attract visitors and tourists, and how to market these effectively. The benefits of cycle tourism include reductions in pollution and traffic congestion, economic regeneration and better health. In recognition of this, the overnment is providing a strongly supportive policy framework. Both the 1998 White Paper on Integrated
Transport and the 1999 Tomorrow’s Tourism strategy document call for the development of sustainable transport modes.This information pack draws on basic research into cycle tourism and the motivation of its participants, and includes examples from both the UK and Europe to show the versatility and the wide range of benefits cycle Tourism can bring. The pack is intended particularly for use by Sustrans’ partners in the development of the  National Cycle Network.