The EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference will be held in İzmir, Türkiye, between October 11 and 13, 2023. This event will bring together all the players in the European cycling tourism industry. İzmir stands out for its majestic ancient cities, extraordinary natural landscapes, beautiful coastline, and numerous cycling routes.
The EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference, organised to develop EuroVelo (the European Cycle Route Network) and cycling tourism throughout Europe, will be held in İzmir between 11-13 October 2023. Industry professionals attending the conference will be accommodated in İzmir, where they can experience the privileges of “Bike Friendly” certificated hotels.
The EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference, held biannually in a different country since 2012, will launch as an annual event this year following increasing interest and attendance. The 2023 edition of the conference will take place in İzmir, the first city from Türkiye to be selected to host the event and located on EuroVelo 8 – Mediterranean Route. The 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 local stakeholders in cooperation with İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. EuroVelo 8, which starts in the Andalusia region of Spain, connects the Mediterranean coast of France, Italy and the Balkan Peninsula to Türkiye via a route featuring Dikili, Bergama, Aliağa, Foça, İzmir, Balıklıova, Alaçatı, Çeşme Sığacık and Selçuk. There are two iconic UNESCO Heritage sites (Ephesus and Pergamum) on the İzmir section of EuroVelo 8.
Heritage and the interaction with cycling will be in focus.
The EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference stands out as the most important international meeting for cycling tourism. Being the ideal platform for sharing information about cycling networks and the cycling tourism environment, the conference also offers participants the opportunity to follow the latest infrastructure developments in the cycling industry and forge new connections by exchanging ideas.
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, representatives from universities and academia, tourism and public authorities, and accommodation and public transport companies.
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 on the future of cycling tourism and on ways of experiencing, preserving and promoting heritage on two wheels. The Conference program consists of sessions, workshops and social events that will provide insight into cycling path networks and cycling tourism, promote best practices in cycling tourism, and support the exchange of information between stakeholders. The conference, expected to showcase and increase awareness of cycling culture and tourism in Türkiye, directly aligns with Türkiye’s focus on sustainable tourism. Technical visits will be organised during the conference – attendees will experience some of the routes included in the EuroVelo 8 – Mediterranean Route while discovering the historical and gastronomic values pedalling through İzmir and its landmarks.
A unique cycling experience on a route that connects history and nature
EuroVelo is a pioneering international cycling network connecting the European continent, combining 17 distinctive long-distance cycling routes. This network, managed by ECF (European Cyclists’ Federation), consists of itineraries supporting the ecological and sustainable living criteria often preferred by tourists and locals motivated to travel by bicycle. EuroVelo cultivates cycling tourism in the cities on its routes and contributes to bike infrastructure, bike transportation, and cycling culture.
Türkiye, becoming highly popular for cycling tourism and is an internationally famous country regarding cycling routes, participates in EuroVelo as a section of the EuroVelo 8 – Mediterranean Route with its spectacular 500 kilometres route in İzmir. EuroVelo 8 – Mediterranean Route starts from Spain and continues through France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Greece, and İzmir and Southern Cyprus, passing through 11 countries.
The first route stop entering Türkiye from İzmir’s Dikili Port at the 45th kilometre is the Ancient City of Pergamum on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. The route then passes through beautiful spots in and around İzmir, such as the İzmir Bird Paradise, Karşıyaka, Alsancak, Seferihisar, Sığacık, Urla and Alaçatı, respectively, and ends at the Ancient City of Ephesus, another UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.
Türkiye’s cycling routes are not limited to İzmir. The country offers a unique cycling tourism potential within its distinctive geographical location and historical presentations. Türkiye has countless routes specially created for visitors who want to explore the country’s cultural heritage, untouched nature and alternative tourism centres on the pedals.
The European Side Forests Route, created for road cyclists in İstanbul; the Köyceğiz - Ortaca - Dalaman routes, designed for mtb, gravel and e-bikes in Muğla, Türkiye's tourism paradise; the Lycian Way - Maden Beach route in the Kemer district of Antalya; and the Güvercinlik Valley - Göreme Open Air Museum Route, which combines the breath-taking natural beauties of Cappadocia with one of the most important historical centres of the region, are among the exotic alternatives that Türkiye offers to the visitors.
About European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF)
Founded in 1983, the European Cyclists’ Federation is a Brussels-based independent non-profit association dedicated to achieving more and better cycling for all in Europe and the single European umbrella organisation for cycling for transportation and leisure. With more than 60 member organisations in over 40 countries, it unites the European cycling movements as the only civil society voice at the pan-European level and as the world’s largest and best-known cyclists’ advocacy organisation. For more information, visit ecf.com.
EuroVelo, the European cycle route network, is an initiative of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) in cooperation with national and regional partners. EuroVelo incorporates existing and planned national and regional cycle routes into a single European network. It is a network of 17 long-distance cycle routes connecting and uniting the European continent. The routes can be used by cycle tourists and locals making daily journeys. For more information about EuroVelo, visit www.EuroVelo.com, and to learn more about the implementation of the project, go to pro.eurovelo.com