About this good practice
Bike tourism is a form of alternative tourism which can help the economic and social development of local communities and attract tourists throughout the year, as it is not strongly characterized by seasonality. However, the use of tailor-made web / phone applications which will help potential bikers to organize their trips and local authorities to promote the tourism destination is still very limited.
The project "Development and operation of technological applications for the promotion of cycling tourism in Region of Central Macedonia - GoBike" proposes the development and operation of a technological system of a web platform and a smart phoned application (app) to promote bike tourism in the region of Central Macedonia (https://www.imet.gr/index.php/en/projects-en/sector-d-projects-en/1013-…).
Stakeholders and beneficiaries:
• TERO Consulting (Stakeholder – owner)
• EKETA Research Institution (Stakeholder)
• AUTH and the Lab of Sport, Recreation and Tourism Management (Stakeholder)
• The Region of Central Macedonia (Stakeholder)
• The Municipalities of Thessaloniki, Pilea Chortiati, Dion – Olympus
• The Hotelier Association of the involved municipalities
• The Greek Tourism Organisation
• The Greek Cycling Federation
Resources needed
GoBike was developed under the “Innovation Technological Projects” action in Central Macedonia (co-funded by National Funds & EE - ΚΜΡ6-0077093) with a €280,000 budget. It covered bike route research, mapping, and app development. Future funding will come from sponsors/ads. The app is currently free
Evidence of success
All local authorities and the Region of Central Macedonia expressed the intention to adopt it and promote it.
The application was piloted to 140 bikers / tourists and positive comments were received.
Interviews were taken from 25 high profile professionals involved in tourism / bike activities. They expressed their interest and agreed for its perspective.
The phone application is in the process of being promoted to potential tourists / end users.
Potential for learning or transfer
The global cycle tourism market, valued at $345.1 million in 2020, is expected to grow to $1.29 billion by 2030. This practice offers great potential for regions with a strong focus on bike tourism to develop their own tailored phone apps. Key success factors include:
• Cooperation between a professional bike tourism organization, a research institution, and an IT company.
• Research and development based on real data and user feedback.
• Customizing the app with bike routes of varying difficulty levels.
• Integrating technical bike attributes with local tourism sites of interest.
• Collaborating with local authorities to promote the destination through the app.
• Partnerships with the European Bike Federation for broader reach and credibility.
These factors make the practice transferable to other regions looking to enhance bike tourism, providing a sustainable model to boost local economies while promoting active tourism.
Further information
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