Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
several parts of the world, cycling clubs were established, one of the most
famous being the Clarion Club (founded in the UK in 1895). These clubs
organized recreational rides. Many such clubs survive to this day. Thus, there
is a strong legacy of recreational cycling that stems from the early decades of
cycling, when it flourished both as a pastime and as a form of holiday. In many
respects, the early development of cycle tourism has connotations of romanti-
cism, akin to recreational walking in the 18th and 19th centuries. With the
advent of the private car and rural bus, however, cycling for pleasure lost its
popularity throughout the subsequent decades of the 20th century.
Nevertheless, even in the heyday of the package holiday in the mid- to late-
1900s, cycle tourism continued to feature in some of the mainstream European
brochures. Thus, the tradition of cycling holidays, or cycling on holiday, has
endured into the 21st century, with France and Austria leading the market
(Mintel, 2003).
In Australasia, Europe and North America, cycle tourism is currently posi-
tioned by many authorities as a niche segment, and elsewhere it is presented
as a specialist pursuit, such as mountain biking, to be enjoyed at certain
locations (see, for example, Dickinson and Robbins, 2009). There are
exceptions, however. In some countries, such as Denmark, Germany and the
Netherlands, cycling is far more than this and there has been a greater will-
ingness to invest in networks of routes, rather than in singular locations
utilizing forestry tracks or old railway lines. In these countries the use of the
bicycle when on holiday is more common, and there is also an upward trend.
Cycle tourism is increasing in most countries, but only marginally; the pattern
varies considerably.
In the context of world transport, however, the bicycle no longer holds
the important position that it had 100 years ago. There is a necessary qualifi-
cation to this generalization. In many of the poorest countries the role of the
bicycle (for transport or leisure) has not reached the potential that one might
expect. This is simply because of widespread poverty and hence a lack of own-
ership among populations that would readily use a bicycle to good effect.
Nevertheless, in terms of world production of bicycles there has been an
increase in recent years. The extent to which bicycles are purchased, princi-
pally for utility or specifically for leisure, depends on country or region.
In North America, for example, most bicycles are used for leisure and
tourism purposes, with social and leisure cycle trips accounting for 82 per
cent of all cycle trips (DeMaio and Gifford, 2004; Pucher and Dijkstra,
2000). In Asia and Africa they are sold invariably to service utility trips. In
some countries, such as the UK or Italy, the share of cycle trips (against all
other modes) accounts for only 1-2 per cent, whereas in Denmark it is 18 per
cent and the Netherlands 27 per cent (Pucher et al, 2008). It is not simply a
matter of culture, as is often cited in the wider literature. The level of use
relates to land-use planning and investment in cycling routes and facilities
including for tourism purposes. Several regional and local governments have
invested in the Danube cycleway (Donau-radweg) to good effect in the past
20 years and it is now the most popular tourist cycle route in Europe, attract-
ing over 200,000 cyclists per year in Upper Austria and 150,000 in Lower
