Italy's Cycling Tourism Growth Lags Behind Potential Despite 9.8 Billion Euro Impact

In 2024, Italy's cycling tourism experienced a remarkable 54% rise in the number of cyclists utilizing bike routes compared to the previous year, leading to an estimated economic impact of €9.8 billion, as reported by Insart-Unioncamere. Gianluca Santilli, a lawyer and the founder of the Bike Economy Observatory, points out that while there is organic growth, institutional investment remains inadequate. He acknowledges the recent Law on Paths (Cammini) but criticizes the lack of emphasis on cycling. Santilli highlights Italy's extensive network of 50,000 kilometers of secondary roads as affordable infrastructure and notes that 65-70% of cycle tourists are foreign. He references the Upslowtour initiative in Pinerolese and mentions Valtellina's bike path and Romagna's cycling developments, stressing that safety issues must be addressed to boost cycling tourism.