The European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) is pleased to announce that it has selected Belgian Limburg to host the fourth edition of the EuroVelo and Cycle Tourism Conference. The premier Cycle Tourism Conference in Europe will take place in Limburg (Belgium) on 26-28 September 2018.

The ECF is now joining forces with the Tourism Limburg organization to organise the conference. Both parties confirmed their cooperation with the signing of a letter of intent at the headquarters of ECF in Brussels on 7 May 2018.

The EuroVelo and Cycle Tourism Conference aims to gather professionals from the tourism and cycle tourism sectors from around the world to discuss this growing market that employs over 600,000 Europeans and generates an economic impact of over €44 billion every year for the European economy.

Igor Philtjens, deputy of Tourism and Chairman of Tourism Limburg vzw., explained that “we’re extremely honored to host the 2018 edition in our province. Limburg continues to invest and innovate to maintain our reputation as a cycling destination par excellence. The allocation of this congress to Belgian Limburg is a confirmation of our efforts.” Ádám Bodor, ECF EuroVelo and Advocacy Director, pointed out that the ECF is “delighted to be bringing this year’s EuroVelo and Cycle Tourism Conference to Limburg. We hope to use the occasion to showcase some of the innovative techniques that have been used to develop cycle tourism in the region, including knooppunten – the famous cycle node system.”

Previous editions of the Conference took place in Nantes (2012), Basel (2014) and Vienna (2016). In 2018, Limburg was selected among 10 European candidate cities and regions from seven different countries. Over 150 participants and 20 speakers are expected to take part in the EuroVelo and Cycle Tourism Conference 2018. In addition to the Conference on 27 September, Limburg will also host the Annual National EuroVelo Coordination Centres and Coordinators Meeting on 26 September and a number of field trip visit and side events on 28 September.