This year, from 11-13 October, the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference 2023 embraced the theme “Cycling: a new perspective on heritage.” Hosted in the beautiful city of Izmir, Türkiye, and situated on EuroVelo 8 – Mediterranean Route, it provided the perfect backdrop to discuss the potential of increasing cycling tourism.

With around 200 in attendance, the conference was warmly opened by key local and national Turkish representatives, including Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye; Tunç Soyer, the Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality; and Süleyman Elban, the Governor of İzmir.

In his welcoming speech on Thursday 12 October, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, set the stage for an inspiring conference to come. Stating a commitment to developing the EuroVelo network in Türkiye, he said: “Today we are shaping the future of cycling and heritage.”

Highlights of the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference 2023

During the Welcome Reception at the Historical Gas Factory on Wednesday evening, Stefano Dominioni, Director of the European Institute of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, presented the recertification ceremony of EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail. 

During the first plenary session of the Conference, a lively discussion was sparked by journalist Alex Crevar and Pinar Pinzuti, Izmir native and member of the EuroVelo Council. Both shared their perspectives on the role of cycling in shaping cultural and natural heritage, sharing perspectives on how cycling can make the most of a destination’s heritage.

The second plenary session, focused on the theme of ‘Bringing cycling tourism higher on the political agenda’. As one of the speakers, ECF CEO, Jill Warren stressed the importance of safety, accessibility and inclusivity in encouraging cycling in everyday life. Turkish representatives, Erdem Özer, from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change of the Republic of Türkiye and Onur Gözet, from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of the Republic of Türkiye also shared their mutual commitment to expanding cycling tourism – a positive signal for cycling and cycle tourism in Türkiye! Ioannis Pappas from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and Alessandra Priante of the UN World Tourism Organisation also added their perspective during plenary two.

Throughout this session, it was heartening to see a clear acknowledgement of the rise of cycle tourism, and the speakers were clear that continued investment is necessary to keep momentum going.

EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference 2024 host city revealed!

In an exciting announcement, Jesper Pørksen from Dansk Cykelturisme and Chair of the EuroVelo Council along with Michael Andersen, a representative of Viborg, revealed the host city of the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference 2024 will be Viborg, Denmark.

Located in the north of Denmark, Viborg is one of the country’s oldest cities, where cycling is interwoven into the city’s rich history. Viborg is located along EuroVelo 3 – Pilgrims Route, a 5,600-km cycling itinerary following ancient pilgrim’s routes including Denmark’s Road of Hærvejen. Moving from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, the next edition of the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference is set to deliver more incredible insights on cycle tourism in 2024.

The conference dinner at the historic site of Agora of Izmir

On the Thursday evening of the conference, attendees had the chance to enjoy a truly special dinner reception that embodied the central theme of heritage. 

Once the centre of public and social life of the ancient Greek city of Smyrna, the site of the Agora located in present-day Izmir provided an incredible setting to continue networking and exchange ideas on cycling tourism in Türkiye and beyond. The dinner became a conference highlight as Tunç Soyer, the Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, shared inspiring words: “EuroVelo paves the way for a future of harmony.”

The unique location of the conference dinner, is now recognised as one of the region’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Attendees of the conference enjoyed this extension of generous hospitality as an unforgettable part of the EuroVelo Conference.

The last day of the conference concluded with a technical visit on EuroVelo 8 – Mediterranean Route. Starting at Kültürpark, attendees were invited to discover the long-distance route, courtesy of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. Participants were able to travel to the other side of the bay, to the Gulf of Izmir using the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality sharing bikes via the ferry.  

The idyllic bike ride along the sparkling blue Aegean Sea, scenic coastline architecture and a cloudless sky, brought the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference to a memorable end.

The true success of the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference 2023, was evident in the massive support by every participant of the conference, and the clear commitment to expand cycling tourism in Türkiye. The conference reiterated the importance of maintaining and increasing momentum for cycling tourism in the scenic and beautiful country of Türkiye.

Overall, the success of the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference is a credit to the tireless work of the ECF EuroVelo team aimed at promoting and developing the EuroVelo network, and our valued conference partners, including the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) and Izmir Metropolitan Municipality.

Additionally, we extend gratitude to Enverçevko, a dedicated ECF member and the national EuroVelo Coordinator for Türkiye. Their support and contributions to the International Programme Committee were essential in bringing speakers, moderators and inviting the Turkish academic community to Izmir.

For more information about EuroVelo, please visit: https://pro.eurovelo.com/