Cycle Tourism as an Alternative Way of Tourism Development in Çanakkale, Turkey

Abstract

The number of the cyclists participating tourism activities in the world is gradually increasing. The cycle tourism, having emerged from people's travelling by bike according to their own motives, is becoming more popular, cycle routes are getting enlarged, and projects are developed for cycle tours day by day. Therefore, the elements constituting the cycle tourism have come into prominence and the motivations of the cycle tourists participating bike tours have been studied. Thus, the aim of this study is to find out the importance that cycle tourists give and the level of the interest they show for cycle tours. The central question of the study raised on is; "what is the level of interest and on cycling and how it can be an important touristic attraction for Çanakkale tourism?" For this purpose, in-depth interview technique was used on cyclist groups at different cycle tours in Çanakkale, Turkey. According to the results of the analyses, developing cycling by its philosophy and structural requirements in Çanakkale can be feasible in sustainability perspective.

Analysis of Cycling Tourism: Case-Study Croatia

“…One such activity is cycling tourism which has been gaining significance. Cycling tourism is often mentioned in connection with adventure, sports tourism, special interest tourism, nature tourism, rural and sustainable tourism (Duran et al, 2018). There are several definitions of cycling tourism.…”

“…Cycling tourism includes cycling trips on a specific route with the aim of exploring the destination, for the purpose of athletic activity, adventure seeking, physical, mental and spiritual relaxation, entertainment, being closer to nature etc. Cycling tours are becoming increasingly popular in European countries and cycling tourism constitutes an increasingly significant share in tourism revenues (Duran et al, 2018). Europe represents a good destination for cycle tourists (Piket et al, 2011).…”

“…The first recorded research on cycling tourism was conducted in Denmark in 1995 on the Fyn and Bomholm islands. The research showed that the islands were regularly visited by 53,000 cycle tourists with 477,000 overnight stays (Duran et al, 2018). A research conducted in 1997 in the United Kingdom estimated the value of cycling tourism at 335 million pounds per year (Ritchie and Hall, 1999).…”

“…A research conducted in 1997 in the United Kingdom estimated the value of cycling tourism at 335 million pounds per year (Ritchie and Hall, 1999). A study carried out in 2012 by the European Parliament estimated that in Europe, cycling tourism generated 2.8 billion tourist trips and approximately 20 million overnight stays and 44 billion euros of tourist spending (Duran et al, 2018;Periša, 2020). According to a report issued by the European Cyclists' Federation in 2018, the economic benefits arising from cycling tourism in 28 European Union Member States were between 150 and 155 billion euros.…”

Development of a Cycle-Tourism Strategy in Greece Based on the Preferences of Potential Cycle-Tourists

“…Such a touristic model is cycle-tourism [13][14][15]. By reviewing the international experience, it turns out that exploiting such an alternative can contribute not only to protecting the natural sources and people's health [16] but also revitalizing local economies [17]. Those three sectors are the three pillars of sustainable development [18].…”