Slow tourist infrastructures to enhance the value of cultural heritage in inner areas

Transformative Experiences in Cycling Tourism: A Conceptual Framework

“…CT is slowly gaining appreciation in the tourism scene [7,40], as it can provide several benefits encompassing the environment and the socio-economic sphere [41] by offering a cheap and reliable modality of transportation [42]. In this way, that can influence the whole tourism act towards a far more sustainable one, providing benefits to tourists on the one hand, as well as to the destinations' area and its residents on the other hand [43], enhancing the overall tourism experience [44]. Features such as eco-friendliness, health and wellness, slow tourism, and authentic experiences in a post-pandemic world align well with the current trends and demands of travellers, making it have significant market potential [41].…”

Cycling Tourism: A Literature Review to Assess Implications, Multiple Impacts, Vulnerabilities, and Future Perspectives

“…Cycling tourism is able to create a strong experiential value, providing direct contact with the culture, history, and traditions of a territory, allowing visitors to enjoy and, at the same time, preserve the environment; from this point of view, this form of tourism falls under slow tourism [27,43]. Another important point worth mentioning in this context is the connection made by Moscarelli (2019) between slow-tourism principles and cycling/cycletourism infrastructure. Slow-travel infrastructure (cycling and hiking) connects local areas and regenerates the dispersed heritage of an area and enhances territorial capital (natural, cultural, and human) [44].…”

“…Another important point worth mentioning in this context is the connection made by Moscarelli (2019) between slow-tourism principles and cycling/cycletourism infrastructure. Slow-travel infrastructure (cycling and hiking) connects local areas and regenerates the dispersed heritage of an area and enhances territorial capital (natural, cultural, and human) [44]. Another bridge between cycle tourism, sustainable tourism, and the slow-tourism phenomenon is created by Scandiffio (2021), who shows that tourist involvement initiatives have increased significantly in the last decade, constituting a real healthy alternative to mass tourism [45].…”

“…The ECF conference in Dublin in 2019 discussed issues related to the development of cycle tourism nationally in Ireland, highlighting issues related to the proportion of employees directly involved in the provision of cycle-tourism services, which exceeds the number of employees in agriculture in Ireland [15]. Moscarelli (2019) argues that cycle tourism generates positive impacts; thus, every kilometre of cycling infrastructure in Europe has created and maintains (directly, indirectly, and induced) between 4 and 5 jobs, and in Germany cycle tourism generates revenues of EUR 3.9 billion per year [44]. Thus, it has been calculated that half of cyclists' expenditure is on accommodation, and those on a multi-day holiday spend on average about 64 EUR/day, compared to 16 EUR/day spent by cyclists on a day trip [44].…”

“…Moscarelli (2019) argues that cycle tourism generates positive impacts; thus, every kilometre of cycling infrastructure in Europe has created and maintains (directly, indirectly, and induced) between 4 and 5 jobs, and in Germany cycle tourism generates revenues of EUR 3.9 billion per year [44]. Thus, it has been calculated that half of cyclists' expenditure is on accommodation, and those on a multi-day holiday spend on average about 64 EUR/day, compared to 16 EUR/day spent by cyclists on a day trip [44]. Coming closer to the present day, Sutton (2020) argues that cycle tourism, from an economic point of view, generates annual revenues of over EUR 44 billion, an amount that is greater than the revenues of the European cruise-ship industry [71].…”