Last Saturday, May 16th, we attended the "Present and Future of Cycle Tourism and Greenways in Spain" event in Valencia, as part of the Ciclosfería fair, organized by Ciclosfera magazine and celebrating its 4th edition.

We were there to celebrate another of the joint actions we have carried out through two Experiences projects of the State Secretariat for Tourism: “Experience Greenways” y “Pedal Spain” , the latter being the brand manager PedalSpainWithout a doubt, this is an ideal way to continue consolidating the network of key players in cycle tourism in Spain.

These two projects focus on cycle tourism, bicycle tourism, and approach it from many different perspectives.

We're experiencing a booming moment in the cycle tourism sector, which contrasts somewhat with the more challenging times experienced by the bicycle and component sectors.

From the beginning of the morning, the event enjoyed a positive atmosphere, a successful audience, and fast-paced, dynamic panel discussions that provided a quick overview of the sector, its strengths and weaknesses, and that helped us chart the path forward, the roadmap for the next steps toward the shared goal of growing the cycle tourism sector in our country.

The need for public-private collaboration came up repeatedly throughout the day, especially relevant now that there is so much public funding on the table, with short deadlines for justifying it, and which should help radically change our country's tourism sector: structuring the offering, improving marketing, reaching new clients and markets...

Important now, yes, but it will be even more important later, in the medium term, when those funds no longer exist, when PSTs and Experiencias run out, when the market, relentless as it always is, separates the wheat from the chaff and only those projects that are economically sustainable, without public aid, survive.

Many of us have been through those moments. They're tough, but they're also good. They clarify the situation. Those who need to continue, those who have managed to create a good product, find a suitable marketing channel, and, increasingly important, apply good management, move forward. That management we sometimes forget, obsessed with coming up with the great business idea, but which is often a guarantee of success.

Now and in the future, private-private collaboration will continue to be very important. Fortunately, in our sector, we understand this well most of the time. We compete, yes, but we recognize each other as part of a common ecosystem, and we collaborate, reach agreements, and support each other to create larger projects. PedalSpain It is a good example with 10 companies collaborating together.

Public-public collaboration is less discussed. While companies are capable of collaborating even in competition and trying to defend our legitimate interests, we don't understand these disputes between administrations—the State, the Autonomous Communities, the Provincial Councils, and the City Councils—a veritable administrative labyrinth from which it's difficult to escape.

We must be ambitious, continue to envy our French neighbor when it emphatically states, "We want to be the world's leading cycle tourism destination by 2030," while recognizing how much we've changed, for the better. Since that distant 1993 when we opened, Spain has changed a lot when it comes to bicycle travel.

Just a few notes on what's going on today:

State Bicycle Strategy, next cycle route viewer, bikes welcome on trains (!!) those words of Adrian Fernández Carrasco on your table are not a minor message, Eurovelo, nature trails, Greenways as a consolidated and recognized brand in Spain and also internationally.

A private sector that's flexing its muscles, growing, diversifying, and continuing to reflect on how much we need to know for sure what economic impact cycle tourism has on our country, how many of the millions of tourists who visit us come to enjoy a cycling vacation.

If we had that data, we would surely be able to channel more and better investments into our sector.

I don't want to finish without thanking Mediterranean Bike Tours, the local entity, a partner in both Experiencias projects, for their work in making the event a success. Thank you!!

PedalSpain has already held 7 workshops like this in 7 autonomous communities, Next week we have the last one included in the project, it will be in Cantabria, in Puente ViesgoYou can still register here.

And we want more. We're trying to set up two more professional workshops in the Basque Country and Catalonia.

We keep pedaling, will you join us?