Fairs in the bicycle sector and bicycle tourism

The month of September is about to end, and this month the two most important fairs in the bicycle sector in Spain have been held: Festibike in Madrid and Sea Otter in Girona.

They are fairs very focused on the bicycle industry: bicycles of all types, components, accessories, textiles, technology and, of course, bicycle tourism.

For years, destinations and companies have attended these fairs seeking to reach the final audience, the user of all those bicycles.

We are going to tell you how we have seen these two fairs. Keep in mind that we have a very marked bias, the part of the fairs that interests us most is, precisely, the one that has to do with cycle tourism.

FESTIBIKE

According to the organizers, Festibike exceeded 40.000 visitors in its last edition, the twentieth. Three days, at the Las Rozas Fairgrounds in Madrid, located just 25 kilometers from Madrid's Puerta del Sol.

SEA OTTER

Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava-Girona reached 65.000 visitors, of 112 nationalities.

Seventh edition of the Fair with 250 stands distributed in a huge space located next to the city of Girona.

Both fairs are in a good moment, both have been lucky in 2023 with the weather. Some rain, but that did not spoil either of the two fairs. This is important since they are fundamentally open-air fairs (although at Festibike the tourism stands are grouped together in a large tent).

It is not our intention to compare, far from it, but it is evident that Sea Otter wins in terms of audience and size. We saw many companies in the bicycle sector at the two fairs and the norm has been that at Sea Otter these companies had larger spaces.

Regarding the presence of entities related to tourism, we leave you a list of those we saw at both fairs. Two destinations, Asturias and the Val d'Aran were present in both. As is usual in our country, at tourism fairs the presence of public administrations is much more prominent than that of the private sector, although at both fairs there have been examples of hotels and agencies that have been present.

DESTINATIONS AND OPERATORS AT FAIRS

We leave you a table with the entities that we saw at both fairs.

As you can see, a presence that we could define as notable, especially if we take into account that, in my opinion, neither of the two fairs pays much attention to bicycle tourism. A situation that is repeated in many relationships with the bicycle industry. They do not seem to fully understand the important synergies, not only that they can be generated, but that they are already generated.

We do not know that anyone has made a calculation that seems simple, for example, how many rental bikes there are in our country, but surely if someone did it the result would be several tens of thousands of bicycles.

In addition, many of these bikes will be renewed every year, or every two years.

And we are only talking about rentals, but the agencies that organize bicycle trips, as is our case, are an excellent test of these products and these agencies receive thousands and thousands of clients a year.

Customers who buy helmets, clothing of all kinds, shoes and various accessories, which vary with the different times of the year. In addition to maintaining your bicycles and renewing components often. But, for whatever reason, we remain unattractive for the sector. 

One last note related to this. On many occasions we have traveled by bicycle through Italy and there we have had a very interesting experience. Italian bicycle tourism companies work decisively for “the country brand”: Italian brand bikes, Italian clothing, Italian helmets, Italian beer, Italian design,... In this we also have a way to go and many lessons to learn .

DO WE NEED A CYCLE TOURISM FAIR IN SPAIN?

If the current fairs do not improve the integration of the tourism sector in their programs and communication, they will never be the showcase that tour operators demand nor what destinations that are specializing in bicycle tourism need. That showcase that attracts new profiles of visitors, who are not only looking for the novelties of the bicycle as a vehicle, but also where to go with it when they plan their cycling vacations.

As long as this change does not happen, we will continue to think that our country lacks a cycle tourism fair (we even miss those last editions of UNIBIKE where an attempt was made to create a space for tourism within the bicycle fair). That fair of our dreams will need a sponsor, probably an administration that believes in it and is willing to set up a project for the future. 

The bicycle tourism sector needs that space to continue growing and to reach an increasingly larger audience. And I would dare to say that a fair of this type would also help strengthen our country brand as a cycle tourism destination. An activity that is experiencing a good moment, that is in clear growth, but that as a sector lacks a meeting space between destinations and operators, both national and international and, why not, with the final public.