Inclusive Border Cycling
In recent years, a range of projects have been implemented in the Danube region, developing transnational cycling trails in a cross-border context and integrating them into the European cycling tourism network - the Amazon of Europe Bike Trail on the Mura and the Drava rivers, the Iron Curtain Trail (EuroVelo 13) along the former Iron Curtain or the Danube Cycle Path (EuroVelo 6) along the Danube.
These cycling trails cross rural, mostly peripheral areas, plagued by multiple socio-economic problems that affect the attractiveness and thereby the potential positive local and regional impact of the routes and related economic activities. The Inclusive Border Cycling project aims to tackle these challenges by innovative ways of social inclusion: by valorising local cultural assets and by focusing on the inclusion of vulnerable groups into cycling tourism.
Pilot activities based on endogenous resources - storytelling along trails, integrating locally produced food and craft brands to trail offers, voluntary actions and route maintenance initiatives and appropriate cycling offers targeting the silver age tourists and disadvantaged youth, accompanied by joint transnational marketing and promotional activities are expected to lead to a more accessible and inclusive network of border cycling trails with a higher European acceptance.
The project partnership is made up of experienced partners who have taken an active role in the development of one of the above-mentioned cycle routes. The partnership of 16 comes from 8 countries in total: Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Romania and Moldova. Project partners will work together on the following:
- valorising local cultural heritage through storytelling and social inclusion to strengthen trail attractiveness and identity – the stories will be presented in a Danube Region Cycling Storybook and online storyportal,
- integrating local products and their brands into sustainable tourism trail offers for raising local incomes in rural areas,
- elaborate an inclusive trail maintenance model involving local, vulnerable social groups for strengthening trail identity and ownership locally
- present tested inclusive methods in a Handbook with complex proposals for an effective and sustainable social inclusion along cycling trails in remote border areas,
- elaborate and test pilot cross-generational volunteer programmes as well as inclusive tourism products suited for special needs of the silver generation and vulnerable youth groups that are yet missing from the trails and resulting in a Transnational Inclusive Cycle Product Model,
- work out a Transnational marketing strategy for border cycling routes that addresses specific challenges in rural border areas, focusing on socially inclusive tourism,
- a transferability plan to support cross-border trails that do not have a common branding and joint promotion with suitable guidance,
- innovative promotional activities - e.g. a Socially Inclusive Travel Challenge - will be launched
IBC Partners:
- Westpannon Regional and Economic Development Public Nonprofit Ltd. (HU, lead partner)
- Ekopolis Foundation (SK)
- Trail Angels GmbH (AT)
- Tourism Association Thermal- & Vulkanland (AT)
- Arctur computer engineering d.o.o. (SI)
- Development Centre Murska Sobota (SI)
- Iskriva, Institute for Development of Local Potentials (SI)
- CROST Regional Development Nonprofit Ltd (HU)
- Association for Nature and Environment Protection Green Osijek (CRO)
- Koprivnica Križevci County (CRO)
- Tourism Board of Međimurje County (CRO)
- Municipality of Apatin (SRB)
- City of Sombor (SRB)
- Timis County Council (RO)
- National Institute for Research and Development in Tourism (RO)
- Moldsilva Forestry Agency of Republic of Moldova (MD)
Project duration: 1st of January, 2024 – 30th of June 2026
Total budget of the project: 2.737.194,00 EUR
ERDF Contribution: 2.189.755,20 EUR
Total budget of Westpannon Nonprofit Ltd.: 314.200,00 EUR
IBC project is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme co-funded by the European Union and Hungarian State.
More information about the project: www.interreg-danube.eu/projects/ibc
Responsible
Polgár Tibor
