Speakers

Joanna Matuszczyk has been associated with the Marshal’s Office of the Małopolska Region for over a dozen years. Since 2019, she has been the Head of the Cycling Development Team in the Department of Tourism. Personally, she is passionate about travel, design thinking, and network intelligence.

As ECF Official Route Inspector, I am involved in the promotion of JapanVelo. President of the Japan Cycle Tourism Promotion Association: as a Cycling UK-accredited trainer, I train cycling guides and cycle instructors, and currently have over 300 certified guides and instructors. President of Planet Adventure, a specialist cycling travel company.

Since 1999 with Ö.T.E. to work on sustainable tourism development in and around protected areas in CEE countries. From 2006-2014 he has worked for UNWTO giving advice to member states. His key expertise is coaching of tourism planning processes, capacity-building of local communities and entrepreneurs and sustainable tourism product development.

Tamás Andrejszki, PhD, is a transportation engineer and active mobility expert at Értékterv Ltd. His 2017 dissertation focused on demand-responsive transport systems. He participated in the “Danube Cycle Plans” project and leads traffic estimation around Lake Balaton.

Robin Ranjore, Export Consultant at Eco-Counter, advises global authorities on pedestrian and cyclist counting. With a Master’s in International Business and 10+ years abroad, he returned in France in 2016 with the will to promote active mobility. An avid cyclist and former bike instructor, he co-founded the Bike Cooperative “La Sonnette” in Redon.

Biologist specialized in conservation biology and ecosystem restoration with more than 5 years of experience coordinating European Nature Conservation projects. Marta currently coordinates the LIFE Steps for LIFE project, which is developed in the Camino Lebaniego in Cantabria and Camino de Santiago in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.

Agathe Daudibon is in charge of the transnational coordination of the European cycle route network and of cycling tourism in general together with her dedicated team to contribute to ECF’s goal for more and better cycling. She has worked in project management related to cycling and cycling tourism for 10 years in France before that.

András Munkácsy, PhD Civil Engineering, MSc Economics, is the head of the Transport Development Research Centre at KTI in Budapest, Hungary. His main fields of interest are mobility management and planning, travel behaviour, active mobility modes and transport–tourism interactions.

Hartmut Wimmer, founder and CEO of Outdooractive, is one of the pioneers in the digitalization of outdoor tourism with over three decades of experience. He is the initiator of numerous projects and a member of various alliances to create international standards in tourism and enable the easy exchange of high-quality data.

Max is a passionate mountain biker who was able to combine his love for the sport with his professional career early on.After studying economics, he gained valuable experience in the bike industry working for a bike manufacturer in Switzerland and a bike publishing company. For nearly five years,he has been part of Europe’s largest outdoor platform.

A passionate hiker and nature lover. Her hobby became intertwined with her work when she started working on the Horizont Bicycle Adventure Route. As her grandfather founded the National Blue Trail – the most popular hiking trail in the country today – it is even more of an honor for her to contribute to its cycling version.

Tomasz is passionate about outdoor activities, eco-tourism and mobile map solutions for cyclists. He leads a group of wonderful people who design spatial information and outdoor navigation systems for regions, and NGOs and firms from the tourist sector. He is proud that these solutions enable his team to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality.

Marketing Lead at OsmAnd and an avid cycling tourism enthusiast. Passionate about sustainable travel, they actively promote cycling-friendly navigation solutions within the company, ensuring that digital mapping tools support accessibility, exploration, and a better experience for cyclists worldwide

Feridun Ekmekci, is a long-distance bicycle tourer and bicycle strategy development expert, preparing awareness studies and projects. He is an academic staff at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University. He is a long-distance bicycle tourer, planning and implementing cross-border bicycle tours. He cooperates with local, national and international institutions.

Alexandra joined ECF within the EuroVelo team in May 2022 after graduating with a Master’s in Environmental Sciences and Management. Alexandra is working on the Baltic Biking Upgrade project (EuroVelo 10) and the European Certification Standard, ECF’s methodology to assess the quality of cycle routes, as well as other GIS topics.

Peter Kopić (senior lecturer) is employed at the University of Primorska, Faculty of Tourism Studies – TURISTICA. His research focus is on sustainability, e-tourism, ICT in tourism, event and destination management.

Hans Stoops is the advocacy officer at the IMBA Europe. For six years he worked as a project manager with responsibility for recreational cycling, mountain biking and cycling tourism at Cykelfrämjandet, the Swedish national cycling advocacy organisation, where he now sits as a board member. He is also a board member of the Warmshowers Foundation.

Jasmina Fiasse is in charge of cycling tourism projects for Pro Velo and the coordination of the Belgian NECC. Prior to this, she has been working for Pro Velo for 10 years in a variety of roles: firstly, developing services for cyclists, and secondly, helping public authorities and businesses to develop their cycling policies.

Michael Maier has studied “Sustainable Regional Management” (B.Sc.) and “Sustainable Tourism Development” (M.A.). In 2020 he became Bicycle Tourism Officer at the German Cyclists’ Association (ADFC). In his position, he is responsible for the certifications: ADFC premium cycle routes & cycle holiday regions.

Working for the Alsatian tourism board, Dimitri LETT is cycle tourism Manager since 2016. Based in Strasburg, he is strongly involved in the institutional partnership « Cycling in Alsace » which tend to develop and promote cycling tourism in Alsace following 4 different axis : infrastructures, services, marketing, assessment.

Abelovszky Tamás is responsible for development and implementation for different cycling educational programs, trainings, etc. as the project manager of Bringasuli, the Hungarian cycling educational program since 2013. He is committed to cycling since his childhood, and has been involved in different cycling related projects in the last 20 years.

Tibor Polgár has been involved in EU Funds management in Hungary since its accession to the Union. In the last 12 years he has been working in the nonprofit sector. At Westpannon Agency, he coordinated lead partner tasks of several transnational and cross-border projects. Many of them are about cycling policy development, working closely with ECF .

Belén Calahorro, ConBici Technical office. I develop technical projects at national level to promote cycling. I coordinate the Eurovelo National Center, the Iberian Congress of the Bicycle and the City and the Pedal Spain project.

Urška Dolinar is director of Iskriva, Institute for Development of Local Potentials, with 15 years of experience in regional development in the Danube region, fostering local culture and sustainable tourism. She coordinates the development of Amazon of Europe Bike Trail within the first-world UNESCO 5-country Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube.

Dr. Ioannis Pappas, Founder & CEO of GREEN EVOLUTION, is a Mechanical Engineer with a PhD in Applied Mechanics and over 33 years of experience in engineering, advancing sustainability and climate change solutions. As GSTC Director for the Mediterranean Region and EU Destinations Stewardship, he is a prominent advocate for sustainable tourism, guiding destinations, hotels, and tour operators in adopting global sustainability standards and practices. He is focusing on Sustainability and Climate Change related Services in Tourism, Energy and Environmental Efficiency in Infrastructure and Buildings, Advising in standardization of companies and technological implementation of climate adaptation and mitigation methodologies. He is a GSTC Assessor for Destinations, Consultant for Sustainable Tourism Certification Standards, focusing on Hotels, Tour Operators and Destinations, and Approved Trainer and Assessor for GSTC in South East Europe Region. Dr. Pappas focuses on integrating environmental efficiency in infrastructure and buildings, promoting energy efficiency, and advising organizations on ESGs and Net Zero strategies. Since 2025, he is European Climate Pact Ambassador and EUI-IA Expert, working to enhance climate resilience across Europe. His expertise has made him a sought-after speaker at high-level events organized by the European Commission, governments, universities, and global platforms such as Google and GSTC.

Alexandra Dörfler is employed in the Austrian Federal Ministry for Innovation, Technology and Infrastructure and is responsible for activities relating to sustainable mobility in tourism. She is the co-organizer of the Austrian annual Tourism Mobility Day and the Platform for Sustainable Tourism Mobility.

Natália Oszkó-Jakab is first and foremost the Festival Director of the Valley of Arts Festival (Művészetek Völgye) since 2013, the oldest, and greatest multi-art festival in Hungary, founded in 1989. She is Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Arts for Rural Development Foundation which mission is to develop rural areas, boost regional recovery, sustainable local tourism and to contribute to infrastructural development with festivals organised in smaller villages. The Foundation is the main organiser of the Valley of Arts Festival and Kerekdomb Festival which is situated in Tokaj Wine region in a charming historic site.

Natália started her career at the Palace of Arts (MÜPA), the most modern cultural institution of Hungary in 2005. She also spent two years (2011-13) at an international organisation while working for the Valley of Arts on a freelance basis since 2011. As a cultural diplomat, she was leading the Liszt Institute Brussels in 2022-2023 while leading her foundations and festivals. Her community activity started from Hungarian organisations of participation at the Hungarian Festival Association, being the founder of the Music Hungary Associations and now the Festival Department leader within the organisation.

From 2021, her community, education and lobbying activity led to founding the Hungarian Tourism Programme Foundation which now became the EFFE Hungarian Hub since Autumn 2023 and is the main professional organisation of the Hungarian event industry. Through her Startup Safari Budapest festival she is fostering collaboration in between the cultural and innovation sector.

Her journey with the European Festivals Association (EFA) began in 2014, initially drawn in by the EFFE label procedure and as she delved deeper into the organisation’s ethos, priorities, and initiatives, her connection to it deepened. Her commitment to EFA extends beyond mere participation; she is driven to actively contribute to its knowledge on sustainability pillars – environmental, societal, and economic. By leveraging her time and insights, she aspires to foster a more resilient, diverse, and culturally vibrant European cultural festival sector with being proudly on the Board of Directors of the European Festival Association.

Rebecca is Head of Impact at the Travel Foundation, a global NGO that helps maximise the positive contribution of tourism to people and places and supports the industry to transform to a more equitable, net zero future.

The Travel Foundation’s work spans research and advocacy, capacity building for the tourism industry, and accelerating leadership and innovation through collaborative partnerships. Over the past 20 years, the organisation has partnered with destinations, policy-makers and tourism businesses in more than 200 locations worldwide.

Rebecca has a Masters in Responsible Tourism Management, which she took in 2008 as a career change from law. Before joining the Travel Foundation in 2021, she was an independent consultant. Rebecca has a particular specialism in maximising the socio-economic benefits of tourism and recently contributed to the Travel Foundation’s ‘Creating Equitable Destinations’ report. She works with a wide range of global destinations and private sector partners and is particularly focused on how different tourism models can deliver both climate and community benefits through product and itinerary development, infrastructure and service planning, a supportive policy environment and place-based tourism strategies.

Henk Swarttouw has been a professional diplomat in the Dutch foreign service for 30+ years, working in the US, France, the UK, Finland and, of course, the Netherlands. Henk served as Dutch ambassador to Finland from 2012 to 2015 and as Dutch ambassador to Denmark from 2015 to 2019. Until leaving the Foreign Service in the summer of 2020, Henk worked as Dutch ambassador for International Organisations. He is now an independent advisor on sustainability and international cooperation. Henk has been cycling to school and to work for over 50 years. Since his arrival in Finland in 2012, he has been actively engaging in cycling diplomacy. Henk initially joined the ECF board as Vice-President in 2019, putting his international experience and diplomatic skills at the disposal of ECF and its members. In 2024, he was reelected President of ECF by our members following a vote at the Annual General Meeting.