The professional program is continuously updated, the final program including all spekaers is expected by mid-June.
Information coming soon
18:30 – 19:30 Opening of the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference
Welcome to Balatonfüred!
- Mr István Bóka, Mayor of Balatonfüred
- Mr Máriusz Révész, State Secretary for Active Hungary
Keynote speech: Cycling (tourism) is healthy!
Cycling offers well-documented physical and mental health benefits: it promotes physical activity, reduces stress, and contributes to overall well-being. Since good health and well-being are central to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), cycling tourism has a clear role to play in achieving them. Communicating cycling as a healthy alternative can help get even more people on the saddle. Let’s begin the Conference with a reflection on how cycling tourism supports health.
Keynote speech: The business case of cycling tour
The evidence is clear: cycling tourism delivers a high return on investment. This is primarily because cycling tourists tend to spend more per day than the average traveller. Destinations and stakeholders who recognise this potential are making strategic investments and seeing strong results. Although up-to-date global and European data on volume and impact are limited, this short and dynamic session will present the best available insights. Join us for a worldwide snapshot that proves: investing in cycling tourism is a smart move.
19:30 – 22:00 Welcome reception and networking
- Mr Tibor Navracsics, Minister of Public Administration and Regional Development, Hungary
- Mr Máriusz Révész, State Secretary for Active Hungary, Hungary
- Mr Henk Swarttouw, President, European Cyclists’ Federation
Cycling is a healthy and inherently sustainable means of transport and leisure. Active travelling has numerous concrete social and economic benefits, too: it is positive for local communities, rural and urban alike, with a high return on investment. This first keynote will present the efforts of Visit Hungary to benefit from the sustainable future that cycling tourism offers.
Sustainability has become a necessity for the tourism industry and cycling has the potential to play a vital role in this transformation. As a mode of transport and form of leisure, cycling offers clear environmental benefits, supports local economies, and strengthens communities with minimal ecological impact. Yet are the full benefits of cycling truly reflected in sustainable tourism strategies? It is not enough to see a bike rack listed in a climate action plan and consider the job done. To elevate cycling’s role in tourism, we must understand the broader context and build strong, evidence-based arguments. This opening panel discussion will offer strategies, insights and new ideas.
Format: Panel discussion
The growth of cycling tourism highly depends on the available funds and seizing the existing opportunities. This session will explore examples of projects to develop cycle routes, including EuroVelo routes, using funding from different sources (regional, national, European) and discussing strategies, achievements and challenges. Bringing around the table experts from various countries, this session will boost peer-to-peer learning and exchange of best practices.
Format: Lecture
At all ages, cycling brings joy and happiness. The recreational aspect of cycling is particularly important for the youth, combating sedentary behaviour. Involving children in cycling tourism, however, poses questions for route developers, who should build child-friendly routes, and educators, who design and offer them experiences on two wheels that will make them the active citizens of tomorrow. But cycling tourism needs to be accessible for all: including underrepresented groups and people with disabilities is key to their full integration and a gateway to freedom.
Format: Panel Discussion
A good cycling experience depends not only on infrastructure but also on services and hospitality, which contribute to higher tourist satisfaction and larger benefits for local communities. Best practices can inspire more stakeholders to join the ride and expand networks of services and hospitality at all levels, from macro to micro. This workshop will reflect on ideas to develop cycling-friendly solutions along cycle routes.
Format: Workshop
Limited to 20 participants maximum
Digitalising cycling tourism is a challenge but the market is very lively. This discussion brings several digital experts around the table and reflects on the benefits of digital access to cycle routes. While users have easier access to information and a nice planning experience, route managers can attract more people to their route or destination, diversify tourist flow, get useful data and develop a better product overall.
Format: Fast Pedal Talk
Multimodality is a hot topic and the best solution for environmentally friendly travelling, bringing mutual benefits for cycling and public transport. This session presents fresh data and research on the bike-friendliness of public transport, as well as ideas and examples from leading European regions.
Format: Lecture
Demonstrating return on investments is crucial: only with clear data showing measurable results can we show the positive impact of cycle routes and cycling tourism on sustainable social and economic development. From the number of cycling tourists, quantifying economic impact on destinations, and qualifying its environmental footprint, this session will dive deeper into actions taken all across Europe to prove that investing in cycling pays off.
Format: Panel discussion
Cycle routes often cross fragile environments. In times when the effects of climate change are increasingly visible and pose threats to route management, sharing experiences and learning from each other is crucial. Anticipating, managing and repairing the infrastructure is more important than ever, as well as reducing cyclists’ impact on natural areas, to preserve biodiversity. This workshop will spotlight ongoing initiatives and engage in a fictional crisis management study case.
Format: Workshop
Limited to 20 participants maximum
While tourism is a key economy in our host city, overtourism is a problem in the summer. Developing attractive cycle routes (including EuroVelo routes) and services can ease the pressure on tourist hotspots and involve lagging areas in the tourism economy, ultimately benefiting both tourists and locals. This session will look at this topic from a cycling product development angle.
Format: Fast Pedal Talk
A successful cycle route sometimes just goes with the flow. From the Danube to the Rhine, Europe is full of examples of waterways and cycling beautifully coming together. Valleys are a great setting for an attractive cycling product, allowing riders to appreciate the variety of the landscape. However, water also brings challenges: preserving biodiversity, adapting to climate change and addressing the pressure of overtourism. This in-depth discussion will provide insights on how to design and manage attractive and resilient cycle routes along water.
Format: Panel discussion
- Lael Wilcox, ultra-endurance cyclist
Lael Wilcox is an ultra-endurance bicycle racer who won the Trans Am Bike Race in 2016 and the Guinness World Record for the fastest circumnavigation around the world by bicycle in 2024. She organizes Tucson GRIT, women’s adventure scholarships and bikepacking challenges and is a board member of Adventure Cycling Association. In her keynote, she will share her experience on building inclusive cycling communities and how education is key to bring more people to bikepacking.
Program information coming soon
- Hungarian hosts closing remarks and programme for the following day
- ECF wrapping up the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference 2025 and announcement of 2026 host
- Invitation to the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference 2026 by the host
9.15 – 9:45 Bike pick-up
On that tour we are riding on EuroVelo 14 along the lake, but also going a bit into the highlands of the area. The track covers one of the newest EuroVelo 14 section with high comfort levele but also goes on an old cycle route whose renovation is planned to be done in the near future.
Lenght: 34 km
Elevation: 435 m
Surface: asphalt
E-bikes/normal bikes provided
By riding on the coast of the lake this route shows the conflicts between cyclist and walkers at peak season. We also go up to the higlands to ride on low traffic roads. Similar to Technical visit#1 but shorter.
Lenght: 26 km
Elevation: 350 m
Surface: asphalt
E-bikes/normal bikes provided
This e-MTB tour mainly goes on the signposted forestry and gravel roads of the backcountry of lake Balaton and the Tihany peninsula. By riding on different kind of surfaces and experiencing the signposting system we are visiting bicycle frindly services and natural attractions of the area.
Lenght: 29 km
Elevation 310 m
Surface: Dirt road, gravel road, asphalt
E-MTB-s provided
Program information coming soon