Today, the Green Road Award 2024, Italy’s equivalent to the Oscar of Cycle Tourism, was presented in Milan. This annual award recognizes the most attractive green routes in Italy and honors those regions that promote cycling holidays with services tailored to slow tourism. The application window closes on May 10th, and each region is allowed to suggest up to two greenways.
Now in its ninth year, the Italian Cycle Tourism Oscar encourages local administrations to improve their best routes and promote investments in cycling holidays, generating new streams of high-spending tourists consistently throughout the year. This type of tourism not only enhances the quality of life but also contributes to the preservation of public lands and stimulates economic, social, and tourist development. It also creates new job opportunities, especially for young people, enticing them to return to their home regions. Ludovica Casellati, the jury president and the award’s creator, emphasizes that cycle tourism in Italy is no longer a niche market, thanks in part to their initiative.
The award ceremony, hosted by Peppone Calabrese of Linea Verde and the award’s ambassador, included several key figures such as Alessandro Bolis, Maria Giaconia, Marina Lalli, Sebastiano Venneri, Ivana Jelinic, Leonardo Marras, Alessandro Meciani, Remo Santini, and Vаlter Tamburini. Tuscany, the previous year’s winner, will host the final event of the Green Road Award, with the awards ceremony scheduled for Saturday, June 1st.
In addition, an in-depth bike forum discussing issues related to two-wheel tourism will take place in Lucca and Viareggio. This event will make Tuscany the ‘Capital of Cycling Tourism 2024’ for three days. The Cycle Tourism Oscar shirt, celebrating the centenary of Puccini’s death, features a design by Lucca-born caricaturist Frank Federighi.
Here’s a chronological list of the Cycle Tourism Oscar’s previous winners: Umbria (2015), Friuli Venezia Giulia (2016), Veneto (2017), Lombardy (2018), Abruzzo (2020), the Autonomous Province of Trento and Calabria (2021), Emilia Romagna (2022), and Tuscany (2023).
The jury for this award comprises a variety of notable figures from journalism, leadership, partnerships, and the bicycling, environmental, hospitality, and tourism sectors. Ludovica Casellati, the award’s creator and founder of Luxury Bike Hotels, serves as the jury president.
The Traveling with the Bike 2023 Report (Isnart-Legambiente) suggests that ‘pure’ cycle tourists and cycling tourists accounted for over 33 million presences in Italy in 2022, contributing over 4 billion euros. According to a survey conducted by Fiab, University of Insubria, Active Italy, and Ciab, 71% of regular cycle tourists primarily use the train to reach their destinations, 64% use it to move between different holiday locations, and 88% view the ability to load bicycles on trains and buses as very important.
Cycle tourism also greatly aids in the deseasonalization of tourist flows and the exploration of lesser-known places. The survey shows that regular cycle tourists also cycle during autumn and winter (51% and 19% respectively), 80% prefer extra-urban locations, and 68% enjoy cycling holidays in cities and urban areas.
