Silver Cyclists: Using EuroVelo, the European cycle route network, to attract more seniors to cycling tourism in the low and medium season
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This project aims to increase the flows of senior tourists, especially during the low and medium seasons, by promoting active holidays that incorporate cycling and more specifically EuroVelo, the European cycle route network.
Cycling is the perfect tool for increasing the number of seniors undertaking holidays both domestically as well as to other European destinations. This project therefore aims to increase the flows of senior tourists, especially during the low and medium seasons, by promoting active holidays that incorporate cycling and more specifically EuroVelo, the European cycle route network. In doing so, the project will benefit SMEs across Europe that are directly involved with active tourism (e.g. tour operators, cycle hire etc.) and/or which are located close to the EuroVelo routes (e.g. hotels, cafes etc.).
The objectives of the Silver Cyclists project are to:
- Support the extension of the tourism season by encouraging more senior cycle tourists, thereby contributing to improving SME’s competitiveness and jobs growth.
- Foster transnational cooperation along the tourism value chain by bringing together partners from across Europe linked by the EuroVelo routes.
- Facilitate European public-private partnerships related to cycle and senior tourism.
- Foster seniors’ wider sense of European citizenship through increased intra-EU mobility along the EuroVelo network.
These will be achieved by:
- Analysis of the special needs of seniors.
- Designing cycling tourism product concepts for seniors.
- Running a pilot test in five European countries to validate the tourism product concept.
- Measuring and evaluating the test's results and summarising the lessons learnt.
- Commuicating and promoting the products to target groups, particularly potential senior cycling tourists.
- Establishing networks and partnering activities on a transnational level in order to facilitate exchanges of best practice.
The Silver Cyclists project would therefore, support the COSME Work Programme, particularly in terms of dealing with the issues of seasonality and encouraging more seniors to undertake holidays in Europe.