ZIV position:
Consider cycle tourism and everyday cycling together

30 January 2025

Cycle tourism remains hugely popular in Germany. Indeed, it accounts for around 10 percent of German tourism turnover and is one of the most important segments with high growth potential. The expansion and promotion of cycle tourism not only strengthens rural and underdeveloped areas, but also fosters regional economic growth and sustainable types of holidays.

In 2023, more than 37 million people in Germany cycled while on holiday or during their leisure time. Hardly any other holiday segment is growing as dynamically or has the potential to tap into new target groups like cycle tourism does. Germany’s well-developed network of long-distance cycle routes have made this possible. The bicycle industry played a role, too, introducing new models like gravel bikes, which are popular among women, and the ever-growing appeal of e-bikes. Both types of bicycles are influencing cyclists’ travel destinations and route planning. E-bikes are real game changers in cycle tourism, especially in rural areas and low mountain ranges. Through the targeted promotion of tourism and positioning as recreational regions close to nature with offers such as hiking and cycling, regions such as the Fichtel Mountains are experiencing an increase in the number of overnight stays and tourism revenue despite the regional challenges they are facing (such as the increasingly frequent lack of snow).

Nine of the 16 EuroVelo routes, the Europe-wide, transnational cycle route network, pass through Germany. Cycle tourism is not only an important economic factor, though, but also a location factor. Bicycles contribute to sustainable city tourism and are an important part of economic development in underdeveloped regions.

The 2023 Fahrrad-Monitor also confirms the potential of cycle tourism: According to this representative survey of cyclists in Germany, more than one third of the population of Germany would be open to going on a short cycling holiday in 2023, while a fifth would also consider a longer cycling holiday involving more than four overnight stays. Sixty-four percent of respondents would consider going on a cycling day trip – an option that harbours great economic potential for regions in Germany.

The German Tourism Association (DTV) first conducted a survey on cycle tourism back in 2007 and will do so again in 2025. The insights gained provide detailed market data on cycle tourism in Germany in terms of the cycle tourism offers, demand and marketing activities. The economic impact of cycle tourism is also determined.

In the 2006 baseline study, a distinction was made between cycling day trips and cycling holidays involving overnight stays. It was determined that there were 153 million day trips during which cycling was a main activity. There were 22 million cycling holidays involving overnight stays. The total volume of cycle tourism thus lay at around 175 million days. Cycle tourism accounts for 4 percent of all journeys by bike. The 175 million cycle tourism trips (with an average length of 40 km) corresponded to 23.7 percent of the kilometres travelled in Germany in 2006. Ninety-five percent of people on a cycling holiday were from Germany; only 5 percent were from abroad. The average age of holidaymakers was 45.7 years old. According to the study, cycle tourists spent around €16 per person per day, while cycle tourists with overnight stays spent €64.60 per person per day. The gross turnover of cycle tourism totalled €3.869 billion per year, of which 63.3 percent was generated through cycling day trips and 36.7 percent through cycling trips involving overnight stays. Gastronomy and accommodation accounted for 63 percent of the turnover generated. The study identified 186,000 people with direct or indirect income from cycle tourism. In five out of six cases, the cycling holiday began with a journey by car. Six percent started their journey directly by bike. Seven percent travelled by train. According to state marketing organisations, the cycle tourism network in Germany is 75,900 km long. Cycling maps show 150,000 km of cycle routes, of which around 50,000 km are long-distance cycle routes.

The ADFC collects data on cycle tourism in Germany every year as part of its Bicycle Travel Analysis. This annual representative survey provides comprehensive insights into the cycle tourism behaviour of Germans. In 2023, a total of 37.4 million cycle tourists were out and about in Germany. While 64.1 million people did not go on a cycling trip in 2023, almost 55% of these non-cyclists could imagine going on a cycling trip in the future. The potential for the coming years is therefore huge and far from exhausted. In terms of cycle tourism, the ADFC differentiates between short and longer cycling trips, day trips by bike and cycling while on holiday. It obtained the following data for 2023:

Cycle tourists
In 2023, 3.6 million people went on a cycling trip with more than three overnight stays. There were 5.5 million cycling trips in total, with an average trip duration of 7.6 days. Cycle tourists spent an average of €117 per person per day. Spending during cycling trips with overnight stays has doubled since the 2006 baseline study.

Day trips by bike
36.4 million people completed a total of 455 million day trips in 2023. They spent an average of €32 per person per day trip. Meaning that spending during cycling day trips has also doubled since 2006.

Short cycling trips
In 2023, five million people went on a cycling trip with 1–2 overnight stays, with a total of 7 million short cycling trips completed. At €130 per person and day, this group of cycle tourists spends the most.

Cycling while on holiday
In 2023, 10.6 million people used their bike while on holiday. Of these, 37% used a hire bike.

According to the ADFC Bicycle Travel Analysis, between €14–15 billion were spent on day trips in 2023. Germans spent €2–3 billion during short cycling trips. The added value for longer cycling trips totalled €6–7 billion.

The total number of day trips continues to rise. The trend toward day trips observed in 2022 continued in 2023: While the number of people who went on at least one day trip by bike decreased (from 38 million in 2022 to 36.4 million in 2023), the average number of trips per person increased from 11.7 (2022) to 12.5 (2023). This means that the total number of day trips by bike rose by 10 million. Day trippers tended to use a city/urban bike more often than cyclists travelling longer distances and with more luggage. Mountain and gravel bikes were used slightly more frequently in 2023 than in 2022. The share of e-bikes grew by 4.3 percent compared to the previous year (43.1 percent). In comparison: In 2019, 30.8 percent of day trippers used an e-bike. 89 percent of day trippers started their trip from home. Day trippers spend an average of €32 per person per day, with the largest proportion spent on gastronomy. This does not include the expenses associated with outward/homeward travel.

Local recreation and tourism are important economic factors. Good leisure facilities are what are known as soft location factors and attract people through appealing offers. Local recreation and the associated activity-related recreational space for population groups from the urban area or in rural regions are thus part of the municipal public services of towns, cities and municipalities. In addition to other outdoor activities, cycling has a high priority among the population. Attractive recreational areas are important location factors for the well-being, quality of life and health of the population, particularly in densely populated urban areas, and are of great social importance for the population. These days, towns and cities are also considered in terms of their green spaces and open spaces. The motives and wishes of those seeking local recreation, namely health, exercise, experiencing nature and relaxation, should therefore definitely be taken into account. At the same time, nature conservation and land usage management play an equally important role in ensuring a balanced coexistence between the environment and its usage. Recreational areas in densely populated urban areas are particularly important for non-motorised local mobility. Particularly children can safely cover both short and long distances on their own. Urban green spaces are decisive to sustainable urban development. Urban green/open spaces fulfil important social, health, ecological, climatic and economic functions for towns and cities and their residents. Close cross-departmental cooperation is therefore essential, particularly between green, environmental and urban planning and urban development.

Tourism infrastructure, such as cycle routes, expand the range of leisure activities but also the network of everyday cycle routes for the local population. Cycle routes have grown i importance in recent years. Hence the combination of route infrastructure with tourism offers is essential to create value in tourism destinations. Well-developed cycle routes and good signposting and signage for orientation are crucial.

Cycle tourism has the potential to become the most climate-friendly form of holiday of all. However, not only a well-developed cycle route network is needed for this, but also good infrastructure for travelling to and from these destinations. More and more cyclists are using the train instead of a car to reach their destination. More bicycle parking facilities must be created on local and long-distance transport, though, and railway stations need to be made bicycle-friendly and accessible.

The longer the cycling trip, the more motivated cycle tourists are to cycle more in their everyday lives. Every second cycle tourist cycles more in their everyday life after completing a cycling trip. Cycling holidays therefore not only harbour huge potential for domestic tourism, but also for the mobility transition and sensitising new target groups to cycling. Regions that allow cyclists greater space in their infrastructure and develop suitable tourism concepts can benefit economically from people’s desire to travel by bike. Cycle tourism leads to an increase in the use of bicycles in everyday life – both by cycle tourists and by the people who live in the tourist regions and benefit from the cycling infrastructure.

Cycling infrastructure for leisure and tourism and infrastructure for everyday cycling should be interlinked and coordinated. This requires cooperation between the various responsible ministries, administrations and administrative levels in the federal states, municipalities and rural districts. Recreational cycling and cycle tourism demonstrably increase the use of bicycles in everyday life. People who enjoy cycling in their leisure time and while on holiday are the ideal target group to inspire to cycle more in their everyday lives, but don’t do so regularly yet due to a lack of infrastructure and safety concerns. These synergies between cycle tourism, recreational cycling and everyday cycling should be developed further and considered scientifically in order to show the federal states and municipalities how everyday mobility, local recreation and tourism can be combined and promoted through targeted incentives.

Document creation | 30.01.25