📩 01/10/2023 12:01
EuroVelo Cycling Tourism Conference, organized by the European Cyclists Federation every two years in European cities, is being held in Izmir this year. The conference, which will bring together participants from various European countries between 11-13 October 2023, will introduce Izmir's bicycle tourism to the world.
Izmir, which is the first city from Turkey to be selected for the European Cycling Route Network (EuroVelo), is preparing to host the EuroVelo Cycling Tourism Conference organized by the European Cyclists Federation (ECF). Finally, the international conference organized by ECF, hosted by Barcelona in 2021, convenes every two years to raise the awareness of EuroVelo member cities, increase bicycle visibility in the city and develop cycling tourism.
This year, the conference, which will be held at Swissotel Büyük Efes between 11-13 October 2023, will be organized with the theme "Cycling: a New Perspective on Heritage". Registration for the conference, where many events, panels and interviews will be held for three days, can be made via the website euroveloconferenceizmir.com. Within the scope of the conference, participants from various countries in Europe will explore the historical and natural geography of Izmir.
It will connect the ancient cities of Pergamon and Ephesus
The EuroVelo project, one of the important projects of the European Cyclists Federation, aims to promote and coordinate the creation, support and operation of a sustainable Trans-European Transport Network throughout the European continent. EuroVelo consists of 90 long-distance cycling routes with a total length of 17 thousand kilometers connecting all of Europe.
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality approved the approximately 500-kilometer Izmir bicycle route as an extension of EuroVelo's Mediterranean route number 8, which starts in Cadiz, Spain, and has two separate finishing points in Athens, Greece, and also in Cyprus. Izmir became the first Turkish city whose official membership was announced by ECF. Izmir EuroVelo Route, which is in the developing route category, connects the two UNESCO ancient cities of Pergamon (Bergama) and Ephesus (Selçuk).
Cycling route increased to 580 kilometers
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality has developed the route by working to include the extension in the EuroVelo network since the application period. Free repair stations and bicycle pumps were placed at 30 different points along the route. The route was expanded and Dikili Çandarlı, Menemen Village Routes and Efes-Pamucak thematic-local routes were included in the main route, and the cycling tourism route network was increased to 580 kilometers.