As in previous years, in partnership with the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), we have carried out an unprecedented analysis of visitor numbers on European EuroVelo cycle tourism routes.

The results presented below are based on ridership data from 195 Eco-Counter bicycle counters. For the analysis of EuroVelo routes, we selected those with representative data, both in terms of the number of counters, and the density of counters per country covered by the route.

2 new routes were included in this year’s analysis: EuroVelo 10 (Baltic Sea Cycle Route) and EuroVelo 13 (Iron Curtain Trail), with 25 new counters included in the analysis, bringing the total to 12 cycle routes analyzed.

The results show strong growth in cycling in 2023 compared with 2019, both on weekdays and weekends, and on the 12 EuroVelo itineraries analyzed.

EuroVelo route ridership in 2023, compared with 2019 and 2022

The analysis shows that between 2019 and 2023, bicycle traffic on the EuroVelo network rose by +10%, with an increase of 11% on weekdays and 9% at weekends.

Looking in more detail at trends in ridership, we can see that the season with the biggest increase in 2023 is spring, which tends to flatten out the annual profile and increase the peak period for cycle tourism. So, while summer remains the busiest season of the year overall, June and September are now almost on a par with July and August in terms of visitor numbers.

Comparative monthly attendance for 2019 and 2023, where base 100 represents average monthly attendance in 2019. Example: June 2023 attendance was higher than 2019 by a factor of 1.8 on average.

Another highlight of this analysis: all 12 EuroVelo routes recorded an increase in ridership between 2019 and 2023! Nevertheless, while all routes recorded an increase in ridership, the three EuroVelo routes with the strongest increases were, in order:

1. EuroVelo 5 – Via Romea Francigena: +19%

2. EuroVelo 17 – Via Rhona: +22%

3. EuroVelo 8 – Mediterranean Route : +32%

The analysis of ridership trends between 2022 and 2023 shows that cycling seems plateauing, with stable ridership on weekdays (-0.8%) and a slight decrease at weekends (-1.6%), a trend that is coherent with what we have seen on the Eco-Counter Index study.

This very slight drop shows the importance of stepping up efforts in terms of promotion, development and associated services to develop cycling even further!

To find out more, download the full report here!