Project acronym: CycleProMotion

Project title: Promotion of sustainable cycle tourism in the Italy-Slovenia cross-border area

This project is supported by the Interreg VI-A Italy-Slovenia Programme with co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund.  

For more information visit: CycleProMotion | Italy-Slovenia

Project Description

CycleProMotion deals with cycle-tourism and sustainable mobility challenges along the border between Slovenia and Italy. Over time, cycle-mobility infrastructures have been built and various cycle routes crossing the border have been designed, nevertheless, such infrastructures, services, and products are often not interconnected. Existing solutions remain partial and do not take into account the fact that at the border different systems intertwine without being coordinated. There is a lack of information and homogeneity among offered services and a lack of coordination between institutions and other subjects, which would allow for a better integration and a joint promotion of the cross-border area as a single attractive destination for cycle-tourism.

CycleProMotion’s general objective is to strengthen the role of sustainable tourism in the ITA-SLO cross-border area through the development and promotion of a shared tourist product to promote slow mobility and cycle-tourism and the connection of four information centres located along the border, contributing to economic development and social inclusion in the area. The project aims at encouraging cyclists to more easily cross borders and to explore the cross-border area as a single tourist destination.

Pilot Sites

In the framework of the project, four strategic points have been identified along the north-south border axis, where existing cycle lanes connect the two countries and represent the main arteries of cycle mobility:

1. Northern section of the border: TARVISIO-KRANJSKA GORA (PP BSC KRANJ);
2. Central section: ROBIČ (PP GOLEA);
3. Central section: GORIZIA–NOVA GORICA (PP EGTC GO);
4. Southern section: CARSO-KRAS (PP GAL CARSO/LAS KRAS).

Project Activities

• Analysis of existing cycle-mobility plans and of EU development strategies in the field of cycle mobility, such as the Regional Mobility Plan for Cyclists (PREMOCI) adopted by the FVG Region and the results of the ECO-CICLE project financed by Interreg Europe. The former, in particular, will be shared with Slovenian institutions in order to promote coordinated strategic planning on the topic of mobility. Based on the analysis’ results, a plan for the installation of direction signage in the four pilot areas as well as along the border from north to south and from east to west will be drafted.
• Installation in each pilot site of four SMART STATIONS by each partner responsible for the various pilot sites. Each smart station will be equipped with e-bikes charging stations and app-access lockers. It will be covered in solar panels to ensure its self-sufficiency. It will be equipped with wi-fi, screens, and an application system allowing cycle-tourists to access necessary information on: cycle paths in the area and connections with the main cycle routes in Europe, public transport and intermodal connections available in the area (trains, buses, etc…), and information on tourist attractions in the area. Screens, benches, rubbish bins and bike counters are expected to complete the equipment of each pilot site. Furthermore, an inauguration event for each installed smart station will be organised. In the framework of this activity the EGTC GO, in particular, will be responsible for coordinating WP2 concerning the setup of smart stations in the various pilot sites, as well as for data analysis concerning the use of smart stations and detected bike crossings.
• Cross-border stakeholders’ involvement through a participatory process, aimed at enriching their competences in the tourism sector and at promoting the exchange of experiences and good practices.
• Organisation of a cross-border festival centred on the topic of cycle-tourism and six additional events at the local level, with the goal of promoting cycling/cycle-mobility as a form of green mobility and healthy recreational activity.
• Development of a strategic plan for communication to promote cycle-tourism in the cross-border area, with the aim of enhancing the image of the IT-SI cross-border area as a single tourist cycling destination.