April 16, 2023 - As the tourism industry worldwide is rebounding from the pandemic, the 2023 Cycle Tourism Conference Canada in-person event in Toronto, held March 2 at Centennial College, was welcomed by 160+ delegates from across Canada, including the USA, for a jam-packed day of informative sessions, networking and camaraderie.

Organized by Ontario By Bike, a program of Transportation Options, a not-for-profit organization, this was their fifth conference with the last one held in 2019, as 30 speakers delivered engaging and jampacked presentations to a captive audience.

International speakers participated via live video and included keynote presenter, Camille Thomé at Velo & Territoires in France. Velo & Territoires has a robust network of more than 188 members with plans to develop 100,000km of additional structural cycling routes, achieve a 12% modal share, quadruple bicycle financing, and bring France to the forefront of world destinations for cycling tourism.

Attendees also learned about Québec’s unique and innovative Véloroute Gourmande, a successful 235km

cycling trip across the Eastern Townships and Montérégie regions. Next was Michigan’s 160-mile Great Lakes Way and 2,000-mile Iron Belle Trail that recently announced a new collaboration with Ontario’s Waterfront Regeneration Trust’s 2,250-mile Great Lakes Waterfront Trail in conjunction with the 15,000-mile Trans Canada Trail.

The morning sessions also included information about the growing e-bike market, Sault-St Marie’s active development of mountain bike trails, gravel cycling success in Collingwood, along with Endless Mountains’ incredible and unique 670km (415 miles) gravel bikepacking loop in Pennsylvania.

Delegates enjoyed a fabulous buffet lunch and additional networking opportunities that included various booths on display. Another highlight was the post-lunch Bicycle Friendly Business Awards & Presentations that recognized many local businesses and initiatives.

Afternoon presentations included how to showcase great riding opportunities in your region, perspectives on creating an authentic “cycling vacation”, the successes

and challenges of charity cycling events, route planning and navigation for all types of cyclists, insights into data and analytics, and measuring traffic on trails for a better understanding to make informed decisions and investments.

Wrapping up the conference was a live video with Liz Thorstensen from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in the USA, which boasts more than 1 million grassroots supporters, 24,000+ miles of rail-trails on the ground nationwide, more than 8,000 miles of rail-trails ready to be built, and several flagship initiatives including the Great American Rail-TrailTM, TrailNationTM and TrailLink.com.

The host venue, Centennial College, was the perfect partner for the event as it allowed students in its School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts the opportunity for a hands-on application of their courses, including filming, photography and audio-visual services.

“Ontario By Bike was pleased to welcome over 160 attendees and 30 speakers at the Cycle Tourism Conference Canada. We received lots of positive feedback with attendees appreciating the learning opportunities presented by speakers from Ontario, Canada and international destinations, all engaged in developing and promoting cycle tourism,” commented Louisa Mursell, Executive Director of Ontario

By Bike/Transportation Options. “We look forward to hosting the 6th such conference in three years’ time, and resume our regular time frame. Until then, we’ll continue to grow connections and celebrate the successes of cycle tourism initiatives in Ontario and around the world.”

For over thirty years, Transportation Options has been dedicated to fostering sustainable mobility and tourism solutions across Ontario, developing and supporting a range of innovative programs. Transportation Options has coordinated a number of significant conferences in the past, including four cycle tourism conferences.

“The Cycle Tourism Conference was a most fitting way to commemorate Transportation Options, 30th year as a not- for-profit organization dedicated to supporting sustainable tourism and transportation initiatives. The fantastic range of attendees and amazing speakers were a testament to the growing support for cycle tourism development in Ontario, and we will continue to do our best to support Ontario By Bike, a recognized leader in this field. As part of Centennial College, hosting the conference was also a superb way to inspire and support the growth of the future tourism workforce,” commented Michael Bertuzzi, (Board Chair, Transportation Options also Professor/Program Coordinator with the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts, Centennial College.