Why do we insist on using cars?
The bicycle was invented in 1817 to address the horse mortality caused by the famine of the "Year Without a Summer" - 1816 - which was caused by the eruption of a volcano in Indonesia that darkened the sky, disrupting thermal balances and causing a drop in the planet's average temperature. Today, the bike is one of our best allies in limiting the polluting emissions produced by cars. Inexpensive (at least in its basic version), the bike is democratic because it is accessible to everyone, and this has also made it a symbol of emancipation. In fact, women had to dress more practically than the fashion of the time to use it comfortably. But if the symbolic significance and the "green" aspect of two wheels are not enough, cycling saves money on the gym, fuel expenses, car maintenance, and insurance. It is also a social catalyst and benefits local communities. Moreover, those who ride a bike through a town make more purchases in local stores, creating a benefit for the entire community. In our country, cycling mobility is promoted through a measure that came into effect in 2018, which includes the establishment of regional plans for cycling mobility and the creation of Bicitalia, a national cycling network integrated into the European EuroVelo network. The foundations are there: now it's time to pedal.
Sustainable mobility in action!
Where is cycle tourism going?
The University of Insubria, in collaboration with FIAB, propose an online questionnaire, aimed at the increasingly numerous tourists who choose cycling on their trips to Italy and Europe. BikEncounter proposes the national survey of the University of Insubria, with the aim of knowing more closely about cycle tourism, a rapidly growing phenomenon capable of combining economic development and quality of the environment and life, according to a sustainable development approach adhering to the principles of the UN Agenda 2030. The initiative is the initiative of the group of transport economists coordinated by Elena Maggi, delegate of the rector Angelo Tagliabue for sustainable development and mobility manager of the universities of Varese and Como. The questions proposed concern the most frequent destination, travel and accommodation choices of all those tourists who have decided to experience a cycling holiday. In particular, the research focuses on two typologies: those who travel by bicycle using it as their main means of travel and those who also travel by bicycle, which in this case is one of the various means used. We then move on to verify some specific experiences lived in the last three years to collect impressions, judgments and evaluations on the cycle tourism offer of the territories visited, especially in terms of quality of accommodation and other services deemed necessary. The anonymous questionnaire can be filled out online, in no more than 15 minutes, at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/cicloturismo2020. The deadline for filling in is set for Wednesday 12 February 2020. Then the research data will be analyzed and disseminated.