Development of Bike Touring Routes in the Aveiro Region Using Geographical Information Systems

Cycle tourism is considered as an emerging niche market and has caught the attention of several key stakeholders in the decision-making process regarding territorial and tourism development strategies. Therefore, the use of the bicycle has been included in various strategies to promote cycling practices in both local communities and visitors, enabling to combine sustainable mobility with tourism activities that promote well-being and can contribute to innovation in various tourism destinations. It is vital, though, that the information on the existence of cycling routes is conveyed to visitors of these destinations. For this, it is necessary not only to map the routes, but also to identify points of interest with associated tourist information. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are an excellent tool, not only in the tourism planning process, but also in displaying the required information in a visually appealing way to visitors. The orographic characteristics of the Region of Aveiro, along with the interest of several municipalities in promoting tourism and the use of the bicycle, allowed the development of a research project that resulted in the definition of a set of intermunicipal bike touring routes. To this end, firstly the points of tourist interest to be included in the routes were identified to, in a second stage, define the ideal cycling routes, using GIS. Based on the literature review, several criteria were used to define the ideal routes, namely length, slope, speed limit, track capacity, landscape and distance to industrial areas. In this process, the Network Analyst extension of the ArcGIS software was used. The result is ten short, six medium and four long haul routes, which allow the various market segments to visit the selected points of interest and to know the Region of Aveiro.