The strong investment in cyclotourism made in recent months by the Italian region of Puglia could make this an appealing destination for cycling aficionados on vacation in Italy.
The southern Italian region, one of the ‘undiscovered gems’ of that Mediterranean country, first took steps to enable sustainable, eco-friendly mobility last year, when a bill was passed to potentiate and develop cycling. Among the measures included in the document was an agreement with the local rail service towards allowing for the free transportation of bicycles on trains.
Further to implementing these measures and partnerships, the region has also instated a grant of no less than 80,000 euros, to be distributed to companies that come up with plans geared towards enabling cycling mobility in the area. Each of these corporations will be entitled to amounts up to 8,000 euros, to be used towards whichever project they choose to present.
Another measure put into place by the Puglia council with the intent of encouraging cyclo-tourism within the region is the construction of the Aqueduct Bike Lane, a bicycle path which, when completed, will cross the Itria Valley and take riders from Caposele to Santa Maria di Leuca. The stretch of over 300km takes avid cyclists — both locals and and those on vacation in Italy — past stunning natural backdrops before joining up with National Cycleway 11, which comes in from the Apennine mountains. So far, 10km of the Aqueduct Lane have been completed, with work expected to pick up in the very near future.
Finally, the region has taken steps towards creating a Cycling Workshop for schoolchildren, in Bari. The objective of this workshop is to train potential future bicycle engineers in the trade, with 35 boys already signed up for the programme.
All these measures should prove beneficial for Puglia’s tourism, and particularly for its appeal as a destination for cycling aficionados on vacation in Italy.
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