Study publication

Publication of the study “Analysis of cycle tourism holidays on the Costa Brava and in the Girona Pyrenees”.

The Costa Brava Girona Tourist Board has published a study analysing the phenomenon of cycle tourism in the Girona region from various angles: the profile of cycle tourists, their behaviour and spending as consumers, and their perception of the destination. The study, commissioned to the ONIT-INSETUR Research Group of the University of Girona's Faculty of Tourism, was conducted by means of surveys conducted during the autumn of 2024.

The most notable results of the study show that the majority of cycle tourists visiting the Costa Brava and the Girona Pyrenees are men (74%) aged between 46 and 60 (44%), with higher education (64%) and belonging to medium to high income brackets. They travel with family or friends and are interested in discovering nature and social experiences while practising their sport of choice. The main source of information about the destination is recommendations from acquaintances, followed by online searches, publications and recommendations on social media.

As for origin, one in four cycle tourists comes from Spain, mainly from Catalonia (14%), while the most frequent international cycle tourists are French (19%), British (14%), American (12%), Belgian (9%) and Dutch (7%).

The study also provides data on the organisation of the trip and the stay. 52.6% of cycle tourists organise their trip through intermediaries; that is, they use generic travel agencies (31.8%) and specialised tour operators (21.8%). The average expenditure on packages stands at €4,298 per person. Cycle tourists who organise their trip and accommodation independently account for 45% of the total. They are estimated to spend €1,015 per person on average and come mainly from Catalonia, the rest of Spain, France and Belgium.

The study shows that most cycle tourists prefer to establish a base camp from which to plan their routes and activities, and value comfort and proximity to services and cycle routes. The average length of stay at the destination is 4.67 nights. The most popular cycling routes in the area are Rocacorba and Girona's Greenways (Vies Verdes). In terms of perception of the destination, the study shows a high level of satisfaction among cycle tourists, who give it a score of 4 out of 5.

The study “Analysis of cycle tourism holidays on the Costa Brava and in the Girona Pyrenees” has been published on the Trade Costa Brava website.