Bike tourism: funding for bike-friendly hotels

Support for cycling tourism, which makes it possible to combine low environmental impact, respect for the territories, and positive impacts also in terms of seasonal adjustment. The Milan Monza Brianza Chamber of Commerce is part of this new tender, which grants non-repayable loans to hotel companies to encourage cycle tourism through support for the development of related accommodation products and services, also going to fill the mismatch between the rich territorial offer of cycle tourism infrastructures and the availability of accommodation facilities bike-friendly.

Hotels and facilities for cycling tourists

The application for participation in the “Tourism by bike” call can be submitted by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that are based in the territorial district of the Chamber of Commerce and manage hotels and similar accommodation facilities. The call provides for contributions for investments aimed at:

• Create or enhance bike-friendly accommodation facilities and support the dissemination of the “bike hotel” model with the aim of expanding the offer of sustainable tourism products;
• Enrich the offer of cycle tourism services and products integrated with the territory;
• Support upskilling and reskilling processes (increase of skills and requalification) in the field of cycle tourism by stimulating the development of new professionals operating in the tourism sector capable of responding to emerging trends in demand.
• The non-refundable grant is equal to 70% of the expenses, within a maximum amount of 15,000 euros (excluding VAT). The minimum investment required is 3,000 euros.

The eligible expenses

Are considered eligible expenses relating to the expansion and/or conversion of the accommodation facility into a “bike hotel” such as:

• Interventions aimed at the conversion of accommodation facilities into bike-hotels (e.g. creation and/or adaptation of premises to be used as bike rooms, cycle workshops, bicycle washing rooms, installation of electric bike charging stations;
• Purchase of bicycles, e-bikes, cargo-bikes and related safety equipment or rental/leasing and maintenance agreements;
• Purchase and installation of equipment necessary for the accommodation of bicycles and for safe stalling.
• Investments in complementary services and support for the cycle tourist can also be financed, such as, for example, the purchase of tools for basic maintenance/assistance of the bicycle and for cleaning the bicycle. Eligible expenses cannot in any case refer to the purchase of used machinery, tools and equipment. On the other hand, the expenses for strategic and technical consultancy aimed at the planning and/or implementation of the intervention give the right to funding.

Focus on promotional activities

In order to obtain funding, it will also be necessary to invest in promotional activities for the structure. In fact, the tender envisages that a share of between 20% and 40% of expenses for the implementation of communication and/or promotional actions be present in the list of investments to enhance the offer of cycling tourism products and services and the opportunities offered by the territory, including co-marketing actions relating to events linked to the development of cycle tourism and the costs for the planning of tourist packages centered on the bike experience which include the involvement of various realities in the supply chain (e.g. tourist guides and tourist service operators) ; joining product clubs/vertical collections on the bike to improve one’s positioning; participation in events and fairs in the cycling sector. The deadline for applications to participate in the tender is September 12th.