ADFC Cycle Tourism Report: “37.4 million cycle tourists are a huge potential market

The findings of the ADFC Cycle Tourism Report 2024 are out: in 2023, 37.4 million people in Germany took their bicycle on holiday and day trips – more than half of all adults. Christian Tänzler, member of the board of the ADFC: “Cycle tourism is a substantial and stable business factor.“ In 2023 fewer people went on a traditional cycle tour with three or more overnights than the previous year. “However, despite the decline in numbers – possibly due to a very wet summer – I see a positive trend. In 2024 more people want to take their bicycle on tour and use it more on holiday. That is a good and important sign“, Tänzler said.

The ADFC’s representative cycle tourism report surveyed four cycle tourism categories: tours with three overnights and more, short cycle tours with one or two overnights, day trips by bicycle without accommodation, as well as cycle use on holiday, where the focus is not primarily on cycling. For the first time the report also surveyed cycle tourists’ daily spending. Thus the ADFC Cycle Tourism Report revealed the huge potential market that cycle tourism represents in Germany, Christian Tänzler said.

Dieter Janecek, the Federal Government's Coordinator for Maritime Economy and Tourism, underlined that “Germany is a nation of cyclists.“ There had to be constant improvement in the infrastructure and people had to develop a greater awareness. However, “cycle tourism is already a substantial business factor in this country – we can be proud of that.“

What is new is that the ADFC Cycle Tourism Report also provides statistics on cycle tourists’ spending. On short tours, the estimated total spending is between two and three billion euros; on tours with at least three overnights between six and seven billion euros; on day trips, daily spending is lower, but due to their volume total spending comes to between 14 and 15 billion euros.