Investing in developing bicycle trail networks is in many countries seen as strategy to develop the tourism industry, especially as part of regional development efforts. The starting point for this study is the preconditions for development of bicycle tourism by public spending on bicycle trails in Sweden. This study discusses the methods of estimating a bicycle tourism effect within the socio-economic analysis framework. Secondly, the method of estimating the economic contribution of bicycle tourism is exemplified by data gathered in two specific destinations in Sweden, Varberg and Gotland. Finally a stated choice scenario is used to estimate the willingness to pay for changes in key variables of importance for the tourist’s choice of bicycle destination. Questions asked in this study are: how large are the benefits from bicycle tourism and who gains from a developed bicycle trail network? One finding from the study is that inbound bicycle tourism gives rise to mostly regional effects. A bicycle tourism effect on national level only occurs in cases where a tourist chooses a destination within Sweden instead of going abroad thanks to a new or developed bicycle trail. New incoming bicycle tourism is always a net contribution to the national bicycle tourism effect. The findings from the study of bicycle tourism in Varberg and Gotland are that there is a vast difference in the economic contribution of bicycle tourists. The range for the guest night spending is 466 SEK – 1,233 SEK depending on region and type of visitor. The conclusion is that it is important to not only having knowledge about total number of tourists but also about tourist type. Hence, the size of the bicycle tourism effect varies depending on type of bicycle visitor to the destination. Finally, the findings from the stated choice experiment are that longer bicycle trails are preferred above shorter and that there seems to be a willingness to pay of about 0.5 SEK per kilometer to increase the length of the bicycle trail. The conclusion is that it is not only factors attached to the specific bicycle trail, like length and signage, that makes a trail attractive, but also factors like the tourism industry’s size and structure, like quality of lodging and restaurants, that is of importance for a bicycle tourist’s destination choice. (Author/publisher)
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