Let us help develop bike tourism in the Philippines for the benefit of cyclists and bike groups nationwide. If bicycle tourism is something you are passionate to see happen, if bicycle tourism is something you want to help develop, if bicycle tourism is something you want to do and be part of, the join the Bicycle tourism initiative spearheaded by our very own Department of Tourism!
Introduction
In the Philippines we jokingly say “Walang pera sa pagbike” (There is no money in biking). We hear countless stories about how cyclists get into trouble with their significant other from spending too much time biking and too much money upgrading their bikes.
But what if there was a way we can actually make biking into something truly sustainable and income generating for cyclists nationwide?
Photo from “200km laguna loop ng WALANG DALANG PERA!!! NANAMAN!!!” by TripNi Gepoy
Click here to watch full video of their bike tour
There is money in bicycle tourism
Bicycle tourism is a Multi-Billion Dollar industry! Just to give some examples. In 2017 Bicycle tourism was contributing USD83 Billion annually to the US Economy while in Europe, Bicycle tourism was contributing USD43 Billion annually. People will spend and travel to join bicycle activities either for leisure or competitive cycling, whether as spectators, fans or actual participants.
Do we have what it takes? YES WE DO!
Looking at the Philippines we have all the necessary ingredients to make bike tourism happen namely:
- We have been blessed with an abundance of Natural Resources/destinations to bike to (Lakes, Mountains, Waterfalls, Mangroves, Islands and the like), Historical Monuments and Local Cuisine
- We are very accessible and have complete travel infrastructure: Land, sea, air travel
- We have luxurious but affordable accommodations
- We have an abundance of human resource in the form of thousands of local cyclists who bike/visit these places regularly. These cyclists already know the timeframe, distances, logistics, costs, stopovers and other requirements needed to visit each of these places by heart!
Photo from “GoJM x Padjakeroz at Puray Falls” by gojm
Click here to watch full video of their bike tour
What we need to make it happen!
With this said all we basically need to connect the 4 items mentioned above by doing two things!
- Encourage our passionate cyclists, especially the bicycle organizations of each region, tour operators, local government and the like to package their local bike destinations into something that can be presented by the DOT to the world!
- Support from our government in promoting your bicycle tours spearheaded by the Department of Tourism
Photo from Bike Tour to Malolos over Holy Week
The two videos above are bike tours that happen everyday all over the Philippines, we just don’t realize it but we are already doing bike tours!!!
How you can help make bike tourism happen?
Join the Public Consultation Workshop on Nature Based Tourism this February 22 and 23. 8:00am-12:00pm. Be part of the group that make bike tourism happen. Attached below is the project brief from DOT.
Who would we like to see attend?
- Bicycle Groups leaders or representative who are interested to make bike tours for the benefit of their organization and members.
- Local Government Units who would like to offer their destinations for bike tourism
- Existing bicycle tour operators
- Cyclists who would like to create a bike tour in their area