The “Bike Friendly” label under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment & Energy

The “Bike Friendly” label is now under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment & Energy. More specifically, on 19/4/2021, by decision of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Ministry’s auspices were granted to the activities of the NatTour company with the “Bike Friendly” label. It is recalled that on March 12, 2020, NatTour’s actions for cycling tourism with the “Bike Friendly” label were placed under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism.

The auspices of the two ministries constitute two consecutive distinctions of NatTour for the development and promotion of a network of hotels, partners and destinations that are friendly to cyclists, as well as for the promotion of the use of bicycles as an environmentally friendly means of transport. At the same time, they constitute another recognition of our actions to promote sustainable tourism and sustainable mobility.

The label is an initiative of the urban, non-profit company NatTour, which, since its establishment in 2016 until today, has aimed to protect the environment and develop alternative-thematic forms of tourism, giving priority to the use of the bicycle as an environmentally friendly means of transport and to cycling tourism.

In this context, it has contributed to the formation of a network of hotels (120 hotels currently) and municipalities-destinations friendly to cycling activity for visitors and residents, and a network of partners (cycling companies, tourist offices, etc.) that ensure the most complete service for cycling friends.

At the same time, it has contributed to the visibility and promotion of the members of the Bike Friendly network (municipalities-destinations, hotels and partners) and to the attraction of tourists, who would like to either tour areas of Greece using the bicycle as a means of transportation, or simply, during their holidays, to use the bicycle for short excursions from the hotel they are staying in. The development of the “Bike Friendly” Label is being carried out in collaboration with the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (H.E.P.F.).

Focus on the bicycle as a means of transport and the “soft activities” of tourists and citizens

The use of bicycles in the era of the pandemic has shown a rapid increase, which highlights the need to further develop cycling infrastructure and provide organized cycling services to serve cycling enthusiasts. From the athlete cyclist, who takes part in cycling tours and races, to the family who wants to explore the place they are visiting and its attractions, as well as the surrounding area of ​​the hotel where they are staying.

At the same time, cycling is an activity that has been on the rise in recent years, which is able to shape a new strategy in both tourism and citizen mobility. At the center of this strategy is the bicycle as a means of transport and the “soft activities” of tourists and citizens.

With the “Bike Friendly” label, NatTour and the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature certify that a hotel, a destination municipality, a cycling company or a tourist office meets a series of criteria for serving cycling enthusiasts, creating a “cycling identity” in the destination, and facilitating the tourist to use the bicycle during their vacation.

“Tourism and the environment are inextricably linked activities, which develop in parallel. Therefore, for us, the auspices of the Ministry of Environment for the ‘Bike Friendly’ environmental label are a very important event, as it encourages tourists – and residents – to use the bicycle as a gentle form of transportation and at the same time have the opportunity to enjoy the environment while traveling. “Environment and tourism go together and we therefore welcome the decision of the Ministry of Environment to place NatTour’s actions under its auspices,” said Ms. Vicky Karantzavelou, Marketing & Communication Manager of NatTour.