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Development of the cycle tourism in Wielkopolska region
Andrzej Kaleniewicz, Marshal Office of the Wielkopolska Province,
Sport and Tourism Department
Address: ul. Piekary 17, 61-823 Poznan
email: Akaleniewicz@wielkopolska.mw.gov.pl, phone: +48 61 855 1581 w. 274, w. 275
The administrative body, responsible for development of a non-commercial tourism in Wielkopolska is The Department of Sport and Tourism of the Marshal Office in Poznañ. This is a special unit of local government [representing the regional level of administration], which also deals with all the problems, connected with cycle tourism in our region.
The "biking" actions, undertaken by The Department are: the development of cycle infrastructure and cooperation with other local governments [on lower levels of administration] and non-profit tourist and non-tourist organisations on organising cycle events, promotion of those actions among the inhabitants of Wielkopolska and other regions of Poland and overall supervision of the tourist image of the region.
The Department's annulal budget, dedicated to the development of tourism in Wielkopolska is about 250 000 E. It may seem too little to influence the tourist image of the region, but, connected with money from other local govermnents gives an appropriate tool for its actions.
Growing popularity of cycle tourism in Wielkopolska Region is the reason why 2/3 of its current budget is devoted to cycle infrastructure and events.
The reform of Polish administration in 1998 and growing popularity of regional tourist initiatives inflicted numerous problems with overall supervision of tourist image of the region, mainly connected with low level of professionalism among the tourist activists in powiats and gminas - smallest administrative units. The perfect example of this "incompablity" can be the unification of cycle signs in Wielkopolska, which is still a great problem.
This year's most significant success in developing cycle tourism in Wielkopolska is the creation of "Cycle Ring" around Poznan - a 173-km cycle trail, leading through the most attractive places, situated not further than a one-day bike trip from the centre of the city. It is accompanied with a professionally designed cycle guide, making it easy to plan one's one-day bike trip in the vicinities of Poznañ.
Hope, not the last word.
