The cycling industry as a driver of environmental sustainability and economic development A literature review of experiences in Europe and Latin America and lessons for Colombia
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Abstract
Recreational, sports, and tourism-oriented cycling has become firmly established over the last two decades as a practice with multiple environmental, economic, and social benefits. This literature review analyzes, based on the case study developed by Carvalhinho, Pereira, Durão, and Rosa (2024) in the Portuguese municipality of Caldas da Rainha, the main academic contributions published in journals indexed in Scopus and Web of Science regarding cycling tourism, its economic impacts, its contributions to the reduction of polluting emissions, and the participatory governance models that have enabled its expansion across Europe. Likewise, the review incorporates research on the Latin American experience, with particular emphasis on the case of Bogotá (Colombia), which has the most extensive cycling infrastructure network in the region and the sunday ciclovía program as a global benchmark for active mobility. The review argues for the need to increase public and private funding allocated to sustainable cycling infrastructure projects, as well as the possibilities for replicating the Portuguese route certification model in Colombian territories with high tourism potential. It concludes that the articulation between rigorous planning, community participation, the valorization of territorial heritage, and long-term financing policies constitutes the key to the success of cycling as a sustainable industry.
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