Cycle Tourism

Touring Australia by bicycle has been a popular pastime for over a century. The first person to circumnavigate Australia by land was cycle tourist Arthur Richardson in 1899.

Today tourists visit Australia from overseas, and Australian residents make long and short trips for recreation and touring.

Cycle Tourism is a growing niche market within the tourism sector and within nature based tourism in particular. There is increasing evidence available which demonstrates cycle tourism has the potential to make an active contribution towards the economic revitalisation of regional Australia as well as improve quality of life for its residents.

Cycle tourism is any tourism experience, event or activity in which people are attracted to a particular location as a tourist with a bicycle as a part of that tourism experience.

Cycle tourism delivers, and is identified as, an ecologically sustainable tourism product. This niche can stand alone or support other markets such as food and wine, the back packer market looking for more adventure and the drive and seniors markets wanting to supplement their holiday with some physical activity.

Australia is well suited to Cycle Tourism, as much of Australia is made up of small towns joined by quiet roads or trails, many of which are separated by ideal cycling distances.

This section will provide information about bicycle touring and bicycle tourism research in Australia, and will publish stories from cycle tourists to illustrate the range and variety of cycle touring conditions

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