Bike tours in the northwest: Dollard route is booming and strengthening the economy!

Bike tours in the northwest: Dollard route is booming and strengthening the economy!

Ditzum, Deutschland - bike tours are becoming increasingly popular in northwestern Germany and make a decisive contribution to the region's economy. In particular, the nwzonline.de emphasizes that important Cycle paths such as the Weser cycle path, the EMS cycle path and the Dollard route attract thousands of tourists every year. The International Dollard Route (IDR) extends over 354 kilometers and records around 70,000 cyclists annually who want to benefit from the hospitable offers in the region. The route was launched in 1996 and expanded by 45 kilometers in Midden-Groningen in 2025. This expansion offers cyclists additional potential for new experiences and sights in the Dutch-German border area.

cyclists spend an average of up to 130 euros per day if you spend over one or two nights. In longer tours, the expenditure decreases to around 117 euros per day. Day trippers can be recorded at around 32 euros per person. The increasing expenses are a clear indicator that bike tourism is not only a leisure time pleasure, but also an important industry that in particular supports the hotel industry and gastronomy.

The Dollard route in focus

The Dollard route generates around six million euros in sales annually. Over half of the cyclists use this route for day trips, with 88 percent of users over 45 years old. Vital for tourism is also the ferry connection of the MS "Dollard", which runs between Ditzum, Emden and Delfzijl from May to the end of September. However, the lack of gastronomic offers along the route is a growing concern, especially with regard to lunch. An improvement in the gastronomic infrastructure is considered necessary in order to better meet the needs of cyclists.

In addition to the Dollard route, the Weser cycle path, as Germany's most popular cycle path, attracts over 150,000 cycling tourists every year. In this way, cycling hikers spend an average of around 100 euros per day. The growing popularity of cycling also shows in the results of the ADFC-Radreisen analysis , which has been investigating the bike travel behavior of the German population since 1999. This nationwide survey provides important data on travelers and their needs, which are invaluable for tourism organizations and municipalities.

Important findings of cycling analysis

The ADFC cycling analysis interviews about 10,000 people across Germany and records numerous criteria, including socio-demography, information behavior before and during travel as well as the most popular travel destinations. The results of the 25th ADFC cycling analysis were published on March 6, 2024 at the international tourism fair ITB in Berlin and are now also available on YouTube. The next analysis will be carried out in 2025 and the results have been announced for 2026.

The combination of natural landscapes, attractive bike paths and tourist service not only strengthens the region, but also helps to raise awareness of the importance of cycling in Germany. The continuous observation and analysis of the trends in bicycle tourism is crucial to understand the requirements of cyclists and to set the tourist focus accordingly.