Two wheels and a fork: from itineraries to integrated territorial systems
01/04/2026
On 27 March 2026, the GUSTI project took part in the Cycle Tourism Fair in Padua with the workshop “Due ruote e una forchetta - Slow travel towards a GUSTI-ful, healthy and truly sustainable tourism”, created and promoted by Ce.S.Co.T. Veneto, partner of the project, within the framework of the Interreg Italy-Croatia Programme, and organised in collaboration with Venice Promex, member of the GUSTI task force, and with the contribution of project partner Spin Life s.r.l..
The workshop represented a key moment of exchange on how cycle tourism can contribute to sustainable territorial development, particularly in rural areas, by connecting mobility, landscape and local food and wine heritage into coherent tourism experiences.
This initiative builds on the work initiated in December with the workshop “Con gli occhi del turista - Changing perspective to strengthen the tourism offer of the Euganean territory”. While the first phase focused on understanding how territories are perceived by visitors, the discussion in Padua moved one step further, addressing how routes, services and local products can be structured into integrated and competitive tourism itineraries.
Throughout the discussion, a common perspective emerged: cycle tourism should not be approached as a single element, but as a system of interconnected components.
The exchange highlighted the need to consider multiple dimensions simultaneously: routes that are not only usable but enjoyable, sustainability translated into operational criteria for businesses, coordinated services and offers along the route, experience design rooted in local identity and food & wine heritage, and the role of public actors in enabling these elements to function as a coherent territorial system rather than isolated interventions.
Value emerges when routes, services, businesses and territories start to truly work together.
This approach reflects the core objective of GUSTI, which aims to support rural areas in developing integrated itineraries where soft mobility, landscape and gastronomy are part of a single, recognisable tourism experience.
The participation in the Cycle Tourism Fair also provided an opportunity to engage with stakeholders, exchange practices and strengthen the project’s network, contributing to the ongoing development of shared approaches to sustainable tourism across the programme area.
Workshop speakers
· Sergio Deromedis (Autonomous Province of Trento, mobility & cycling expert)
· Alessandro Venti (ESG Specialist, Spin Life s.r.l., GUSTI project partner)
· Mariaclaudia Crivellaro (Treviso-Ostiglia cycle route, communication & promotion)
· Paola Moressa (President of FEDERAGIT, tour guide)
· Massimo Momolo (Vice-President, Province of Padua)
