Quote:
Originally Posted by marsplasticeraser
I've talked to both Provincial and Federal tourism ministers about the huge opportunity for bike tourism in Alberta and Canada.
They just don't understand it. Like they don't even know that multi-day bike touring is a thing.
Once they did start to understand it, they immediately said it couldn't be done because they need buy-in from municipalities, Transportation minister, infrastructure minister, etc.
What is infuriating is that it's not that hard, just designate some underutilized roads as bike friendly and reduce the speed limit to 50 km/hr.
We could have some world class multi-day gravel (we kind of already do with the 40S + Smith dorrien) and road bike routes that would get people into alberta and away from main population centres.
I could see some easy wins for road bike routes such as:
1. Waterton to Canmore (get people staying in small towns all the way to Calgary
2. Calgary to Lake Louise (can continue south to Waterton or North to Jasper)
3. Edmonton to Jasper (can continue south to Lake Louise, and then Calgary
4. Edmonton to Calgary (basically allows a bigger circuit, ideally go near mountains.
5. Calgary to Drumheller circuit incl back via crowsnest and foothills (part of itinerary 1)
I'm sure there are some good rides in the middle and north of alberta as well.
If we did this right it would bring tourism dollars to towns that need the money, and make it easier for Albertans to be healthy.
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I was in the Cuyana region of Northern Minnesota on the weekend for mountain biking. The entire region has full speed embraced mountain biking to the point that's a tourist destination and is reviving the region. Hotels, restaurants, shops, all of it is due to mountain biking there. Americans aren't afraid to go all in. Canadians can't ever envision big ideas.