Europe – The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) who represent the manufacturers of mopeds, motorcycles, three-wheelers and quadricycles (L-category vehicles) in Europe launched recently a position paper regarding – Motorcycle leisure, tourism, sports and related activities.
ACEM say that, “Motorcycles are not only used to commute to and around urban areas prone to heavy traffic, but also for leisure and tourism purposes. In this context, motorcycles are typically used for short trips on the weekend, to visit scenic places, or long- distance travelling (touring) on holidays.”
“Motorcycling leisure also has a sport dimension. Motorcycle races in Europe attract hundreds of thousands of tourists and spectators as well as millions of fans. An estimated 5 million spectators attended major motorcycle sporting events across the EU-27 and the UK in 2019. Moto GP alone attracted 1.8 million spectators to its 12 European races in the 2019 season and the 13 WSBK races were followed by an audience of over 650,000 people.”
“Furthermore, motorcycle events all over Europe attract motorcycling fans for ride-outs, shows, live music or just to share the common culture, lifestyle and love of motorcycles throughout the year.”
“These different leisure-related activities support local tourism sectors and their supply chain, and play an important role in local economies.”
Picking out some relevant text fro mthe document that is of greater interest to ourselves ACEM say, “Distance travelling (touring) on holidays. They are also used to get to motorcycle sport events, dedicated fairs, brand-specific events or just for meeting up with friends and like-minded people.
“Motorcycling requires effort to maintain balance, shift, brake, control the clutch, battle headwinds, etc. This ultimately strengthens muscles and supports mental health. As it is a constant resistance exercise, riding a motorcycle also burns calories.”
“However, people do not only use their motorcycles just for the pure pleasure of riding, but some may also be fascinated by the technology, or simply love to maintain, repair and customize them. This, in addition to the other key aspect of our vehicles’ use, going from point A to point B in an efficient,
reliable, safe and affordable manner.”
“Motorcycle day-rides can be taken at any time and can help escape from the routine of everyday life and find pleasure in the joy of riding.”
“Many spend most of their holidays on motorcycle tours or long-distance travel. To a large extent, the route becomes the destination. This has led to the development of dedicated Infrastructure to support motorcycle tourism, which is already very well established in major European countries.”
“Motorcycle riders have been an important customer segment, for many years, at numerous European tourist sites. A significant number of restaurants and hotels in scenic areas make most of their money from motorcyclists. “Bikers Welcome” signs can be found at many hotels and restaurants close to popular tourist attractions across Europe.
“There is also a strong cohesion across generations and nations, which manifests itself not only in established associations (e.g. motorcycle clubs, carpools, motorcycle tribal tables, forums and groups on social media), but also in joint events with high numbers of participants.”
“For the same reason, so-called motorcycle meeting points, usually in scenic locations, are frequently organized. Motorized two-wheelers thus strengthen social cohesion beyond national borders.”
“In addition, the cultural value of historical motorcycles is of importance as can be found in the variety of small and larger motorcycle museums.”
“Furthermore, motorcycle design and customizing itself has become an object of art and culture.”
ACEM also say that, “This document is one of a series of papers which are part of ACEM’s position on “Sustainable Mobility”. It is important to bear in mind that this is not a “stand-alone” but rather part of a wider set of documents that underpin the motorcycle industry’s vision on sustainable mobility at the horizon 2030+”
The economic importance of motorcycles to Europe
A research by Oxford Economics highlights the economic and mobility benefits of two-wheelers in Europe. The full study is available on the ACEM website – Click Here
Information
Original Source – ACEM position paper – Motorcycle leisure, tourism, sports and related activities
Download – ACEM – Motorcycle Leisure, Tourism, Sports and Related Activities pdf 3.29mb
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