Economic Relevance of Mountain Biking as a Leisure and Tourism Activity

Mountain biking is seen as one of the core summer tourist activities in Austria in particular in mountainous regions and the bike industry continuously stirs the demand with new bike technologies. A recent debate revolves around the advantages and disadvantages of general opening of public and private owned forests for mountain bikers in Austria. Up to now mountain biking in forests is only allowed after approval of the land owner. The aim of the project was to assess the status quo of mountain biking in Austria as well as consequences of opening the forest tracks for mountain bikers. Potential consequences such as an increased volume of mountain bikers, user conflicts, accidents and security risks were to be evaluated. The expectations of all affected groups (mountain bikers, other nature users, touristic destinations) were examined. Eventually, the economic consequences of an opening were considered.