Another first for the Treviso-Ostiglia , which during the TTG Travel Experience in Rimini received – the first cycle path in the world – the GSTC certification, Global Sustainable Tourism Council , the international organization created by the United Nations Environment Programme ( UNEP ) and the World Tourism Organization ( UNWTO ). The uniqueness of this award lies in its origins and, above all, in its motivation.
The importance of shared management
What made the difference was the creation of a management body that can directly influence the cycle path, its maintenance, and its development. Heading this body is Daniele Canella , Vice President of the Province of Padua , for whom the certification is a further step in the growth of one of the most well-known and sought-after cycle paths in Italy: " This certification recognizes the work we have built over the years in managing the path , which is not just an infrastructure but also, and above all, a sustainable community."
Having a direct entity responsible for managing a cycle path is unique, and not just in Italy: " It's a decision that was made long ago, at the very beginning of this project, thanks to the Veneto Region's tourism sector vision, which identified the region's main cycle tourism routes and passed a law allowing local entities to apply as managing entities. We were the first to do this, and so the Federation of Camposampierese Municipalities was the first entity to be recognized as the single managing entity for the cycle/pedestrian path in 2021."
Cycle path, a product to sell
What does having a single entity managing a cycle path entail? "It requires a unified vision that doesn't just determine the organization and management of maintenance, policing, and bin emptying. Above all, it means being able to count on a single vision for promoting the cycle path, which then becomes not just an infrastructure, but a tourism product to be sold in Italy and abroad, an attraction . We create a three-year management plan, branched out into the technical maintenance management and promotional management of the infrastructure. With the managing entity, we have a vision of the Treviso-Ostiglia as a cycling tourism product, therefore with a website, a brand, unified promotion policies, and social media managed for everyone.
"Otherwise, the fragmentation of the infrastructure across multiple municipalities, provinces, and territories would also fragment the project's promotional potential. This way, with a single control room, we can truly sell it as a single route . The 120 km of the Treviso-Ostiglia, four provinces (Treviso, Padua, Vicenza, and Verona), and thirty or so municipalities are therefore a single product, managed in a unified manner."
Transparency of your work
What does obtaining this certification mean? " I want to see it as a starting point, because it gives us a way to transparently measure our work, to look at it from the outside to understand where we can still improve . The cycle path is a common good, and sustainability is the compass that must guide us, reminding us that we're addressing not only those who come from outside—the cycle tourist in the strictest sense of the term—but also those who experience it every day and make it a daily asset to enjoy."
The Treviso-Ostiglia cycle path is constantly evolving. How do you intend to develop it further? "As it extends, the cycle path's structure changes. For example, the Province of Padua owns its roadbed, but other sections are partly public and partly privately owned. It was therefore essential to have a management body, in charge of coordination. As mayor of my municipality, I was appointed as the head of the management body, so I coordinate all the tourism councilors and dedicated staff, i.e., the operators. This is a necessary step for its maintenance and development. It is a team effort, built over time, working in concert with the administrations, tourism operators, companies, and even the citizens themselves, from whom we gather opinions and advice that are invaluable for its virtuous progress ."
A future yet to be written
«Everything contributes to constant monitoring of the supply chain and timely interventions, and I am convinced that all of this is the basis for obtaining this prestigious international recognition. But the Treviso-Ostiglia is something in progress, which continues to develop, and only the future will tell us in which direction ».
