Utrecht Congress Alliance brings EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference 2026 to Utrecht

During the closing ceremony of the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference, held this year in Balatonfüred, Hungary, it was officially announced that Utrecht will host next year’s edition of the conference. Jasper Heemskerk, Project/Account Manager at the Utrecht Convention Bureau – part of Utrecht Marketing – attended the event and, on behalf of the Utrecht Congress Alliance, unveiled Utrecht as the host destination for the next EuroVelo edition, supported by Eric Nijland, Director of Fietsplatform, and Anouk van Eekelen, Director of Destination Development at NBTC.

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The conference in Hungary brought together over 340 participants from 31 countries. A total of 60 speakers took the stage, including the Dutch Ambassador to Hungary, the Mayor of Balatonfüred, the State Secretary for Active Hungary, the Programme Manager of the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, and the Hungarian Minister of Public Administration and Regional Development. Their contributions inspired and engaged the international audience.

The EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference is an annual three-day international event organised by the European Cyclists’ Federation. It is aimed at professionals and policymakers involved in recreational cycling, cycling tourism, route development, and the promotion of sustainable recreation and tourism. The 2026 edition will take place from 30 September to 2 October at Jaarbeurs Utrecht during the Dutch Cycling Week.

The Utrecht Congress Alliance – a collaboration between the Municipality and Province of Utrecht, Jaarbeurs, and Utrecht Marketing – jointly submitted the successful bid to bring this prestigious conference to Utrecht.

Strengthening the position of the World Bike Capital

Utrecht is internationally recognised not only as ‘Utrecht, Heart of Health’ but also as the World Bike Capital. The city has earned this title thanks to its extensive cycling infrastructure, its reputation as one of the world’s most bicycle-friendly cities, and its proven track record in hosting major cycling events with significant positive impact for the city and region. Utrecht is the only city to have hosted the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and the Vuelta a España. With the addition of the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference, Utrecht once again adds a high-profile business event to its portfolio. The successful joint effort to bring the conference to Utrecht demonstrates the strong local collaboration aimed at further strengthening the region.

Attractive proposition and broad support

The timing of the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference in Utrecht has been strategically chosen to coincide with the Dutch Cycling Week, a series of cycling-related events organised annually by Jaarbeurs.

Immediately following this, the Cycle Summit will take place in Groningen – an international event for cycle tour operators. This makes autumn 2026 an especially attractive time for international participants to visit the Netherlands for knowledge exchange, inspiration, and networking within the cycling sector.

In addition to the partners united in the Utrecht Congress Alliance, the bid to host the conference was also supported by the Dutch Cyclists’ Union (Fietsersbond), the National Cycling Platform (Fietsplatform), the Dutch Cycling Embassy, the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC), Routebureau Utrecht, and the Utrecht Bike Community.

For more information about EuroVelo: https://pro.eurovelo.com