E-mobility and gastronomy tourism synergy at the island of Krk (Food Story)
About this good practice
The island of Krk is developing sustainable and responsible tourism emphasizing the ecological segment, important in branding the island of Krk as an eco-destination. In this regard, the Tourist Board of the island of Krk (public body), in cooperation with Ponikve eco island of Krk (company for communal activities owned by cities and municipalities on the island of Krk, that manages a bike sharing system) launched program, connecting e-bikes and gastronomy - KRK FOOD STORY. Eighty electrical bicycles are available on the island with stops built in the city of Krk and in all island municipalities. The system allows you to rent the e-bike at one location and return it at a different one. If you reach one of the restaurants by e-bike, you can ask the host for a voucher that would enable you to deduct the time spent in the restaurant from the price you have to pay for bike rental. There are many different options, you can actually spend days on Krk Food Story, combining activities, fine tastes and enjoying splendid views. During Krk Food Story, about 30 restaurants are participating in the program and offer more than 150 specialties including delicacies that on their own present a sufficient reason for foodies to come to the island.
Today, the island of Krk is networked with hiking and biking trails with a total length of over 500 km. In addition to Food Story promotional materials - joint maps of hike and bike trails, mobile applications KRKHike and KrkBike have been created.
Resources needed
Prerequisite is developed local infrastructure(bike paths and restaurants).There were no additional costs for the program compared to regular operations of Tourist Board(TB) and bike-share operator.There were some advertising and voucher costs, but this was included in the regular budget of the TB.
Evidence of success
The project won the national Simply the Best award, in the category "New projects in tourism" for creativity, innovation, development and improvement of the destination's tourist offer by the Association of Croatian Travel Agencies. It will certainly continue to be implemented during 2022 as well.
In first promo month, 187 users were recorded who visited restaurants by bicycle and asked for vouchers. Bikes were used in total for 107 thousand minutes in five-month period after promo month.
Potential for learning or transfer
This good practice can easily be replicated in any geographical area that includes restaurants and bike paths. All users benefit from this program; bicycle riders, restaurants and the owner of a bicycle rental company. In addition, the tourist visibility of the place is growing which is multiplying through various new economic benefits.
The island of Krk has succeeded in this by connecting 10 stops with a total of 80 e-bikes (at 7 different locations / cities on the island). The system was used on average of about 120,000 minutes on a semi-annual basis. 30 different restaurants have recognized the benefits of the program and will be happy to participate in new promotional periods.
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.