Join us in Valposchiavo, Switzerland for our annual mountain biking Summit from June 1st – 3rd. Hidden behind the Bernina pass lies Valposchiavo, a pioneer in the development of sustainable tourism and winner of the UNWTO Best Village Tourism award. The town is the ideal setting for the theme of this year’s Summit – Off the beaten track – where sustainability is at the forefront of everything they do, from the restoration and maintenance of trails, to managing tourism and agriculture.
The main theme of the summit “Off the beaten track” is about challenging the preconceived ideas of what mountain biking is and for whom. It’s rethinking our relationships with nature and how we use the word ‘sustainability’ in everything we do- from trails, to tourism, rural development, the way we travel to participation and behaviour. It’s about reflecting upon the level of use that an area can receive without suffering negative impacts to its environmental resources or the visitor experience.
The Summit will be divided into two sub themes over the course of two days, followed by the IMBA Epic ride on the last day.
Day one – Tourism and trails
Day one of the Summit will look into topics like the benefits of trail development for communities; how diversifying the offering of destinations can attract new users; why creating year round offers is a solution to recreational carrying capacity issues.
Tourism is central to realising the economic potential of trails, as highly desirable destinations. It is a way in which rural places can diversify their economy, serving as an economic boost for communities in transition, for example ski resorts.
Day two – Participation and community
Day two of the Summit will dive deeper into new trends in off-road cycling, user demands, the shifting identity of the ‘mountain biker’ and how we (the MTB community) can influence growth and participation through changing the perceived image of the sport. If we want to encourage more people to ride bikes, what are framework considerations that should be taken into consideration? From lobbying for cycling-friendly policies and funding programs to responding to the policy agenda of other sectors such as the health, forestry and mobility sector or DG Climate Action.
We will deliver a full program diving into each sub theme through inspiring keynote presentations; thought-provoking panel discussions & breakout sessions; fun and engaging outdoor activities. The full Summit program will be available at the end of March.
***Early bird ticket prices will be available until March 15th.