Commissioned in 2012, La Vélodyssée® from Roscoff to Hendaye (over 1,275 km in France), and from Charron to Royan in Charente-Maritime over 164 km, was the subject of a study of attendance and economic benefits carried out by the National Route Coordination in 2018.
In 2023, the National Coordination decided to update this study of attendance and economic benefits. The Department of Charente-Maritime and Charentes Tourisme therefore commissioned the lnddigo design office to focus on Charente-Maritime, which was recently returned.
An established identity card
The restitution of this study made it possible to precisely define the identity card of La Vélodyssée® in Charente-Maritime:
- Number of kilometers: 164 from Charron to Royan.
- Percentage of own site: 70%.
- Number of municipalities crossed: 31
- Number of intercommunities crossed: 6 (CdC Aunis Atlantique, CdA La Rochelle, CARO, CdC Coeur de Saintonge, CdC Bassin de Marennes, CARA)
- Number of directional signs.
- Number of service areas and rest stops: 34.
- Number of eco-meters: 11.
- Number of people with the Accueil Vélo label: 121.
- Number of projects studied by the Department to improve the safety and quality of the route: 4.
The number
Budget invested by the Department from 2018 to 2024: €3 million, 800. Here are also the key figures for the Vélodyssée® in Charente-Maritime:
- 0.4 million cycling trips stable compared to 2018.
- 17.5 million euros in direct economic impact per year, or 106,000 euros per kilometer.
- €55 per day and per person for itinerants, i.e. -€4 compared to France and €61 for staying tourists, i.e. +€5 compared to France.
What weaknesses?
In summary, the following main elements emerge: “Firstly, the advantages of the route: a very strong representation of traveling tourists and staying tourists, a good central positioning on the route with a structuring rail service to La Rochelle, a level of service to be improved but above average . Secondly, the weaknesses of the route: facilities that could be improved, a rather weak presence of foreign cyclists, weak excursionist and family practices, few loop practices to stay in the department. Third, market opportunities: interconnection with La Vélo Francette®, the island cycling networks developed to discover the islands. And fourthly, the weaknesses of the market: the problem of erosion and the retreat of the coastline with a postponement of the retro-coastal route, the reduction in public funds. »
The main areas of development to consider are: “Develop loops and alternative routes to stay in the territory, strengthen facilities and service offerings (notably service areas), rely on roaming to promote the hinterland and island tourism to offer coastal discoveries and play on a camper van and bike combination. »
