Romanian e-bike tour operator gets EU funding for eco-friendly tourism project

Backcountry Romania, an e-bike tour company in Brașov, has secured EUR 40,000 in European funding to promote e-bike travel as a sustainable and eco-friendly tourism solution.

E-bikes successfully merge classical bicycles and state of the art technology to offer a viable solution for sustainable, low print tourism, the company said.

The company has been organizing e-bike tours across Romania since 2016. Last year, it took 415 mountain lovers, both amateur beginners and seasoned cyclists, through trails in Transylvania, Piatra Craiului, Roșia Montană, Bucegi and Omu Peak, Semenic Mountains, Călimănești, and Viscri.

The e-bikes’ technology boosts the riders pedaling by up to 60% and makes them accessible to a greater number of people who would otherwise find some tours very difficult or nearly impossible, the company explained.

“There are so many extraordinary places that are hard to reach on foot. People either visit them by car or use ATVs where cars are not allowed or don’t visit them at all. E-bike tours have the capacity to bring back tourism to these picturesque but remote areas. As for around Brașov, we hope to hear less and less rumbling motors in the woods as the years pass,” Lucian Bălaș, the company’s owner and main guide, explained.

In 2019, the operator will launch its city tour division, offering e-bike tours in Brașov and its surrounding hills.

(Photo: Pixabay)