Rail Trails and Tourism 2024 Conference Launched

Bicycle Queensland are partnering with Somerset Regional Council to host the Rail Trails and Tourism Conference 2024. The conference will take place at the Somerset Civic Centre, Esk across November 6-7, with the two days offering input around building rail trail tourism, and building rail trails themselves. The conference is possible thanks to the support of Somerset Regional Council and the Department of Main Roads.

Day one, hosted by Somerset Regional Council, will focus on tourism and how businesses along rail trails can yield maximum benefits. Industry experts, academics, elite cyclists, community champions and tourism operators will come together to learn and share ideas. After the first day’s conference, a complementary social event will provide fantastic networking opportunities. If you are interested in the business opportunities and tourism market around rail trails – this is going to be a very useful day to attend.

On Thursday November 7, Bicycle Queensland will be delivering sessions about building a rail trail. This day will start with an optional early social ride followed by presentations and discussions with rail trail gurus in a collective effort to build a new “Rail Trail Development Toolkit”. This will be a practical guide for rail trail advocates to help transform ‘that line on the map’ into a tangible trail for all to enjoy. While Queensland has a few successful rail trails, there are more decommissioned rail corridors around the state, and the country, than there are rideable rail trails. The scope for more rail trails is immense.

This day will cover the need to have a vision and drive for the project, how to manage stakeholder relationships, working on planning and funding, and looking at partnerships and events to help make sure the rail trail is marketed appropriately, and maintenance is funded in the long-term.

‘Rail trails are an integral part of the cycling infrastructure around Queensland, Australia and the world,’ said Bicycle Queensland’s CEO Alton Twine, on the importance of the Rail Trails and Tourism 2024 conference. ‘Rail trail projects have shown to give an extra life to existing transport corridors, serving communities in an economic, social and health and wellbeing space.’

‘I encourage anybody interested in developing a rail trail to come to this conference in Esk. You can hear first hand from the businesses who have made a success of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail, and access expertise around managing stakeholder relationships, funding, events and partnerships.’

You can sign up to the free conference via the Somerset Regional Council event page.

For those outside of south-east Queensland who may need assistance with transfers from the train station at Ipswich to Esk, please contact Paul Dalitz (p.dalitz@bq.org.au).

The Rails Trails and Tourism Conference is proudly supported by the Queensland Government.