Beyond the Finish Line: ICTr-CE Partners Commit to Long-Term Cooperation for EuroVelo 13

February 4, 2026, Murska Sobota, Slovenia  The ICTr-CE – Innovative Participatory Sustainable Business Model for Cycling along the Iron Curtain Trail project, which brings together 12 partners from 9 Central European countries with the shared goal of strengthening sustainable cultural tourism and long-distance cycling along EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail, has reached the official end of its implementation phase and transitioned into a new stage of collaboration. At the project’s final event, the signing of the ICTr Alliance Declaration sealed a formal commitment that marks the beginning of a new, long-term phase of cooperation dedicated to the development of the entire EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail corridor. The event, held on February 4, 2026, in Murska Sobota and hosted by the Iskriva Institute, also served as a platform to present the project’s key results. Throughout its duration, ICTr CE worked to enhance cultural tourism experiences, strengthen regional identity, and promote sustainable tourism along this historic cycling route.  Among the most significant achievements was the introduction of The Good Impact Cycling – an innovative cycling product that combines evidence based impact measurement digital tool. The system assesses the environmental, social and economic impact of tourists who book the cycling product. It applies a small surcharge, which is fully dedicated to funding projects that mitigate and reduce negative effects along the route. This approach directly realises the project’s mission: to make cycling tourism not only more sustainable, but also responsible and actively regenerative. Urška Dolinar, Director of the Iskriva Institute, and project partner, emphasised: “The ICTr-CE project has demonstrated that long-distance cycling routes such as EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail can become powerful drivers of sustainable regional development when partners share a common vision. By signing the ICTr Alliance Declaration, we commit to continuing this cooperation beyond the project’s lifetime – to jointly care for the route, support local communities, and ensure that cycling tourism along the Iron Curtain Trail remains responsible, meaningful, and future-oriented.”   ICTr Alliance Declaration Through the ICTr Alliance Declaration, the partners have formally confirmed their intention to maintain cooperation even after the project’s formal conclusion. The Alliance aims to:

• continue improving cycling infrastructure and services along EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail,
• support tourism providers in developing high-quality, experience-based offers,
• promote the cultural and natural heritage linked to the shared history of the Iron Curtain,
• strengthen regional networks and cross-border cooperation,
• ensure sustainable tourism development that genuinely benefits local communities.

Project representatives stressed that the ICTr Alliance will serve as a permanent platform for ongoing dialogue, knowledge exchange, and coordinated action. The Declaration reflects a shared vision to establish EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail as a leading destination for sustainable tourism in Europe.   About ICTr-CE ICTr-CE is a project co-financed by Interreg Central Europe. It focuses on strengthening innovative cultural tourism along one of Europe’s most historically and culturally significant long-distance cycling routes – EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail, which follows the former Iron Curtain from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea and is also a certified cultural route of the Council of Europe. Through transnational cooperation, the project supports the development of new tourism products, capacity building for stakeholders, and sustainable regional development.