From trails to seasonal adjustments, from the relationship between mountain biking and skiing to the role of e-bikes and long-term planning, one belief emerges: a great destination isn't built starting from the trails, but from a shared strategy capable of creating value for the entire territory.
We arrived in Paganella expecting the conversation to revolve around trails. New routes, maintenance, bike parks, and the numbers behind cycling tourism. This, after all, was the reason for our meeting with Luca D'Angelo, the area's destination manager and one of the figures who has contributed most to transforming Paganella into one of Europe's most popular biking destinations.
After a few minutes, however, it became clear that the trails would be relegated to the background. Or rather, they would become the starting point for addressing much broader issues: the future of the mountains, climate change, the evolution of tourism, the relationship between summer and winter, and the need to rethink the economic model of Alpine resorts.
The result was a conversation that only superficially addressed mountain biking. In reality, it explored how a tourist destination is born and why, today more than ever, a region's success depends first and foremost on its ability to have a vision.
The bike should not replace skiing
For many years, several Alpine resorts have pursued the same idea: to transform mountain biking into the new "summer skiing." An activity capable of sustaining the legacy of winter tourism and offsetting, at least in part, its economic burden.
For Luca D'Angelo, however, the starting point is wrong.
«There is no tourist sport capable of moving the numbers of skiing.»
It's a phrase that immediately brings the comparison back to a realistic level. Skiing, as we've known it over the last fifty years, has been a unique phenomenon. It has changed the face of the Alps, created a massive economy, and brought millions of people to the mountains.
To think that a single discipline can replace it is to assign it an impossible task.
Mountain biking cannot and should not replicate those numbers. Its role is different. It is to become the driving force behind a richer and more diverse summer offering, capable of engaging not only bikers, but also hikers, families, walkers, and all those who choose the mountains for outdoor experiences.
The shift in perspective is substantial. It's not about finding a successor to skiing. We need to build a mountain less dependent on a single discipline and more capable of sustaining itself year-round.
The real driving force behind deseasonalization
This is probably the most interesting passage of the interview.
To describe the role of the mountain bike, D'Angelo uses a simple but effective image: "The mountain bike was the wedge."
Not the final product, but the tool that allowed a new phase for Alpine tourism.
For decades, the summer season was concentrated almost exclusively in the months of July and August. The rest of the year meant closed facilities, empty hotels, and limited activity.
The arrival of the mountain bike changed this balance.
Opening the facilities to bikers has provided a concrete reason to visit the mountains from spring onwards until late autumn. But the benefits aren't limited to those who cycle.
When a cable car is open, hikers also come aboard. Refuges open, hotels can extend their season, restaurants welcome new customers, and the entire area regains its attractiveness even outside the traditional peak months.
In this sense, mountain biking isn't simply a tourism product. It's the catalyst that allows for the creation of a much broader offering.
This is probably the true definition of deseasonalization.
How much is a bike investment really worth?
When talking about tourism, it's inevitable to turn to numbers. Paganella is often cited as one of the most successful tourist destinations in Europe, and it's natural to wonder what the economic return on such a significant investment is.
Here too, D'Angelo invites us to change our perspective.
Skiing continues to generate significantly higher revenues. No one disputes that. But evaluating a model isn't just about revenue: you also need to consider how much it costs to maintain.
The Paganella trail network requires approximately €300 in maintenance each year. This significant sum allows for the maintenance of high quality standards and ensures trails are always in perfect condition.
But data alone says little. The interesting question isn't how much it costs to maintain a trail network, but rather what economic benefits that investment can generate.
Every euro spent on trail maintenance creates value far beyond the trail itself. It helps attract visitors, extend the tourist season, and boost an economy that includes hotels, refuges, restaurants, rentals, specialized shops, guides, and services.
According to D'Angelo, this is the parameter by which bike tourism should be evaluated: not by seeking a direct comparison with skiing, but by measuring the ability to transform a relatively small investment into widespread benefits for the entire region.
A mountain that is changing
The change, however, does not only concern the summer.
During the conversation, a reflection emerges that goes beyond the climate and directly affects the evolution of society.
D'Angelo recounts a simple but significant episode. Looking at one's own children's classes in Trentino, one realizes that few actually practice skiing, and a similar thing happens in my daughter's class, another area where skiing has historically significant roots.
A fact that gives food for thought.
If the habits of the new generations change, the way we think about the mountains in winter will also have to change. Skiing will continue to be a fundamental pillar, but it will likely no longer be the sole element around which an entire destination is built.
E-bikes are also part of this transformation. Some still consider them an alternative to ski lifts, but the reality tells a different story. Within a bike park, the two coexist perfectly: the gondola lift allows for multiple descents, while pedal-assist offers greater freedom in getting around and exploring the area.
More than competitors, they are complementary tools.
First comes the vision
Toward the end of the conversation, the topic finally returns to the trails. But by now it's clear that they represent only the final piece of the project.
A bike destination isn't born because it creates beautiful trails. It comes into being when it builds a clear identity, understands the audience it wants to attract, and develops an experience consistent with that vision.
Only after that come the routes.
It's an approach that requires continuity and collaboration. Too many projects take shape following a call for proposals or the enthusiasm of a single person. They work only as long as that person remains involved, then they risk stalling.
The most robust destinations are those that are able to share strategies, data, experiences, and long-term goals.
From this perspective, D'Angelo observes, moments of discussion like Talk Paganella represented a valuable opportunity for administrators, tourism operators, trail builders, businesses, and the media to engage in dialogue. Because it is precisely through discussion that the ability to network is born.
By the end of our conversation, we realize we've talked much less about trails than we imagined.
And perhaps this is the most interesting lesson.
The trails are what visitors see. The real difference, however, continues to be made by everything that comes before: the ability to understand the landscape, imagine its future, and build a shared vision.
This, more than any bike park, is the true strength of Paganella.
