Mind the gap: 2024 was a bumpy but brilliant year for EuroVelo’s digital platforms

And we’re back folks! Another year, another chance to dissect EuroVelo’s digital platforms, one... by... one. So, what do we have in store this time? (you’d get it if you clicked through those cryptic links) – Well, the 2024 Digital Statistics Report now comes with key insights to match the digits. But how about we kick things off with an exclusive Q&A with our very own Brand and Marketing Officer, Omer, on how the website performed last year. He insisted on keeping things real¹ with a healthy dose of honesty and a few confessions. Let’s dive into the numbers.

So, Omer, what do you make of the 2024 statistics for EuroVelo.com?
Omer: Ah yes, the "statistics." Let’s just say 2024 was... statistically mysterious. We had over a million visitors, but apparently, there was a “data gap.” Our in-house web developer insists it’s a feature, not a bug. But honestly, the website just needed a nap after being so popular. Or – hear me out – in true EuroVelo style, it took some inspiration from my teammate Florence and went on a sabbatical, taking its analytics with it. They’ll both be back in 2025, I promise.

That’s quite the claim. What do you reckon we can do going forward?
Omer: First, I recommend we all agree not to point fingers – unless it's at Google’s cookie policy. Second, we’ve upgraded our analytics so much that there are now dashboards tracking our dashboards, and even they’re running A/B tests on themselves. Going forward, I’ll make sure the numbers are as reliable as my morning latte art (grins). And if anything goes wrong, I’ll be there, in the shadows, with a cookie (pun intended) in one hand, my emotional support dashboard in the other, and a comforting cat on standby.

Well, there you have it. Omer was also kind enough to share a behind-the-scenes look at how he’s been trying to make sense of the numbers. Now, let’s dive into the rest of the platforms and some insights from the report:

• The transition to a new cookie consent system in early 2024 caused a tracking error on EuroVelo.com, resulting in an estimated loss of over 500,000 sessions until the issue was fixed in July. As a result, the negative yearly web figures in the report are largely due to this error².
• A 5% increase in searches from Google suggests that actual website use remained stable, especially since organic web traffic hit a record 73%, reflecting strong SEO performance and growing interest in cycling tourism.
• EuroVelo 15 – Rhine Cycle Route was the most visited route on the website, while France ranked as the most popular country.
• The total number of GPX tracks downloaded was 148,291.
• Social media channels saw growth between 6% and 33%, led by Instagram, while Facebook remained the largest with 55,100+ followers. The newly launched LinkedIn page gained over 4,500 followers.
• The EuroVelo newsletter reached over 11,500 subscribers, marking an impressive 38% annual increase.

We highly encourage you to read the seven-page report for a more detailed breakdown of these points. Looking ahead, EuroVelo.com is well-positioned to recover in 2025 and take full advantage of upcoming web developments. The broader EuroVelo digital platform will also benefit from improved analytics tools and more refined strategies across social media, email, and community-building efforts.

As always, a big thank you to our dedicated users, partners and other stakeholders for staying connected and helping spread the word about the network in 2024.

Author: Omer Malak

^{Additional notes}

^{1. This fake Q&A was created to set the scene for this year’s Digital Statistics Report. Imagine if we could afford an in-house web developer, ha! But I hope you find it somewhat funny.}

^{2. For context, EuroVelo.com migrated to Google’s new analytics platform (GA4) in 2023. This significantly affected data tracking and various metrics. As such, 2023 became the ‘new baseline’ for future reports and comparisons. Here is a good explanation of the changes by Michael Okada (for the marketing geeks).}