World-class annual MTB event for cross-border tourism in a transboundary PA

Snapshot Solution

by Roland Vorwerk

Cycling along the edge of the Fish River Canyon on Day 1 of the Desert Knights Mountainbike Tour, photo by Jacques Marais

Desert Knights is a 7‐day event that was designed to promote cross‐border tourism activities in the Ai/Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. The event combines night‐time mountain biking and a day of canoeing and aims to contribute towards unlocking the tourism potential of the park through staging of a world class annual multi-stage MTB event. Proceeds of the tour will support joint conservation activities of this unique Transfrontier Park.

Last update: 29 Mar 2019

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Context

Challenges addressed

Land and Forest degradation

Lack of public and decision maker’s awareness

Scale of implementation

Multi-national

Ecosystems

Temperate grassland, savanna, shrubland

Tundra or montane grassland

Theme

Connectivity / transboundary conservation

Outreach & communications

Tourism

Location

Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, Karas Region, Namibia

East and South Africa

Impacts

The event was initially piloted over two years (2011 and 2012) where logistics and market demand were tested, and journalists and operators were invited to participate and profile the event. As a result, for the 2014 tour, 100 tourists had signed up within 2 weeks of bookings opening, and from 2015 two events will now be held each year.