Namibia and cycling – do they go together? Like Jack and Jill, say the Namibia Tourism Board (NTB) and its partners in their latest promotional campaign. They express this in just two words that capture the campaign's core message: 'Ride Namibia'.
The target audience is the large and rapidly growing community of affluent cycling enthusiasts in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. To reach them, the NTB has partnered with the established bicycle brand BULLS Bikes USA and ZEG Zweirad-Einkaufs-Genossenschaft eG.
As part of the campaign, two attractive prizes are being raffled off. The grand prize is a seven-day round trip through Namibia for two people, featuring a "gravel bike adventure on gravel roads" on day five. The sponsors are the German airline Condor and the Namibian tourism group Gondwana Collection Namibia.
The second prize is the brand-new Machete X2 gravel bike model, which BULLS Bikes USA will begin shipping in December 2026. It features a high-quality carbon frame designed for gravel riding, lightweight carbon wheels, a Shimano GRX drivetrain, and Schwalbe G-One tires suitable for any terrain. Entry deadline is 30 September 2026 (see campaign website Mit-BULLS-gewinnen.de).
"The campaign is supported by a wide-ranging promotional strategy across multiple channels," writes Matthias Lemcke, NTB's Marketing Director for Europe, on his LinkedIn page. He highlights trade fairs, websites, and social media as key components.
"The objective is to present Namibia as a unique travel destination to a highly relevant and engaged target audience," explains Lemcke. The campaign also promotes Condor’s new flight connection to Namibia, launching in June 2027. Flights are already available for booking (see the Condor website).
'Desert Dash Namibia' as proof
So far, so good. But does the promotional message align with the reality on the ground? Is Namibia truly a unique destination for mountain bikers? The campaign website answers these questions with a resounding "yes" and provides the proof to back it up.
Right below the campaign introduction, a prominent section highlights the 'Desert Dash Namibia'. The Desert Dash ranks among the most spectacular mountain bike and gravel races in the world.
The race takes place annually in early December – this time on 11 December 2026. The 397 km route runs primarily along gravel tracks from Windhoek in the interior to Swakopmund on the Atlantic coast. Many of the hundreds of participants now travel from both neighbouring countries and destinations further afield to take part.
However, Namibia offers adventure-seeking mountain bikers more than just the Desert Dash. Many accommodations feature trails that are well-suited for mountain biking.
Some lodges have even laid out dedicated MTB tracks. A prime example is Klein-Aus Vista in southwestern Namibia. There are also tour operators that include mountain biking as a standard part of their itineraries or incorporate it into Namibia tours upon request.
Desert Dash Namibia: Mountain bikers on the gravel route from Windhoek to Swakopmund. Photo: Campaign website Mit-BULLS-gewinnen.de
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