Mountain Bike Tourism Forum Germany

What Mountain Bike Tourism Forum Germany does

Mountainbike Forum Deutschland e. V. is a non-profit association (eingetragener Verein) registered in Leipzig, founded in 2019 to professionalize mountain bike tourism in Germany under the umbrella narrative "Vision 2030," which aims to position Germany among the top five MTB destinations worldwide. The organization serves primarily German-speaking tourism destinations and destination management organizations, public administrations (municipalities, districts, regional governments), the bike industry, and forestry and conservation stakeholders. It also runs advocacy and education programs aimed at the broader MTB community.

The forum's core outputs are organized around four pillars: (1) market research, anchored by the Mountainbike-Monitor (a 12,000+ interview consumer study with proprietary Sinus-Milieus psychographic segmentation, delivered in base, additional, and destination-specific modules) and complemented by the Gravel-Monitor and Leitlinie Besuchermonitoring visitor-monitoring guidelines; (2) standards and infrastructure, led by MTB-Leitsystem, Germany's first uniform trail-signage system; (3) events, principally the annual three-day Mountainbike-Kongress (since 2016) with thematic editions such as ROOTS (2021), GOOD WAYS (2022), and NEUE HORIZONTE (2026); and (4) advocacy and stewardship, including the Bike Nature Movement (in cooperation with ZIV and DIMB), the Take Care of Your Trails pan-European campaign with IMBA Europe, the Bike-Medien-Bootcamp training program, and the #Sauberwald environmental initiative. The organization also participates in EU-funded research projects (NAT:KIT, Erasmus+ STANDOUT, DIRTT, SEE) and cooperates with multiple universities.

Commercially, the forum operates a hybrid association model: annual congress ticket sales at EUR 280 per attendee (net plus VAT, with a "bring a friend" same-price option), annual membership and supporting-membership fees from organizations and network partners, and direct sales of Mountainbike-Monitor modules and destination-specific evaluations on inquiry. Reach is DACH-centric but expanding, with the first Europe-wide Mountainbike-Monitor survey launched in 2021 and over 20 German-speaking regions using the dataset; an active Komoot profile, monthly email newsletter (via Brevo), and a bilingual German/English website comprise the digital distribution layer.

Name

Mountain Bike Tourism Forum Germany

Legal name

Mountainbike Forum Deutschland e. V.

Website

https://mountainbikeforum.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mountainbike Forum Deutschland e. V. is a Leipzig-based non-profit association that professionalizes mountain bike tourism in German-speaking markets through market research (Mountainbike-Monitor), trail signage standards (MTB-Leitsystem), an annual industry congress, and pan-European advocacy and stewardship initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Industry Association

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Cycling, Mountain Biking & E-Bike Adventure Tour Operators (THAAADAE)

Keywords

• Mountain bike tourism
• Outdoor recreation research
• Destination development
• Trail signage standards
• Cycling industry events

Headquarters

HQ city

Leipzig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Congress Tickets: Annual Mountainbike Congress ticket sales at 280 EUR per person, with 'bring a friend' pricing at same rate
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership and supporting membership fees for organizations and network partners
3. Research Publications: Sale of Mountainbike-Monitor reports in base modules, additional modules, destination-specific evaluations, and individual workshops

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Mountainbike Forum Deutschland e. V. is a non-profit professional association that develops and disseminates mountain bike tourism knowledge, conducts market research (Mountainbike-Monitor with Sinus-Milieus segmentation), provides the country's first uniform MTB trail signage system (MTB-Leitsystem), hosts the annual German Mountain Bike Congress, and runs advocacy initiatives such as the Bike Nature Movement and the Take Care of Your Trails campaign to professionalize and develop MTB tourism in Germany toward Vision 2030.

Product overview

The Mountainbike Forum Deutschland e.V. operates as a professional association for mountain bike tourism development in Germany. Its core offerings include the Mountainbike-Monitor (comprehensive market research study with over 12,000 interviews), the MTB-Leitsystem (Germany's first uniform trail signage system), and the annual Mountainbike-Kongress (major industry conference). The organization also produces research products like the Gravel-Monitor and NAT:KIT visitor management toolkit, and runs advocacy initiatives including the Take Care of Your Trails campaign and Bike Nature Movement. Additional offerings encompass training programs (Bike-Medien-Bootcamp), environmental initiatives (#Sauberwald), and various research projects (Re-Cycling, STANDOUT Erasmus+). The portfolio is structured as a unified association offering research, advocacy, events, and practical tools for the MTB tourism industry rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mountainbike-Monitor The most comprehensive market research study on German-speaking mountain bike tourists, their needs, values, and behavior. Uses Sinus-Milieus psychographic segmentation to identify four main target groups (Tour, MaXC, AMEN, FRoDHo). Sold to tourism destinations and DMOs for strategic planning.
• MTB-Leitsystem (MTB Signage System) Germany's first uniform trail signage system for mountain biking, consistently aligned with biker needs. Provides cost-effective quality assurance for regions, destinations, and clubs.
• Mountainbike-Kongress (Annual Congress) Annual three-day German Mountain Bike Tourism Congress serving as the premier knowledge-sharing and networking platform for the MTB tourism industry, bringing together international experts, destinations, and industry stakeholders. Ticket price 280 EUR per person.
• Gravel-Monitor Market research study on the gravel biking segment, complementing the Mountainbike-Monitor for the German-speaking market.
• NAT:KIT (Visitor Management Toolkit) Project for visitor management of cycling and MTB in protected areas. Provides a toolkit for communication and intervention measures for destination managers.
• Leitlinie Besuchermonitoring (Visitor Monitoring Guidelines) Guidelines document providing orientation for research and practice, serving as a decision-making aid for designing monitoring projects in natural spaces and active tourism.
• Take Care of Your Trails (TCoYT) Campaign Annual pan-European campaign launched in 2017 to promote trail stewardship, improve the sport's image, and recognize MTB volunteers; run in partnership with IMBA Europe.
• Bike-Booklet Informational booklet and resource for bike communities and tourism professionals.
• Bike-Zukunftswerkstatt (Future Workshop) Network event held in 2022 in Fichtelgebirge focused on regional MTB destination development and stakeholder workshops.
• Bike-Medien-Bootcamp Training program supporting bike communities in public relations skills, teaching basic journalistic skills, and strengthening the positive image of cycling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 12,000 interviews enable detailed segment-specific demand prediction
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IMBA Europe (International Mountain Biking Association Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Take Care of Your Trails campaign partnership; IMBA Europe advocacy work at EU level; two European Erasmus projects (DIRTT, SEE); annual TCoYT campaign coordination. Mark Torsius serves as IMBA Europe General Manager.
• ZIV (Zweirad-Industrie-Verband)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in Bike Nature Movement for political advocacy and securing legal foundations for biking in Germany.
• DIMB (Deutsche Initiative Mountain Bike)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in Bike Nature Movement for political advocacy and securing legal foundations for biking in Germany.
• NAT:KITcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean project for visitor management in cycling and MTB in protected areas. MTF serves as project partner providing toolkit for communication and intervention measures.
• DoppelmayrminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCongress sponsoring partner providing insights into cable car systems relevant for MTB transport infrastructure.
• KomootminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCongress sponsoring partner, route planning platform relevant for MTB tourism navigation.
• SchneesternminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrail construction company with 20+ years experience; over 500 action sport facilities realized globally; sponsored session at congress on MTB infrastructure.
• Tourismus Oberbayern MünchenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBavarian tourism organization participating in MTB Panel discussions at congress.
• Schwäbische Alb TourismusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism board participating in congress panels on MTB destination development.
• Various UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with various universities supervising research and thesis work in the field of active tourism and nature/environmental protection.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Komoot: European route-planning platform popular with MTB cyclists; MTF's congress sponsor and content partner, intersecting on MTB navigation and destination discovery rather than association management.
• Outdooractive: Outdoor activities platform with deep MTB and hiking content across Europe; partner of MTF presenting at congress on digital visitor guidance, with comparable market position in destination discovery for MTB tourists.

Direct peers

• Cycling UK: UK-based national cycling charity promoting cycling for leisure, transport, and trail access; operates as a membership-funded advocacy, education, and routes organization with a comparable non-profit business model and national-conference presence.
• IMBA Europe: Regional branch of the International Mountain Biking Association, focused on trail advocacy, rider education, and MTB policy across Europe; MTF's core strategic partner with co-developed campaigns (Take Care of Your Trails, Erasmus projects), making it the most directly comparable peer in mission and operating model.
• DIMB (Deutsche Initiative Mountain Bike): Germany's grassroots MTB advocacy association campaigning for legal trail access and rider rights; operates the legal-help, trail-building, and chapter-network functions MTF does not directly run, making it a complementary but partially overlapping German MTB peer.

Others

• Schneestern: Global action-sport facility builder specializing in MTB and bike-park infrastructure with 500+ projects delivered; operates adjacent to MTF by building the physical trail assets that MTF's research and signage system plan and standardize.
• ZIV (Zweirad-Industrie-Verband): Germany's bicycle industry trade association representing manufacturers, importers, and retailers; MTF's coalition partner in Bike Nature Movement with adjacent but distinct mandate of industry advocacy rather than destination development.

Broad incumbents

• Deutscher Alpenverein (DAV): Germany's largest outdoor sports association, focused on mountain sports including climbing, hiking, and ski touring; parallels MTF as a membership-funded federation stewarding outdoor recreation infrastructure and advocacy in mountain regions.
• European Cyclists' Federation (ECF): Pan-European cycling policy and advocacy organization covering all cycling disciplines including MTB; comparable as a membership-based federation promoting cycling for transport, leisure, and tourism, with broader scope than MTF's MTB-specific focus.
• IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association): Founding global MTB advocacy and trail-building organization headquartered in the US; mirrors MTF's mission and Trailforks/RTP model internationally and serves as the parent of IMBA Europe with which MTF partners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mountainbike-forum-deutschland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mountain Bike Tourism Forum Germany