What Kind of Experience Does the Adventure Traveler Want?
Do you consider yourself an adventure traveler? What does “adventure travel” mean to you?
I’ve been on adventure tours that felt like they were going to kill me, then others where I barely broke a sweat. Every year the Adventure Travel Trade Association surveys its members to get a good snapshot of the industry. The data can be enlightening because of its scope and the last batch was compiled from the responses from 329 tour operators around the world.
The full report is only available to ATTA members, unless you’re willing to pay for it, but we’re a long-time member, so here are the highlights and our take.
Adventure Travel is More inclusive and More Responsible
Adventure travel used to be thought of as something people with a death wish did, things like hiking Everest, rock climbing, single-track mountain biking on steep trails, and being the first to go white-water rafting down some hidden river. It was all adrenaline and testosterone, with all the ads featuring a single dude (often with a man-bun) sweating and looking muscular.
Thankfully times have changed and the definition of “adventure travel” has gotten wider and more inclusive. There’s plenty of “soft adventure” in the mix now that we cover here on Luxury Latin America, trips where you’re hiking, sailing, or rafting by day, but sleeping in a nice bed at night after a glass of wine. It’s not all about deprivation and danger.
Some technological developments have helped too, with the explosion in e-bikes leading to an explosion in e-bike tours. I’ve done several of these myself for day tours and will probably do a longer one with my wife sometime since the main thing she hates is climbing hills.
Here’s the intro to the ATTA report, which outlines how the industry is evolving:
Traveler motivations remain largely consistent, centered on new experiences, cultural connection, and opportunities to explore beyond the beaten path. At the same time, the data points to a growing emphasis on sustainability, wellness, and purpose-driven travel. Trends such as low-impact itineraries, last chance travel, and specialist-led or women-focused trips are gaining traction, alongside continued
interest in culinary, hiking, and cycling experiences.
Adventure Travel is for All Ages
Despite all the focus on millennials and in magazine ads and editorial, the majority of the people booking adventure travel tours are age 40 and above—an overwhelming 76% in North America and 71% worldwide. As older travelers have taken on greater challenges and have the money to explore, they are weaving more adventurous activities into their vacations and holidays.
Still, there’s a wide distribution among the age groups, with no particular bracket dominating. Children weren’t involved in the survey, but anyone who has been out on a hiking or kayaking trip has probably seen a few tykes out with their family in places like Peru, Chile, and Mexico.
Trending Motivations and Activities
While the surveys of 15 or 20 years ago often surfaced phrases like “proving myself” and “overcoming obstacles,” the adventure traveler of today is likely to be less goal-oriented and more experience-oriented. They want to bring back memories, not stories about bandages and rough patches.
The motivations most cited now are very different:
- New experiences
- Go off the beaten path
- Travel like a local
- Cultural encounters
- Wellness/Betterment
This doesn’t mean they’re ignoring the vanity aspects though: “adventure travel as a status symbol” made the top-10, as did “pampering and luxury.”
As for the actual activities that are the most popular, most haven’t changed drastically, but the e-bike trips mentioned earlier have shot up near the top and “culinary travel” has edged its way into the adventure space, with food tours and food-focused bike and hiking trips gaining a lot of ground. Hiking remains the top adventure travel choice, with wellness activities and birdwatching drawing in many who aren’t trying to do anything with #thatwasepic in the social media description.
In an interesting side note, only the North Americans had “Safaris/wildlife viewing” in their top five, which I guess is why you see so many of them in Costa Rica, the Galapagos, and Africa.
South America in the Top 3 Worldwide
When it comes to destinations, Asia has been very hot the past few years, especially with Japan getting less pricey because of a currency decline. Scandinavia has been in the #2 spot for adventure travelers, despite the high price tag.
Fortunately for us, South America snagged the #3 destination region spot in this last industry survey. Most of the countries there are seeing steady growth. Central America was much further down, but at least they’re growing. Contrast that with the only two countries that actually lost tourists last year: Russia and the USA.
Cultural tourism requests have been up a lot with all the tour operators, with travelers wanting to get deeper into the culture instead of being walled-off in a resort and just going out to see the sites. That has helped countries with a rich base to draw from, like Peru, Guatemala, and Mexico.
The adventure travel slice of the market is also a highly educated segment of travelers, which we have found in our visitor demographics at Luxury Latin America. A staggering 82.3% have a college degree, about half those an advanced degree.
Experiences and Encounters as Important As Activities
Another big change since when we launched Luxury Latin America back in 2008 is that even the wealthiest travelers have started looking for the kind of local interactions that backpackers have always had. Instead of focusing on bath butlers and spa services, today’s luxury travelers are more focused on uniqueness and local encounters as much as the sites and physical activities.
While hiking, biking, and going on wildlife viewing tours still place high on the list of intended activities, other more surprising ones have bubbled to the top. “Getting to know the locals,” “cultural activities,” “attending local festivals/fairs,” and “learning a new language” rated as high or higher than many physical activities.
For more information on trends, news, and what is happening in the adventure tourism world, see the Adventure Travel Trade Association news website.
