Adventure travel is a growing niche in the tourism industry that has seen exceptional growth over the past few years, with more and more travellers wanting to experience a destination instead of just observing it. Tourism Update chats to some industry leaders to discover the latest trends.
1. Private tours
Jayne Harley, Marketing Manager for Sunway Safaris, says clients want to travel in small groups of friends and family. “We are definitely seeing a trend in private tours where six to 12 friends and family travel together. They want a unique travel experience together and want to be able to personalise it.”
John Addison, Director of Wild Frontiers, agrees and says active family holidays and multigenerational travel are definitely up and coming in the adventure tourism sector. He warns, however, that the recently introduced immigration regulations for people travelling with children could have a very negative impact on this trend.
2. Technology – yay and nay
Despite the fact that everyone is talking about silent holidays away from technology, Harley says most clients still want access to WiFi. “It doesn’t matter how much you promote freedom away from your phone, Facebook or Twitter, clients want access to WiFi.”
Mark Brown, co-founder of Canopy Tours SA, says, on the one hand there has been an increase in customised tours that are well planned and take people off the beaten track, away from the crowds and cellphone signals. On the other hand, people increasingly want to post pictures and boast about their last adventure.
3. A wider audience
Adventure travel was previously mainly for the young and fit but the demographics have changed quite a bit over the past few years. Hendrik Human of Earth Stompers says the average age is becoming older every year. “In 2006 we started with the average age of the traveller being around 23 to 26, today our average age is 34 and we are getting more and more older clients who would rather do an adventure tour than the standard coach tour with the ‘old ladies’.”
Mark Brown, co-founder of Canopy Tours SA, agrees and says the adventure market is appealing to a wider audience each year and is no longer only for the super fit, the adrenaline junkies, the daredevils and the experienced adventurers. “We now see more and more people willing to step out of their comfort zone and do something extraordinary. It’s awesome!”
According to Brown, adventure travellers are now older and younger at each end of the scale – and often less fit than they used to be. He says everyone is encouraged to try more things, which is positive, but it also put more strain on adventure operators, who increasingly have to adapt and modify their operating procedures to ensure the safety of all clients.
4. Cutting out the tour operator?
One of the trends that UNWTO has identified in adventure travel is that more adventure travellers are cutting out the tour operator or travel agent and booking direct.
Addison says he has seen many people trying to book direct to ‘save’ money. “We’ve also rescued many travellers who have been ripped off by non-existent firms.” He says, especially for adventure travel, it is vital to book with a reliable, knowledgeable, experienced human being.
“Of course, adventurers are always keen to organise everything on their own,” says Thierry Pagnot, owner of Biwakwango. He says the trick is to offer something that would be difficult or next to impossible for travellers to organise on their own. He adds that it is also about conveying a message that a knowledgeable tour guide will bring the experience, the adventure, to a total different level.
Human offers this advice: “Make sure your website is there and easy to find and easy to use, but also make sure you deliver a great experience and that you are up there with the best. There is no place any more for bad service or bad products – social media is way too strong!”
5. Animal interactions are out
Animal interactions are out, according to Human. “Do not walk with lions, do not ride an elephant, do not pet a cheetah. Talking to agents and clients from around the world, they respect us as a company because we do not offer these questionable activities.”
He says this doesn’t mean that wildlife experiences are off the table. On the contrary – clients love to learn about the animals they are seeing or the environment in which they are travelling. “People are also more sensitive to the way we operate our businesses.”
6. Authenticity is key
Clients want to eat and drink local, organic and free range, says Human. “You will not impress a client with olive oil from Italy but they will be very impressed with the olive oil from the olive farm down the road. Same with wine, same with tour guides, same with guest houses. Local is the best and this is what clients are here for.”
Pagnot agrees and says people are looking for an experience that will give them a closer connection with nature, something ‘real’. He says a very popular option for adventure travellers is to sleep in homesteads. “Sleeping in people’s houses means the community benefit from our activity; it prevents the need to develop extra structures that would otherwise most certainly tarnish the beauty of the area; and it is one of the very few ways through which tourists can have a meaningful, genuine interaction with local people.”
Michael Edwards, Managing Director of Intrepid Travel, says travellers today are seeking deeper, more authentic experiences built in to the products they buy. “They want to be immersed in the destination and come away with more understanding of it. It’s not enough to offer a cookie-cutter experience. We try to allow for flexibility and self-discovery.”
Helen Nodland, Virtuoso Director of Professional Development & Innovation Teams, says the authentic cultural experience is what drives a lot of adventure travellers. The reason they choose a destination or a particular company is increasingly based on authenticity. They want to grow and experience rather than observe and sightsee. They want to be intellectually active.
7. Undiscovered destinations
Edwards says most well-travelled customers are keener than ever to find that undiscovered new destination – somewhere their friends haven’t been yet! “To cater for that, we have launched a range of expedition trips giving travellers the chance to explore remote and unusual destinations.”
Addison has also seen this trend. He says people want unique adventures in places that are hard to reach and says brag value is a big part of this. “The guy or girl who can have a picture of himself eating a snake in the middle of the Central African Republic with a band of pygmies has actually done something unique.”
8. Independent Travel
An increasing number of travellers are showing an interest in independent travel, according to Heinie Bosman, owner Rock the Route. “They are looking for a more private and authentic experience and leaning towards cheaper travel and a more memorable experience.”
Tim Bouwers, owner of Bobo Campers, agrees and says travelling by motorhome across Southern Africa has become a popular option. “Many adventure destinations are rural and have few or more basic amenities like restaurants and toilet facilities. The motorhome provides all these while you wait for your parachute jump or bridge swing!”
