Adventure travel has been an important part of the content at TravelAge West for more than a decade. Our Explorer supplement is still the only travel trade title solely dedicated to adventure and experiential travel. We launched it, in part, because we saw that travelers’ interests were trending toward more immersive, local and active experiences while on vacation.
The latest issue’s cover story, examines the evolution of this market and, in particular, the activities that get people’s adrenaline pumping. This type of adventure travel was once the domain of the relatively few — fanatics who would go to the ends of the Earth in pursuit of their passions. These days, there are more opportunities than ever for these adventures, as well as more ability to match the client to the appropriate level of activity. You no longer have to be a daredevil to come home with bragging rights to last a lifetime.
These days, there are more opportunities than ever for these adventures, as well as more ability to match the client to the appropriate level of activity. You no longer have to be a daredevil to come home with bragging rights to last a lifetime.
As Shannon Stowell, CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, explains in the story, a key consumer motivator in this market is the desire to feel challenged by an experience. Stowell says this can come in many forms, from trying new foods to climbing a mountain.
I would add that, in addition to feeling challenged, travelers want to feel like they have accomplished something. This is one reason you see so many people taking language-immersion classes on vacation, for example, or learning to scuba dive, or even signing up for intense wellness programs. These clients want to return home with something more tangible than selfies and suntans — they are seeking a transformative experience or a life skill that will last long after the trip ends.
For these people, a mix of challenges and accomplishments is the stuff travel dreams are made of. And the advisor who plans trips that combine these principles will win clients for life.
