Dear WuBookers

thanks to the pandemic that forced us home for a long time, among the rising tourist trends we find Adventure Travel, a market niche for which an annual growth rate of + 26.7% is expected between 2020 and 2030.

The growing interest in this type of tourism is driven by the need for social distancing, by the desire to frequent small places that are not crowded, by the need for air and movement. What does travel adventure consist of? Who are the travelers who choose it? What opportunities for those who have an accommodation facility?

We’ll tell you about it in this article.

What is adventure travel, one of the growing tourism trends.

Susan Houge Mackenzie (University of Otago, New Zealand) and Jasmine Goodnow (Western Washington University, USA) have published an article entitled “Adventure in the Age of Covid- 19: Embracing Microadventures and Locavism in a Post-Pandemic World “, according to which the pandemic would have changed the concept of tourism in many people. In particular with regard to the trips in search of exotic experiences with destinations far from home. According to the two researchers, the pandemic has forced the so-called “micro-adventure” to be practiced more markedly than before, characterized by shorter distances, less economic expenditure and greater sustainability. A form of sports tourism that was already taking hold and that the changes triggered by Covid have only accelerated.

After long months of stops and slowdowns, the desire to organize trips for the new year grows, often with the aim of living authentic, unusual experiences in contact with nature. What kind of growth is this type of outdoor tourism forecast for 2022?

Adventure travel: some numbers.

As we pointed out, unlike what you might think, adventure travel does not mean trips with a high rate of risk. Those who choose this type of experience prefer the idea of ​​small adventures a within reach, which anyone can experience without a necessary and rigid athletic and technical preparation, perhaps even close to home and for a short time. National Geographic has dedicated an article on “Microadventures”.

The increase in requests for active holidays arises from the desire of the interested users to practice physical activity, immersed in nature to discover the local culture, in connection with the customs and costumes of the destination. The reference market is very large and constantly growing: 19% of Europeans choose these holidays, equal to 140 million people. It amounts to 1,626.7 billion dollars the value of the global adventure travel market. In 2020, 49% of Italians chose open-air holidays. The combination of sport and tourism is popular, but what sports are you looking for when traveling?

The sporting activities of adventure travel.

The growing sporting activities are Mtb & e-bike, trekking, adventure and climbing routes, horseback riding, skydiving & paragliding, river sports (rafting & canyoning) and water sports in general (sailing, windsurfing, surfing, Sup and kayaking).

The identikit of those who choose adventure travel.

Europe and North America represent the main source of origin for those who choose this type of tourism, thanks also to the presence of specialized tour operators.

The identikit, at European level, of those looking for this type of tourism is characterized by: good spending capacity and a good level of education.

The largest group of those who choose adventure travel is represented by the Millennials, born between the early 80s and 90s, looking for new experiences to share on social networks, the main source of information. About 59% of them have had an active or adventurous experience, and 53% want to try a new one. There is no lack of generation Z, those born in the 2000s, who choose hard adventure, showing attention to sustainability and local communities.

Adventure travel: that’s why it is an opportunity for your business.

Those who love the combination of sport and travel move mostly in the spring months (from March to mid-June) and in early autumn (September, until mid-October). Taking advantage of this niche helps seasonal adjustment of demand flows towards one’s own structure, increasing room occupancy when other market segments decline and, therefore, increasing profitability.

In general, sporty people looks for quality standards and medium-high comfort levels. They prefer to consume traditional local products, possibly organic. Who wishes to exploit this market must foresee some options within its own accommodation facility. An example? The early breakfast with energy and natural products available from 5 in the morning.

Are you already thinking about how to intercept this audience? Remember that in order not to miss any opportunity it is important that your property is equipped with a mobile friendly website, where booking it’s easy. For this reason, within Zak WuBook we have added a tool called Mini Site that will allow you, with just a few steps, to create a customized mini website for your facility. Obviously the Booking Engine will be the heart of your site, with prices and availability always updated by Zak.