The State of the Adventure Travel Industry
The Adventure Travel Trade Association, which advocates and supports adventure travel initiatives across the globe, published its year-end regional reports on the state of the adventure travel industry this year, revealing new trends, like how Europe is the most popular region for cycling adventures or how Latin America is the most popular region for wildlife and nature photography.
Looking at data from the full year of 2023, ATTA’s reports show how different regions differentiate themselves for their adventure offerings and the trends we see continuing to grow this year and beyond.
North America’s Adventure Travel Industry Continues Going Strong
Wild bison grazing at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/donyanedomam)
North America’s adventure tourism industry saw great growth from 2022 to 2023, with a post-pandemic boom during that year. Despite this growth, North America also had the smallest guest-to-guide ratio in the world for tour operators, with one guide for every five guests.
The top adventure activities in North America are safaris and wildlife viewing, hiking, trekking and walking tours, cultural and culinary adventures and cycling tours.
The United States is also the top destination for 19 percent of travelers, which means it’s the top overall host market for adventure travel, both domestically and internationally.
“Clearly, the North American traveler is resilient and a driver of global adventure travel. With boomers still in their prime retirement age, I wouldn’t expect this to end anytime soon, although in my opinion destinations would be wise to pay attention to the potential of Asian travelers as future source markets,” noted Russell Walters, Regional Director of North America at the ATTA.
The one problem facing the future of North American tour operators is that they lag far behind in sustainability certifications: while 64 percent of global tour operators prioritize sustainability, only 25 of North American tour operators hold or are pursuing a certification.
Latin America Repositions as Leader in Adventure Travel
Capuchin White-Faced Monkey at Manuel Antonio National Park (Photo via Noreen Kompanik)
Latin America, the region home to Central America, South America and the Caribbean, is far from just a resort destination: instead, it’s been transforming itself as a sustainable adventure travel leader.
The average number of guests per tour operator in the region grew 34 percent from 2019 to 2023, with Chile being the second most popular adventure travel destination in the world.
While wildlife and nature photography is globally the sixth most popular adventure travel activity, it reigns in Latin America as the second most popular, largely due to the region’s natural biodiversity and endemic species.
The region also prioritizes sustainability more than any other region in the world, with 67 percent of operators in the region reporting having or working towards sustainability certifications.
“In the past few years, we have seen a higher interest of adventure travelers looking to complement their outdoor activities with cultural and gastronomic experiences. This appears as a big opportunity for destinations in Latin America that have an expansive range of local experiences with connection with the local indigenous communities,” said Nicolás Caram, Regional Director Latin America and Caribbean at the ATTA.
Europe Leads in Cycling, Older Adventurers
Cycling alongside the river with AmaWaterways (Photo Credit: AmaWaterways)
Europe has seen no problem growing and recovering its adventure travel offerings post-pandemic. Cycling of all kinds remains the most popular adventure travel activity in Europe, and it’s no wonder why: cycling provides an easy and attractive way for travelers to view the charming towns and cities the region has to offer, and current infrastructure supports cyclists above other regions.
The region also attracts an older demographic of adventure travelers: while the global average of adventure travelers is 48 percent over the age of 51, 56 percent of adventure travelers to Europe are over 51. Culinary experiences, including food and wine tours, are also becoming increasingly popular in Europe.
The top destinations include Italy, France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, for both North American tourists and intra-European tourists.
Sixty percent of tour operators in Europe have or are in the process of pursuing a sustainability certification.
Europe faces challenges in the future with an aging demographic: attracting families and younger travelers will be the keys to growth in the future.
“Destinations are increasingly promoting new products and regions as they expand their adventure-focused offerings. This strategy not only helps extend their tourist season but also attracts a broader range of travelers,” said David Symes, ATTA Regional Director of Europe. “I’m sure the Balkans and Nordic regions are likely to see continued growth in demand for adventure-based travel, along with the mountainous areas of Central Europe.”
Asia Pacific Leads in Climbing and Camping Activities
Yungang Buddhist Grottoes in China. (Photo Credit: mogamju / Adobe Stock)
The Asia Pacific region is only growing in its adventure travel offerings. Group tours have decreased from 49 percent to just 24 percent from 2019, but the large majority of tours include FITs, composed of families (26 percent) and couples (30 percent).
India is the fifth largest adventure travel source market in the world. Japan continues to be popular, but China and southeast Asia continue to grow more popular each year. South Asia and Oceania both decreased in popularity in 2023, likely due to higher airfares and changing travel desires.
The top adventure travel activities in the region were hiking, trekking and walking and cultural activities. While gastronomy is huge in the region, it became less popular than expected.
Yet the region is popular for a unique adventure experience: climbing and camping. Home to several large mountain ranges and plenty of places to pitch a tent, Asia Pacific led the globe in this category.
Fifty-seven percent of operators in the region reported pursuing sustainability certifications, so while there’s room for improvement, they are ahead of the global curve.
“Looking into 2025, I think we can expect to see hiking and cultural activities stay in the top five most popular adventure activities for APAC,” said Hannah Pearson, Regional Director APAC at ATTA. “I also expect to see Oceania trending as a destination once more, driven by a greater focus on adventure travel in general from the region. However, it will be interesting to watch if camping and climbing maintain their popularity, or if they are a flash in the pan for the region, being new entrants in 2024.”
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