LAS VEGAS — Adventure travel is on the rise, and so is the age of those who want to pump some adrenaline into their vacations. These adventurous travelers are willing to open their wallets wider for one-week or longer trips, according to a recent survey of travel agents. More than half said their clients were willing to spend $2,000 to $5,000 per person on adventure trips.
John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Network and Leisure Group, says there is growing interest in “authentic, transformational and exciting” travel experiences.
“We are seeing many consumers spending big dollars on adventure travel to far-flung destinations on longer journeys, as well as many who are combining active and adventure travel with some luxury elements, Lovell said in a press release.
Travel Leaders, one of the country’s largest travel agency companies, conducted the survey in partnership with the Adventure Travel Trade Association. The results were unveiled in June during Travel Leaders Network’s annual international conference, EDGE (Educate, Discover, Gather, Evolve), in Las Vegas.
The inaugural survey was conducted among leisure-selling travel agents, who tend to specialize in adventure travel. Although adventure travel is a small portion of their overall business mix, 86 percent of respondents said they have seen an uptick in adventure travel sales over the past three years. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said most of their adventure travel bookings were for trips of seven to 10 days, and more than 20 percent are for 11 days or longer.
Interestingly, the trend isn’t limited to—or even focused on—younger clients. More than half of their adventure travel customers were ages 41 to 60, split evenly between men and women, with women making 60 percent of the buying decisions.
Adventure travel combines two of three elements—nature, physical activity and cultural exchange, according to ATTA. The survey revealed the top 10 experiences adventure travelers seek: cultural tours; hiking and trekking; culinary and foodie vacations; scuba diving and snorkeling; small ship expedition cruises; sea kayaking and other kayak touring; biking; safaris; rafting; and multi-sport outings that might combine hiking, biking and kayaking in one trip.
