The New State of Adventure Travel

Recent survey results shed new light on the demographics of adventure tourism.

According to a recent survey by Travel Leaders Group, when Americans, especially those 29 and older, hit the road for vacation, low-key rest and relaxation might not be what they are looking for; what they are seeking might be a bit more action-packed and experiential.

The survey found that 86 percent of the participants, composed of leisure-selling travel agents, reported growth in adventure-tourism sales over the past three years. The survey also found no major disparity in which age bracket is looking for adventure-based travel: The 29-to-40 age range and the 41-to-50 age range differed by only one percentage point, and 22 percent of adventure travelers fell into the 51-to-60 age range.

When it comes to the cost of a more experiential vacation, 30 percent of survey participants reported adventure travelers are spending between $2,000 and $3,000 a person on average. And during these trips, vacationers book experiences in the following categories most: cultural tours, hiking/walking/trekking, culinary and foodie tours, and scuba diving/snorkeling—all categories in which timeshare resorts are heavily invested. Other interesting facts from the survey:

• Adventure travelers are fairly evenly divided between men and women: 50.5 percent are male, and 49.5 percent are female. However, the majority of the decision-making with respect to purchasing adventure travel—64 percent—is done by women.
• Sixty-five percent of respondents are taking adventure travel trips of 7 to 10 days in length, and another 21 percent are booking journeys of 11 days or longer.
• The survey results showed a mix of novice versus experienced adventure travelers.

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