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Research Points to Adventure Travel Industry Growth Over Next Five Years
Adventure Travel Trade Association & Michigan State University’s 2005 Research Links Increased Travel Plans with Broadened Definition of Adventure Travel
Findings from two studies reveal a very optimistic future for growth in the adventure travel industry over the next five years. In a time when countries across the globe are facing a need for increased security and airlines are scrambling to avoid financial fallout, these findings bode well for all players with a stake in the adventure travel realm.
According to the research, approximately 92 percent of adventure travelers (see sample demographics below) surveyed report that over the next five years they plan to embark on the same number, or more, adventure vacations as they had taken in previous years (reporting at 45 and 47 percent, respectively). Considering that 56 percent of travelers surveyed take two to three vacations per year, the growth of the adventure travel industry looks healthy.
Adventure Travel Segment Industry Forecast – Consumer Statistics Highlights
- A majority of respondents (68.6%) indicated they are planning an
adventure travel vacation in the future.
- In the next five years, participants indicated they see taking
themselves taking the ‘same’ number, or ‘more’ adventure travel
vacations (91.6%), with a relatively low number (8.4%) indicating
they see themselves taking adventure travel vacations ‘less often’.
These results suggest the outlook for adventure travel in the next
five years to be positive.
- The average number of vacations respondents took per year was
between 1 and 3 (66.6%), of which, 94.0% were adventure vacations.
Worth noting, over a quarter of respondents (27.5%) indicated taking
between four and six vacations per year, although just 4.2% of those were
adventure vacations.
- Those activities considered ‘soft adventure activities', such as
walking, hiking, and bicycling, were most popular among respondents
(75%).
- Activities that those planning to take an adventure travel vacation are most interested in are hiking (35%), water-related activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, and surfing (17%), kayaking/rafting (11%), climbing/mountaineering (11%), cultural activities (8%), and biking (5.3%). (percentages do not equal 100 due limited presentation of data for this story).
The ATTA-sponsored research was conducted by Michigan State University in the first half of 2005 and studied trends in the adventure travel industry among both consumers and the trade. With academic methodology, MSU randomly collected survey information from a representative sample of exhibitors (visit the Executive Summary at http://www.adventuretravel.biz/research_msu_atn_0605.asp) and consumers at adventure travel trade shows within the U.S.
Another noteworthy finding of the studies shows a shift in the consumer's definition of adventure travel itself, partly because their perceptions about what is encompassed within adventure travel have broadened.
The findings appear to corroborate the researcher’s preliminary hypothesis.
“Revising the definition of adventure travel and broadening its scope could prove to open up a wider client market and provide more insight to more effective marketing strategies,” claims doctoral student Paige Schneider, author of the ATTA/MSU supplier and consumer studies. “The purpose of investigating how adventure travel is defined is to better understand the state of adventure travel within the tourism segment. A consistent definition of adventure travel has important implications for future research, marketing and adventure travel development.”
When the last adventure travel-related study was conducted in 1997 (Sung, H., et. Al), the perceived definition of adventure travel included qualifiers that related only to activities, experience and environment. Today’s globally-driven adventure traveler’s mindset, which now includes increased interest in culture and ecotourism, casts a wider net of potential travel experiences, from learning about Mayan civilizations or visiting a village in Nepal to volunteer nature or ecology excursions.
Table 8: Benefit Domains of Adventure Travel
“Consumers’ ideas about adventure travel are broadening, and we as an industry need to respond with a broader notion of adventure travel in order to speak to these needs," said ATTA President Shannon Stowell. "From these studies, we’ve gained the necessary insights to rework the definition of adventure travel in order to encompass all sectors of the industry that consumers seek when planning a trip."
That the definition of adventure travel itself has expanded is evidence of a drastically changed mindset of consumers who seek adventure travel experiences. As consumers shift the definition of adventure travel to a broader norm, a wider pool of travel-inspired companies join the mix of industry players. In fact, the recent ATTA/MSU research shows today’s most sought-after characteristics of an adventure travel vacation are “location” and “activities” (50 and 44 percent, respectively). At the bottom of the list are characteristics that previously may have been some of the most common adventure travel descriptors: “uncertainty” (four percent), “escapism” and “exercise” (both at only three percent).
The studies also show that a traveler’s motivation for taking an adventure-based vacation has changed. It is clear that today’s traveler seeks enriching experiences through travel and, according to the study, characteristics of adventure travel use much less "physical" descriptors than previously heard in the industry. Although still rooted in action-based, “risk equipped” activities like hiking, biking and kayaking, today’s umbrella of adventure travel also encompasses “soft nature” activities like bird watching and walking. The idea of discovery, and vacations that incorporate education (sometimes called “ed-venture”), cultural learning, volunteerism or, of course, fun, have become more important qualifiers when planning a trip.
These studies will continue to help shape industry dialogue and are likely to factor into the ATTA’s soon-to-be-announced Adventure Travel World Summit. The culmination of this initial ATTA research is to define which supplemental studies will most accurately estimate of the global adventure travel industry in terms of financial impact, which adventure travel-related businesses are affected, and the size of the consumer market.
“One of our primary goals for the ATTA is to sponsor research that helps identify growth potential for the entire adventure travel industry,” said Stowell. “The findings of this research are only the beginning and serves as a springboard for discussions that will help shape future research projects, and help us as an industry better serve travelers.”
About the ATTA/MSU Consumer Survey
The overall goal was to search for a comprehensive definition of
adventure travel to find a conceptual framework for empirical
application from the providers' perspective. Additionally, this study
was designed to capture changes taking place in adventure travel and to
secure snapshot of the business outlook and industry trend indicators.
Beyond yes/no answers and rating system responses, supplier respondents
offered extensive anecdotal narrative input to help put context to
responses.
The consumer sample consisted of more than 1000 visitors to adventure travel trade shows held in three major cities. Individuals attending one of five adventure travel tradeshows located in Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C provided information from the Consumer Survey. In Chicago and New York, data were collected on two different occasions at two separate trade shows. This analysis is based on the 1,037 useable Consumer Surveys collected. The Consumer Survey instrument consisted of 27 questions developed from previous adventure travel research (Sung et al., 1997) with additional scales added to measure changes in the adventure travel industry. The survey instruments were reviewed by the ATTA and comments and changes were incorporated.
Broadening the Definition of Adventure Travel
The finding that culture, environment and natural settings are
included in many of the responses supports the important role culture
and ecotourism play in a definition of adventure tourism, as one
respondent stated “An enriching experience personally and within
nature’s environment” as well as “Experiencing the unknown world and
cultures.” It is evident that both suppliers and consumers are clearly
identifying culture as being a prominent part of the adventure travel
experience. Therefore, a definition of adventure travel that includes
culture as a component will offer a broader base to market to, as well
as increase the interest level of those consumers not traditionally
defined as adventure travel consumers.
Next Steps & Funding
The original 2005 ATTA/MSU trade and consumer studies were intended
to serve only as benchmarks for more comprehensive global studies on the
adventure tourism industry. More sophisticated follow-up research and
analysis of both the supply and demand sides of the business are
currently underway, with a State of the Industry Report to be presented
at the 2006 Adventure Travel World Summit (dates/location TBA).
Additionally, funding from within and outside the industry is sought to
more quickly and comprehensively measure the influence of the industry,
and to identify global trends.
Email to offer your support and to be considered for a role within the ATTA Research Committee.
ATTA
Research Partner:
Travel, Tourism and Recreation Resource Center
Michigan State University Department of Community, Agriculture,
Recreation and Resource Studies
Paige P. Schneider, CTC, PhD Student ()
172 Natural Resources Building, East Lansing, MI 48824-1222
Tel: 1-517-353-0793