1.

ADVENTURE-SEEKERS: These travelers enjoy more

challenging and active itineraries and destinations. Their
travel preferences can include real physical challenges
such as mountain-biking, bungee jumping,
zip-lining, white-water river rafting, scuba diving, mountain
climbing, surfing and skydiving among other sports. They
will choose desti- nations that are more isolated or remote.
This type of travel is sometimes referred to as hard
adventure travel.
But the most common adventure-seeker looks for a trip
with soft adventure. Soft adventure involves staying at
hotels rather than camping in remote locations. Meals
are eaten in local, authentic and less-known
restaurants as opposed to dining around the campfire.
Campfire meals, sleeping in tents and walking for long
distances at higher elevations would be considered
hard adventure.
The Adventure Travel Trade Association published data
about adven- ture travel trends in 2007. A consulting
company surveyed adventure tour operators and cited the
following adventure traveler preferences:
Percentage of surveyed travelers
81%
68%
55%
54%
53%

Adventure travel preference

Hiking or walking
Cultural activities
Trekking
Wildlife/nature
National parks

Table 1.1Top adventure travel activities

Destination
Rwanda
Zambia
Bhutan
China
Antarctica
Australia
Croatia and Montenegro
Central Europe
Brazil
Alaska
Mexico
Montana, USA

Example of adventure activities available

Tracking and observing mountain gorillas
Kafue national Park safaris
Valley trekking
Biking tours of a rural country side
Observing penguin colonies
Exploring undeveloped coastlines
Mountain climbing and hiking
Cross-county biking tours
Sailing the coastline in colonial vessels
Sailing the Inside Passage
Tracking gray whales in migration
Mountain climbing in Glacier National Park