Of the many types of tourism, the one that is most popular among vacationers is adventure tourism. Because it includes some planned activates that everyone, from children to adults, likes. Obviously, if you are going on a tour for fun and it doesn’t include adventure activities, what fun would it be? Just think!
Well, tourism activities continue to happen during trips and tours. But do you know the most popular adventure tourism activities among vacationers? Even if you don’t know, it doesn’t matter; this text will not hold back in giving you an adventure.
Do you know that 70% tourists under age 40 prefer adventure tourism? Most of them are Millennials (Generation Y) who are between 25 to 40 years, now. Among them, solo adventure travelers play a role in the market between 18-20%. Female participation has increased by 35% since 2020. If we talk about the USA specifically, adventure tourism contributes 20% to the total industry revenue. Surprisingly, 60% Americans prefer domestic adventure travel over international.
The most popular adventure tourism activities among vacationers or travelers include hiking & nature walks, wildlife safaris, water adventures, skiing & snowboarding, sports lite, camping, glamping, etc. Let’s look at them more closely!
Camping for Vacationers is always in Style.
Camping is the core of adventure tours and will always remain. Spending some time in nature is its name. This means leaving your home and living in a natural environment in the open air for a few days and doing activities. You, too, will surely want to sleep under the open sky and adopt a simple lifestyle.
The free and relaxed feelings that come with camping are something else entirely. Well, many of us think that we go camping to relax, but it’s a fact that we are automatically connecting ourselves to nature. Is that so?
If you are camping like family vacationers, this is an opportunity to spend quality time with each other. You can make it even more enjoyable if you follow some unique ways, like giving the children small stones and painting simple symbols on them (moon, tree, fire, and tent). At night, have them place these stones near the bonfire and start making up stories.
This will be a unique bonding activity. Alternatively, hide glow sticks on the ground at night and let the kids find them. It’s safe and a fun adventure for them.
Hiking & Trekking are a Love for Adventure Tourists
An adventure tour is incomplete without hiking and trekking. These are the popular adventure tourism activities that require stamina from vacationers. Some travelers consider both to be the same. While hiking means walking on short or long trails, mostly in nature, mountains, forests or national parks.
Trekking is a more intense and longer journey than hiking, involving continuous walking for days or weeks (from 2 days to 1-2 weeks). The purpose of hiking and trekking is for people to immerse themselves in nature. Many people do it for good health, to relieve stress, and also for adventure & thrill. That’s why they love it.
If you are going hiking or trekking as a couple for the first time, you should select an easy-to-moderate trail. For couples, going out early in the morning or watching the sunset in the evening provides a romantic and peaceful experience for hiking.
Note: Let us tell you that adventure tourism is also further divided into two types, namely soft adventure and hard adventure. Soft type includes hiking, camping, cycling, etc. At the same time, hard activities consist of mountaineering, skydiving, deep-sea diving, etc. The risk is higher in the first one, while the risk is lower in the second one. 80% of vacationers or travelers choose soft adventure because it’s more than meeting their expectations.
Cycling & Mountain Biking are also Pure Joy on Two Wheels
If we talk about cycling, then it is a very eco-friendly and health-friendly activity, and most people prefer it on flat roads or city streets. Very few travelers use it in popular adventure tourism activities, but still, it is an activity that uses 1 billion bicycles every day worldwide. It falls in the soft category.
Mountain biking is also a pure joy among vacationers on two wheels. It comes broadly in cycling adventures that we know the name. Mostly found on mountain trails, forests, dirt tracks, and rocky paths. Let me tell you the unique tips for your mountain biking adventure!
- Learn to read the trail. The biker has to understand the body language of the path.
- When starting a slope or downhill, adjust the saddle slightly down. This will lower your center of gravity.
- New adventurers always look below the tyres, which is wrong. Always look 2-3 meters ahead.
- Use both breaks smartly – rule: 70% front brake and 30% rear brake for safe stopping.
- Get a Camelbak-style hydration pack for hands-free hydration. Stopping to get a bottle while mountain biking can be dangerous.
- Finally, body position = key, downhill: hips back and chest low, uphill: learn forward and elbows in.
Tip: If you are very fond of exploring the mountains and cannot do mountain biking for some reason, then you can go for mountaineering (climbing mountains, either small or tallest). This activity will make you enjoy the adventure tour the most.
Scuba Diving is a Step into a Different World
Well, scuba diving is a very well-known among popular adventure tourism activities. You may know that this is not a land adventure. Scuba diving is an underwater adventure activity in which a person uses specially designed equipment (oxygen tank, mask, fins, and regulator) and explores while breathing beneath the sea. Let us explain to you the meaning of the word scuba.
SCUBA = Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
In scuba diving exploration, you can see coral reefs, fish, shipwrecks, and sea creatures under the sea. This is not only a sport, but also a nature exploration activity. Depths range from 5 meters to 40 meters (beginners don’t go too deep).
The popular spot for scuba diving is Hawaii in the USA. Australia, the Maldives, the Red Sea, Thailand, and Indonesia are also not far behind. If we talk specifically about the USA, then you can explore this activity in Florida, Kona Coast, Molokini Crater, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay, Lake Tahoe, and Alaska.
If you are a solo traveler, no doubt it means traveling alone, but scuba diving should never be done alone. Local dive centers assign buddies so connect with them. It’s very important to get an open water certification or similar. So, you can book your dives from PADI/SSI certified shops. It teaches you safety rules, underwater communication, and emergency handling.
Flying Adventure Activities: Paragliding & Skydiving
Paragliding is truly a thrilling experience. I got this experience from there when I did my first paragliding in the Cold Desert of Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, which took me to the cold and snow-capped mountains with my colleagues. It’s an aerial adventure tour activity in which a person flies from a hill or mountain with a paraglider (special parachute-like wings) and glides in the air.
The thrill factor for paragliding is usually moderate, and the glide can last between 5 to 30 minutes. If you want to shoot from above, then attach a GoPro or action camera to a chest harness; wide-angle shots will be captured most stunning.
Early morning or late afternoon flights are usually calm and scenic. The glide is naturally smoother, so don’t feel nervousness. The best places for this are California and Utah in the USA. Usually, kids 8+ years are considered safe for this (depending on country & operator rules).
If we consider skydiving, it’s an extreme and one of the popular adventure tourism activities in which a person jumps from a plane and experiences free fall, then opens the parachute and lands successfully. Apart from California and Florida in the USA, Dubai is also the best place for skydiving. The risk is a bit high, but it is relatively safe with professional instructors and safety gear.
In skydiving, a typical free fall is 45 to 60 seconds from 12,000 feet; the higher the jump, the more adrenaline. It’s crucial to maintain the arch position; otherwise, a spinning or unstable fall may occur. It is also important to check the wind direction at the time of landing. Don’t worry, your instructor will do all this. “Look at the horizon, not down,” reduces the anxiety for first-time jumpers.
Skydiving gives a complete adrenaline rush and extreme thrill. Skydiving is usually allowed for ages 16+ years (tandem), and younger kids are generally not permitted. Children cannot board the plane, but can watch from the observation deck.
These are some of the popular adventure tourism activities that I have mentioned above, but there are many more activities like Safaris, Wildlife Photography, Snowboarding, Ziplining, Hot Air Ballooning, etc. The ones mentioned are very common and popular. You can make your adventure tour even more enjoyable with these activities. So, happy adventures ahead, and keep exploring nature!