Adventure travel expands in Asia

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February 24, 2016 by Don Ross Filed under Blogs, Don Ross

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CHIANG RAI, 24 February 2016: Adventure travel is a key component for Southeast Asian nations if they are to spread the benefits of tourism to secondary destinations.

That was the core message for 278 adventure travel experts from 34 countries attending the Pacific Asia Travel Association Adventure and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart at Chiang Rai's Dusit Island Resort, late last week.

The two-day event attracted 44 sellers from 28 travel related companies, 10 destinations, 32 specialised buyers from 20 countries and 11 travel bloggers. The total turnout reached 278 compared to just 200 delegates, last year, when the event was held in Bhutan.

inside no 7 If there were any doubts about the future of adventure travel, they were quickly dispelled by a line up of more than 20 speakers from 10 countries.

They talked about the net worth of adventure travel estimated at around USD263 billion for just the Americas and Europe.

There are no reliable figures for the value of adventure travel in Asia, but it is expanding fast.

According to the most recent global studies four out of 10 travellers will engage in some form of adventure travel, while 70% of tours have an adventure related activity. But the definition of adventure travel is broad embracing risk-free cooking classes in Thailand to the extremes of mountain climbing in Nepal.

Natasha Martin, an adventure and sustainable tourism consultant, based in Myanmar, delivered the keynote speak on behalf of Shannon Stowell who reported in sick. He heads a US headquartered association that represents 1,000 travel experts who have a worldwide focus on adventure travel.

Martin defined the parameters of this fast growing niche market claiming it was not just about hard-core adventure, but a host of activities that may have cultural or learning aspects.

"There could be physical activity with some risk and also cultural exchange," she said.

"Around 48 million Americans enjoyed an element of bird watching in their tours," she pointed out. "All types of cycling across Europe generate Euro 44 billion in revenue annually."

inside no 7.1 "Rock and mountain climbing, white water rafting, kayaking, some of the first adventure travel experiences, are popular activities sold by travel firms. They push people beyond their comfortable zone."

At the core of adventure travel is the search for authenticity connecting with another culture,or enjoying a one-of-a-kind experience. It is not always about risking life or limb.

So no prizes for guessing that adventure travel extends to cooking classes in Thailand, or yoga and Buddhist meditation.

Adventure travel deliver a high spend of around USD472 with a high focus on food spend. In fact, the adventure of food is top of the agenda for visits to Italy, France, Spain and Thailand.

According to Martin, 65% of the adventure travel price tag stays in the destination without much leakage and more revenue trickles down to local communities, than other travel segments.

An annual Adventure Travel Pulse survey of 1,700 travellers identified three categories of adventure travellers, according to Martin.

The Grazer was identified as a traveller who snacks on many activities. They nibble at risky enterprises. They are beginners interested in activities have a low to no risk factor. They need a guide to see them through the experience.

The Adventurer and there are more women in this category are keen to hone their skills and abilities and accept moderate risk when pursuing new travel experiences .

Finally the enthusiast is highly skilled and seeks the same activities that they follow at home. They are looking for a different venue to test their skills in a sport activity that is their passion. They accept high risks and are likely to supply lots of free PR for a destination on social media.

Despite the risks that are often associated with adventure travel, safety and security score high points in surveys.

Thailand achieved a remarkably high score for its heritage and culture, almost on par to Switzerland, a destination that routinely tops the adventure travel chart. But Thailand's high scores in culture fade in the safety and health categories reducing its overall score, Martin reported.

A panelist in a discussion session, during the one-day conference programme, summed up what makes adventure travel really tick.

"You go to a place like Chiang Rai and ask not, 'what can I see', but 'what can I do."

There lies the hitch for most destinations. Listing what you can do in a destination rather than what you can see is not always so easy to accomplish. Try jotting down 10 meaningful experiences that can be enjoyed in Bangkok that exclude taking selfies, shopping, dining on Thai junk food and night life? They are there, but not always in our face asking us to book.

For example food tours culminating in cooking classes, photography treks, Buddhist meditation retreats, off-road mountain bike tours are just a few of the activities, but where are they and how do you source and buy them? It may take a considerable effort to identify the options in each destination and even more to find a channel to book them. Sightseeing through a bus window is much easier.

Chiang Rai's whistle-stop tour of seven temples, a hill tribe village, a palace, museum and an elephant camp are sold as a day-tour from Chiang Mai 180 km down Highway 118. You do Chiang Rai in a dawn to dusk bus trip seen through a window. It's the worst example of what you can see without a trace of what you can do.

The travel mart sought to right that wrong by showing travel planners that the "must-do lists" are the future of travel. Travellers want to be part of the story. That's the adventure of travel.