By Dr. Robert Christie Mill

“Trails need to be reconstructed.  Please avoid building trails that go uphill.”
-Actual comment on a comment card at a Forest Service trailhead.

According to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) one-half of U.S. adults, 98 million people, took an adventure vacation during the last five years of the twentieth century. Adventure travel can consist of either hard or soft activities. 

Hard adventure includes such things as (1):

Backpacking across rugged terrain       Whitewater rafting or kayaking

Hot air ballooning                                 Rock climbing or mountain climbing

Off-road biking or mountain biking       Hanggliding, parasailing or windsurfing

Parachuting or sky diving                      Skateboarding or snowboarding

Roller hockey, bungee jumping             Spelunking or cave exploring

Snorkeling or scuba diving                    Survival games (e.g. paint ball)

Soft adventure encompasses such things as (2):

Camping                       Biking             “Gentle” Hiking                         Bird Watching

Animal watching           Sailing              Horseback riding                      Snow skiing

Water skiing                 Canoeing         Visit to a cattle/dude ranch        Photo safari

Wilderness tours          

Of the 98 million people who take adventure vacation trips, 67 million, two thirds, take soft adventure trips exclusively, 6 million take only hard adventure trips while the remaining 25 million, one quarter, take both soft and hard adventure vacations.  One quarter of those who have not taken an adventure trip in recent years indicate that they are very or somewhat likely to do so in the next five years (3).

The most popular soft adventure activities are camping, hiking on gradually changing terrain, and biking while, for hard adventure trips, the most popular choices are whitewater rafting/kayaking, snorkeling/scuba diving, and mountain biking (35).  While men and women are equally likely to participate in adventure travel, men are more likely than women to participate in hard adventure.  Participation is also related to age.  Two thirds of Generation Xers (aged 18-34), half of all Boomers (35-54) and a quarter of those 55 or over have taken a recent adventure vacation.  While the South, because of the large population base, generates the largest number of adventure travelers, the greatest proportion of residents who take such trips are to be found in the Western states (4).  Over two thirds of adventure travelers enjoy it periodically while one in ten describe themselves as a fanatic.  Another 10 percent did not enjoy the experience. 

Hard Adventurers

The average hard adventure traveler is 35 years old with some college education who is employed full-time.  They are more likely to be men, single, belong to Generation X, and work in a professional or managerial job.  Seventy percent of soft adventurers have attended some college while two-thirds are married (5).

Both soft and hard adventure travelers take an average of three adventure trips every five years.  The former are likely to participate in several different types of activities while the latter are likely to engage in only one activity.  Compared to hard adventurers, soft adventurers are more likely to take a spouse, child or grandchild and less likely to take a friend with them on a trip.  Hard adventure travelers tend to spend more on trips than soft adventurers.

Soft Adventurers

As noted above, the most popular soft adventure activities are camping, hiking on gradually changing terrain, and biking.  Other popular pursuits are bird and animal watching, horseback riding, canoeing and water skiing.  Boomers are more likely to go hiking while mature adults are more likely to go bird and animal watching or on a photo safari.  This latter segment is less likely to go biking, canoeing, horseback riding, snow skiing and sailing.  Generation Xers are most likely to go water skiing.  Compared to men, women are more likely to go horseback riding or sailing (6).  Boomers are most likely to bring along spouse and children on a trip while Generation Xers typically travel with friends or parents/grandparents.

The popularity of various activities is linked to regional geography.  The Northeast is popular for biking, sailing and photo safaris, the South for horseback riding, and the West for skiing.  Westerners are most likely to list adventure as the primary motivator for a trip.  Participation in high cost activities such as sailing and skiing is proportional to household income.

Activities (7)

Campers.  One in four of those who camp also participate in hard adventure activities.  The most popular of these are rafting, snorkeling/scuba, and off-road biking.  Campers tend to be married with children at home and have attended some college.  Campers have the lowest percentage that have attended college and are also the lowest income group.  About one-half also hikes while a third each also bike and canoe (8).

Hiking.  About 30 percent of all hikers participate in hard adventure activities also.  The favorites are rafting, snorkeling/scuba and backpacking.  This group is the most likely segment to be married.  Three quarters of them also take camping trips while forty percent each participate in biking and birdwatching (9).

Biking.  About 40 percent of those who take a biking vacation also participate in hard adventure activities.  The favored activities are off-road biking or mountain biking, snorkeling or scuba diving, and whitewater rafting or hike kayaking.  This segment of the market is young and relatively prosperous.  Approximately one-half are Generation Xers while the same percentage are professionals or managers while one third, second only to snow skiers, are single.  Over 80 percent of bikers also camp, 70 percent also hike while almost 40 percent also canoe.

Watching Birds and Animals.  One quarter of those who watch birds or animals also take hard adventure vacations.  The top activities are whitewater rafting or kayaking, snorkeling or scuba diving and backpacking across rugged terrain.  This segment of the market has the highest proportion of all soft adventure vacationers (20 percent) aged 55 or older as well as the highest percentage (23 percent) with postgraduate college education.  They also participate in soft adventure travel.  Three quarters of them also camp; 70 percent hike while almost 40 percent also bike.

Horseback Riding.  Thirty three percent of those who horseback ride also take hard adventure vacations.  Preferred activities are rafting, snorkeling/scuba, and off-road biking.  This segment has the highest percentage of women – 57 percent.  This is a young group that tends to have children at home.  Equestrians also camp (74 percent), hike (64 percent) and bike (40 percent).

Canoeing.  Those who canoe also participate in rafting, backpacking, and off-road biking.  Almost 40 percent of those who canoe also participate in other hard adventure vacations.  They tend to be young and have attended, though not necessarily graduated from, college.  Mostly, the segment consists of households with only one wage earner.  Canoeists also camp (83 percent), hike (64 percent), and bike (48 percent).

Water Skiing.  Water skiers have a high participation rate (44 percent) in other hard adventure activities.  They tend also to snorkel/scuba, raft, and off-road bike.  They are young and affluent.  Fifty six percent are male.  They also camp (83 percent), hike (59 percent), and bike (47 percent).

Snow Skiing.  Snow skiers have the highest participation rate in other hard adventure activities.  Forty five percent undertake other activities, notably rafting, off-road biking and snorkeling/scuba.  They are young and affluent.  Fifty four percent are male while over half have completed college, the best educated group of hard adventure vacationers.  As with the previous segment, they also camp (82 percent), hike (72 percent), and bike (57 percent).

FOOTNOTES

1. Adventure Travel: Special Report (Washington, D.C., Travel Industry Association of America,   1998), p. 1.

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid, p. 4.

4. Ibid, pp. 8-9.

5. Ibid, p. 11.

6. Ibid, pp. 31, 34.

7. Ibid, p. 41.

8. Ibid, pp. 55-72.

9. Ibid, pp. 58-59.

10. Ibid, pp. 59-60.

This article is adapted from Resorts: Management and Operation (New York, N.Y., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2001 by Robert Christie Mill). 

Dr. Robert Christie Mill is Professor, School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, and Director of Undergraduate Programs for the Daniels College of Business, University of Denver.

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