Adventure Travel: Taking a Vacation from Your Vacation

Ah, is there anything better than lying on a beach, daiquiri in one hand, the latest Dan Brown novel in the other, soaking up the sun and letting all your worries just slip away…

For many people, there is. Every year, more travelers are getting tired of the crowded, superficial experiences offered by major tourist destinations. For the vast number of white-collar workers living out each day hunched over a computer, the concept of spending two weeks of vacation time going from generic hotel room to busy poolside to cheesy restaurant is far from idyllic.

Modern travelers want memorable experiences, a jolt out of the monotony of the rat race, a little bang for their buck. To put it simply, we want to go on an adventure. That’s where the 220 billion-dollar industry of adventure tourism comes in to play. Companies like GAP Adventures and Trek Holidays offer tourists unique travel experiences wherein grizzled tour guides take small groups on anything from urban adventure tours of the London underground to treks along the Amazon River.

Adventure tourism bears the promise of giving travelers “real-life” experiences. These experiences run the gamut in terms of challenges for the intrepid urban adventurer, usually men and women between 35-55 with some disposable income and a lingering sour taste in their mouths from the cheap booze they put in the margaritas at that supposedly five-star resort in Cancun.

The most popular choice when it comes to adventure travel is the guided tour package. This usually involves something to the effect of “Discovering Thailand.” You and a small group stay in several hotels, perhaps even spend a few nights with local families, follow a sight-seeing itinerary, and maybe go on the occasional day-hike. These can be great adventure holidays for families and anyone who wants some excitement, but not too much excitement, out of a vacation. Trips of this ilk are as a rule extremely safety-oriented and are more geared towards offering adventurers an authentic cultural experience, than unlimited potential for challenge and danger.

The next level up from this is more along the lines of adventure travel as it was originally conceived in the 1970s. Companies offer guided adventure experiences involving long-distance trekking, bicycle trips, white-water rafting, and any number of other extremely physical journey-style vacations that include a combination of hiking, canoeing, and climbing. This type of travel is very popular amongst businesses who are trying to put a new spin on the annual company retreat. An adventure experience can tightly bond the small group that goes through it together, and leave people with exciting memories and a newfound zest for life that today’s corporate personnel managers find invaluable.

Another adventure travel favorite involves forms of ecotourism. For all those who don’t just want to see the world, but want to play a part in global dramas, many aid organizations offer the opportunity to spend a few weeks clearing a road through a South American jungle, helping out at a refugee camp in Africa, or participating in continued tsunami relief efforts throughout Indonesia.

This may be sounding like a far cry from anybody’s idea of a good time, but that all depends on your definition. There is no denying that comfort, relaxation, and rampant consumptive behavior is fun, but there is also much to be said for building strong relationships, making a difference in the world, scaring the crap out of yourself, discovering that you’re stronger than you think, and coming back to the office from vacation with a sense of pride and accomplishment instead of salmonella and a sunburn.

<-relieves psychological pressure

-ecotourism on aspect of this: cultural immersion, really feeling like you DID something amazing.

-book trips with adventure travel companies, over 220 billion industry in US

-sick of tourism, sick of insulated privilege

-mostly men, 45-55

Adventure travel used to mean high adventure back when the company was founded in the seventies, it was time when the ‘hippie-trail’ was hot and buses used to travel across Asia from London to Kathmandu with itineraries that were largely invented along the way. Today it is about the small group experience and about experiencing a destination rather than simply seeing it. It is about participation and understanding of cultures, history and customs and being able to take that experience away as enrichment to your daily life.

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