Asia Pacific is fast climbing up the ranks of adventure travel, with
Japan ranked as the third most popular destination for adventure
travellers globally and India being the fifth largest source market of
adventure travellers.
This is the first time either country has made it into the top five
markets, according to the latest insights from the 2023 Adventure Travel
Industry Snapshot report by the Adventure Travel Trade Association
(ATTA).
Demonstrating the value of adventure travel, the report shows that
the respondents’ most popular itinerary is priced at a median of
US$3,000, 76% of which is spent with local suppliers (US$2,280 on
average). These are the highest numbers the survey has seen to date,
highlighting the importance and value of community engagement and
forward-looking environmental practices in travel experiences.
The most popular adventure trip types worldwide were hiking, wildlife
viewing, and cycling. The top trending activities for Asia in
particular are cultural activities, hiking, culinary, cycling
(specifically mountain and/or non-paved surfaces), and photography
(wildlife and nature). Cultural activities scored highest for Asia,
signalling a strong preference from travellers to experience the
diversity of Asian cultures whilst visiting the region.
Going into 2023, Oceania is one of the hottest regions to show a
positive change of interest for bookings, with the India/South Asia and
Southeast Asia regions also seeing a growth in interest.
“It’s exciting to see an explosion of interest around Japan as an
adventure travel destination, particularly ahead of our Adventure Travel
World Summit, which will be held in Sapporo, Japan, from 11-14
September,” said Heather Kelly, the ATTA’s Director of Research &
Sustainability.
“It’s also a wake-up call for those outside of the region to see that
Indian travellers reach the top five in terms of source markets,
challenging the stereotype that Asian travellers aren’t adventure
travellers.”
The Adventure Travel Industry Snapshot report, now in its 17th year,
tracks the current state of the adventure travel industry, using data
from ATTA’s community of tour operators.