Clients seek alternative touring and adventure destinations

Touring and adventure operators are adapting their product portfolios to accommodate shifting destination trends, with the US seeing a decline while others are surging in popularity.

 

A panel of tour operator bosses at the Association of Touring and Adventure Suppliers (Atas) conference outlined how they are adapting to changing tastes, prompted by factors such as geopolitical challenges and the climate crisis.

 

Their sales reflect the wider picture reported by Atas, which said all regions except North/South America and Australasia are growing. The US is down by 31% while South Africa is down 30% year on year in the first six months of 2025 – but other destinations are seeing strong growth, according to Atas figures.

 

Stu Milan, North America president at Riviera Travel, said countries such as China and Canada were seeing growth, while the operator’s US programme has contracted.

 

“Our US programme has shrunk, people are seeking alternatives,” he told delegates at the conference in Newport, south Wales.

 

The operator has also introduced more regional flying and is seeing strong growth in its luxury Signature Tours range and solo travel programme.

 

Joanna Reeve, UK and Ireland general manager at Intrepid Travel, pointed to geopolitical factors and the climate for the shifting tastes, noting how coolcations to northern Europe are growing in popularity.

 

Core destinations include Morocco, Vietnam, Peru and Sri Lanka, while Borneo and Costa Rica are also growing.

 

Adrian James, commercial director at dnata travel group in the UK – parent of Incredible Journeys – said Sri Lanka has overtaken Vietnam as its best-seller, with other destinations also doing well, such as Australia, New Zealand, India, Peru and Kenya.

 

“The product portfolio is growing, overall we’re really pleased with the sector and see touring as a rising tide,” he said.

 

Connie Georgiou, UK, Ireland, Middle East & Africa sales director at Silversea Cruises, said the expedition cruise sector is expanding, with a younger audience aged 45-60 becoming more prevalent.

 

Antarctica is still the most in demand, followed by Iceland and warm-water regions such as the Kimberley in Western Australia and French Polynesia.

 

“We have great repeat business; once they have done it once, they have somewhere else on their bucket list,” she said.

 

The suppliers are also keen to woo agents, reflecting the trends seen in the Atas research showing how sales from agencies are outpacing direct bookings.

 

Milan said the new Riviera Explorer training platform now has 3,000 agents, while Incredible Journeys is about to take on its third cohort of agents for its Master the Market Programme.

 

Georgiou pointed to Silversea’s Mission Expedition training prgoramme which helps agents to find the right clients for expedition cruises.

 

Reeve said it was important for Intrepid to encourage growth in direct as well as trade channels, to give consumers choice.

 

“The more Intrepid is known, it drives more people to the trade,” she commented.

 

The four were speaking on a panel moderated by Lucy Huxley, Travel Weekly editor-in-chief.