Adventure travel is one of the fastest growing sectors of the travel industry. Increasingly, customers are no longer content to just relax on the beach; they want to explore.
An increase in the popularity of travelogues and programmes such as The Long Way Down and Equator have opened people’s eyes to the world. Even in the current economic client, adventure is still doing well as people look for more included activities and greater added value. On the high street, we have seen our bookings increase by more than 40% in the past 18 months.
Know how aventure holidays work
The most common type of trip operates with a small group – usually a maximum of 16 – and a fixed itinerary. About 50% will usually be solo travellers, and the rest will be friends or couples.
Accommodation during the course of the trip will always be included in the price, as will the services of a group leader or guide throughout the holiday.
Activities listed in the itinerary will be usually be included in the price and often there will be some meals covered as well (there may be some optional activities available at an additional cost).
Stress early booking
The trick with booking an adventure holiday is to get clients to book as early as possible, securing flights and, most importantly, their place on the tour. Spaces are limited on every trip and, unfortunately, when they are gone, they are gone.
For some specialist trips (such as walking the Inca Trail in Peru) it’s vital that clients book at least six months in advance of the departure date for the best chance of securing Inca Trail permits.
It’s also worth being aware that every trip has to achieve minimum numbers to run (usually around six passengers), the sooner minimum numbers are reached, the sooner the trip will be guaranteed to go.
Match trips with clients
Adventure trips don’t have to be strenuous, but they can be pretty busy. Some might struggle with early starts, but wake up quickly when they experience, for example, the wonder and quiet of Karnak Temple early in the morning.
Adventure is often seen as the preserve of the youngster – this couldn’t be further from the truth. The average age on an Adventure Company trip is 48, and the oldest person I have personally travelled with on one of our trips was 73.
Check they’re fit for action
Although some trips require a certain level of physical fitness, such as treks up Kilimanjaro, and aren’t suitable for everyone, a majority of adventure trips out there are about discovering different cultures and visiting country highlights.
Companies offering these sorts of holidays should have their own individual grading systems to help clients know if the trip they are looking at is right for them.
Sell it to families too
Family adventures are now well established. For active families who want to spend time together, this style of holiday is perfect. Another big selling point is that there will be other families on the same trip, so the kids will have someone to play with.
Stay up to date
Click on the ‘Special interest’ tab on the Gazetteers website to search adventure holidays by country. Gazetteers also offers holiday reviews by travel agents.
The AITO website lists operators that offer activity holidays. You can search by operator, activity or destination.
Vicky Gallear is agency sales manager at The Adventure Company. Her role encompasses agent support, from finding new agents to sell its products, to training existing ones on new trips and concepts, to the day-to-day running of individual commercial accounts, answering any questions and dealing with queries that agents may have.
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