Travellers returned to ticking off their bucket list once borders opened following the COVID-19 pandemic. The appetite for adventure travel was, and still is, very strong – so much so that it surprised even experienced adventurers such as Crooked Compass founder Lisa Pagotto.
“What we found initially when borders first opened was that the quite extreme destinations came back first,” she recalls.
Pagotto attributes this to an impatience to get bucket lists back on track after endless months of lockdown.
“I honestly believed that we would be selling South Korea, Japan – the safe, close-to-home destinations for quite a few months, but we didn’t,” she explains. “Our first international departure post-borders was the island of Socotra, which is off the coast of Yemen. Our second one was Saudi, and our third one was Colombia. That was very unexpected.”
Crooked Compass’ customers, as with most adventure travellers, are not first-time travellers.
“They’re very well-heeled in terms of understanding geopolitical situations, [or] the way a country functions post a civil war,” Pagotto explains. “They’re very curious-minded, they’re not swayed by what they see in the media, and so they’re constantly looking for that stimulation [of] what’s new, what’s next.”
That’s what led an aircraft-full of Pagotto’s clients back to a small Yemeni outpost in the Indian Ocean as soon as travel privileges returned. Passengers on Crooked Compass’ ‘Socotra – The Lost Island’ private tour enjoy a sunset beach dinner, visit the protected marine area of Detwah Lagoon, and stroll Diksam Plateau, home to the island’s namesake Socotra dragon tree – all in a destination which is technically listed as “do not travel” by Smartraveller.
These are just some of the new frontiers that adventure travellers are exploring, as they search for emerging destinations not afflicted by overtourism. Around the turn of the millennium, war-torn countries in Eastern Europe, such as Croatia and Slovenia, were at the forefront of this niche sector. Australians are now experienced in travelling beyond the Iron Curtain, which has seen the Balkans increase in popularity.
“Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania – that region is really starting to be the final frontier of Europe,” Pagotto says. “That’s where we’re really seeing the growth and the opportunity in the market.”
Also increasing in popularity is the Silk Road and the five ‘Stans – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
“The development that has taken place in that area is incredible, it’s a true adventurer’s bucket list experience,” Pagotto enthuses. “With Turkmenistan now being the only one of the five ‘Stans that you need a visa for, it’s never been so easy for Aussies to be able to do all five at once.”
Believe it or not, Crooked Compass takes travellers to even more left-field destinations. The company has recently been refreshing its product in northern South America to places such as Suriname and French Guiana.
“People who have done Peru, Bolivia and Chile are looking for what’s next, what’s new, [they] need something that’s culturally different,” Pagotto says. “It is beautiful, it’s nature, it’s a completely different culture to the rest of South America…These destinations have always been there, they’ve really been at the grassroots.”
Adventure is all around us
Adventure tourism isn’t just taking place in emerging destinations where few have travelled. Now, even developed countries like Japan and Northern Europe are offering new experiences for adventurous travellers.
Kerry Dickson from Sydney-based travel agency TravelUn is a specialist in Japan – one of the most popular destinations for Australians.
Japan may be most well-known for its culture and history, but Dickson believes it holds appeal as a future adventure destination.
“There’s potential for adventure tourism,” he explains.
Given Aussies’ love of Japan, we could be one of the first markets to visit some of Japan’s lesser-known adventure destinations.
“We’re passing the net to the right kind of clientele who have been to Japan once or twice before, [but] want to go back a second or third time, and have suffered from overtourism [in places like] Kyoto,” Dickson notes.
One of these key itineraries on sale with TravelUn is the 12-day ‘Setouchi Reflection Tour’, which is fully escorted and showcases the traditional arts, cultural heritage, and serene landscapes of one of Japan’s lesser-known regions. The small-group boutique tour travels with a maximum of eight guests, taking passengers to Naoshima Island, Onomichi, and the Shimanami Cycling Route.
New Zealand, which is often associated with high-octane tourism, is also trying to broaden its adventure offerings beyond the typical Australian playground of Queenstown.
Novel offerings in the island country include EcoZip Adventures in Kaikoura – on the other side of the South Island from Queenstown – which offers five giant ziplines, covering more than two kilometres in length. The three-and-a-half-hour adventure traverses the streams of the Kahutara River, and onto Rakanui Station, a working farm, where travellers hike to what has been described as “the most spectacular ziplines in the Southern Hemisphere”.
Even visitors to Christchurch, New Zealand’s second-largest city, can change their perspective of the destination at Christchurch Adventure Park’s new Bako Run. This cycleway is situated on the open side of a hill, weaving between lush pine forests, sections of burnt trees, and untouched greenery.
Meanwhile, Rotorua, typically known for its spas, is now making a name for itself for its ‘Vertigo at Velocity Valley’ attraction – more commonly known as “bungee jumping without a cord”. Travellers can experience a near-50-metre drop with nothing attached – no cord or safety line – with nothing but a net to meet you at the bottom.
While many associate Europe with its slow travel opportunities, few rarely think to experience it through an adventurous lens. But Northern Europe’s raw, untouched landscapes, diverse wildlife and rich history make it the ideal destination for tourists keen to explore its volcanic terrains and glacial fjords.
Tour operator APT and luxury cruise line Seabourn have just launched a new partnership, opening travellers up to the untouched territories and pristine landscapes of Iceland and Scotland on board Zodiac cruises.
Think sailing around the picturesque Papey Island in Iceland or the uninhabited island of Mousa in the Shetland Islands in Scotland. Or discovering the majestic Dynjandi Waterfall and scenic village of Patreksfjordur, a gateway to Iceland’s remote Westfjords.
“These destinations are gaining popularity among adventure travellers because they offer unique and exciting experiences that are increasingly rare in more commercialised locations,” says Sarah Latimore, APT Travel Group’s Head of European Product.
“Each destination provides a chance to connect with nature in its rawest form and to experience cultures and landscapes that remain largely untouched by mass tourism.”
Africa’s reinvention
Leaving the well-beaten path for the adventure sector is an ideal way to avoid the crowds in popular destinations.
Bench Africa Trade Relations Manager Andy Kirkman – who is an expert in left-of-field African destinations – knows the value of escaping the masses.
“I remember my first experience with the Maasi Mara when we found a leopard in a tree, just sitting there, basking in the sun…and we had to get into a queue [to see it],” he explains.
Tour operator Bench is now developing a range of products which will return travellers from crowds of humans back to crowds of animals, with options which avoid the most favoured spots – particularly in popular destinations like the Maasai Mara.
“What we’re doing is heading further north,” Kirkman explains. “Everyone starts from Nairobi, but then heads out to places like Lake Navisha, Lake Nakuru, then up north toward lesser-travelled places like Samburu. You still get all the wildlife experiences and beautiful Kenyan landscape, but much fewer crowds.”
Africa, the second-largest continent on earth, is more than just the big five though, and increasingly, adventure travellers are in search of what else the destination has to offer.
Kirkman highlights Mount Kilimanjaro, for more active adventurers, who may be surprised by the Africa they find on the continent’s highest mountain.
“You go through various different terrains, from tropical terrain, through to barren mountains, and then as you get towards the top, you go through snow-covered terrain.”
Namibia is also rating highly for the adventurer who may be on their second or third trip to Africa, and is in search for a more nuanced depiction of the destination.
“You’ve got the Skeleton Coast, you’ve got Fish River Canyon, these huge, beautiful geological features which are the attraction of heading to Namibia,” Kirkman says.
Although wildlife may not be the star of the show in this Southern African country, that does not mean there aren’t any faunal treasures to find.
“You’ve got more unique wildlife, like the desert elephant and the desert adapted rhino,” Kirkman describes.
The rise of high-end adventure
Contributing to a rise in popularity in the adventure sector is the growth of travel styles in the sector. There are many travellers who prefer not to rough it in tents while they overland in Cold War-era autos.
“You can now do it in five-star luxury, you don’t have to be on an overland truck,” Lisa Pagotto explains.
“Before, a lot of these big multi-country journeys were pitching a tent and participation touring, where you pay your local fee and everyone chips in for cooking. Someone else does the washing up, and someone’s on tent-cleaning duties. Now you can do it in everything from three-, four-, five-star.”
Bench is pioneering similar product in Africa. At Wildwaters Lodge in Uganda, travellers are encouraged to step outside of their comfort zone, before spending the night relaxing on a private island in the middle of the Nile.
“You’ve got this infinity pool that literally overlooks the rapids right in front of you. They go whitewater rafting, you can go canoeing, there’s fishing, it’s a great spot for birdwatchers. [Those activities] sit outside the normal scope of what people consider going to Africa for.”
Adventure has diversified; not only beyond its traditional remit of destinations, but also its broader spectrum of travel styles, marking quite the evolution of the sector since the pandemic.
Whether your idea of the perfect holiday is canyon swinging in New Zealand or going for a meandering bushwalk, adventure travel really is for everyone now.
Even in places like Mongolia, there are now five-star ger camps, which make for a far more restful sleep after a day of horseback riding, as Pagotto explains.
“You can now do it with private facilities and hot water and electricity – and unfortunately, wi-fi.”
This article was originally published in Travel Daily‘s special report on adventure travel
