Sept 19 — Does the latest issue of National Geographic sit atop your coffee table? Are you a single and youngish nature lover who makes regular stops at outdoor retailer Timberland? Odds are you fit the adventure traveller profile perfectly.
That’s according to the latest report out of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, which paints a profile of the typical adventure traveller and thrill seeker after surveying 838 international respondents from North and South America and Europe.
Adventure seekers are younger than their non-adventure travellers, with an average age of 36. The market is also dominated by single men (57 per cent) who’ve never been married.
About one in four thrill seekers also have a four-year degree at minimum (37 per cent), including 11 per cent who hold a professional degree.
On average, they pull in a middle-class income of about US$46,800 (RM148,000) and may subscribe to publications like National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, and Men’s Health.
Thrill seekers who choose to spend their holidays backpacking, heli-skiing, paragliding, trekking or rock climbing are also nature lovers and choose their next vacation destination based on areas of natural beauty.
By comparison, non-adventure travellers who may opt for a cruise or sightseeing tours rank the presence of friends and family at their chosen destination as the most important factor when planning their holidays.
On a global scale, the most popular outdoor retailers among adventure travellers are Timberland, Quiksilver, Gore-Tex, The North Face and Salomon.
Regionally, Patagonia is also popular among South Americans, while LL Bean is popular uniquely among North Americans.
Average spending also spiked nearly 20 per cent from US$593 (RM1,875) in 2009 to US$947 (RM2,994) in 2012. South Americans have emerged as the biggest spenders, shelling out an average of US$1,333 (RM4,214) on hard adventure travels (activities like heli-skiing and paragliding) and US$1,501 (RM4,745) in soft adventures (like canoeing and cycling). — AFP Relaxnews
