With the growing interest in a travel niche that, in its broadest
sense, encompasses ecotourism, adventure travel, active travel,
nature tourism, expedition travel and cultural tourism, more and
more travel suppliers are employing one or more of these terms to
market their products. The definitions here are based on
conversations with industry members and explanations provided by
industry organizations.
Adventure travel: Sometimes called active travel, adventure
travel has been defined by the Adventure Travel Society as
"exciting participatory travel that takes place in unusual outdoor
settings."Most adventure programs on the market fall into the soft
adventure category, incorporating activities such as white-water
rafting, hiking, mountain biking or horseback riding. Soft
adventures typically do not sacrifice creature comforts and require
only that participants be in reasonably good health and
fitness.
By contrast, hard adventures, such as the mountaineering
expeditions offered by some operators, typically involve
considerable physical exertion and require that participants be in
top shape and accustomed to fairly demanding physical regimens.
Creature comforts are apt to be scarce.
Cultural tourism: These programs focus on the people and
culture of foreign lands. The itineraries often include travel to
remote areas where participants visit with villagers and learn
about the lives of indigenous peoples.Ecotourism: The Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as
"responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the
environment and sustains the well-being of local people." Tour
operators and other suppliers who promote ecotourism in its truest
sense rely on local suppliers wherever possible to ensure that
local communities receive an economic benefit and maintain a
measure of control over the tourism product.Expedition travel: Sven-Olof Lindblad, chairman and founder of
Lindblad Special Expeditions, whose father Lars-Eric Lindblad
arguably pioneered expedition travel, says modern expedition travel
incorporates many of the factors that drove early explorers. These
include definition of purpose; flexibility, enhanced by the use of
small vehicles or vessels, and a premium on learning, fostered by a
high ratio of naturalists or other specialists to travelers.Nature travel: Often incorporating elements of adventure
travel, nature travel has wildlife and plant life as its focus.
Guided nature hikes, bird watching expeditions and whale watching
trips are among offerings in this arena.