Definition of Adventure Travel: Conceptual Framework for Empirical Application from the Providers’ Perspective

By: Heidi H. Sung, Alastair M. Morrison and Joseph T. O’Leary . Hotel Online

Summary:

The growth of adventure travel has been accompanied by an enormous variety and availability of adventure travel products in international travel and tourism. This study attempts to search for a comprehensive definition of adventure travel from the providers' perspective in order to build a conceptual framework for empirical application. A qualitative analysis of past leisure or recreation theories identified six major component variables which define adventure travel. Together with these six components, several alternative definitions of adventure travel are studied in detail as part of the research. This study proposes a new definition of adventure travel, as a standard tool for measuring and segmenting the adventure travel market.

Australia and North America appear to have been leading such efforts (Hall, 1992). Adventure travel has now become one of the fastest-growing travel market segments and has broadened its scope and appeal in international travel and tourism. The variety and availability of adventure travel products for a wide range of interests and abilities appear to be limitless.

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Activity, environment, and experience have been identified as key variables to compose a definition of adventure travel and should be integrated with other components such as risk, motivation, and performance

As a result, a new definition of adventure travel is proposed as:

• A trip or travel with the specific purpose of activity participation to explore a new experience, often involving perceived risk or controlled danger associated with personal challenges, in a natural environment or exotic outdoor setting. (Sung, et al., 1997)

This definition, if it is articulated and operationalized in a consistent manner, should have important implications for both future studies and management. By using a standard definition, this study can contribute to future marketing research as a stepping stone for segmenting the adventure travel market. Time are changing and so will the definition of 'adventure.'  The  definition  of adventure travel proposed by this study has presented a challenge, particularly when relatively little systematic research has previously been conducted on the subject to date. The growth of adventure travel not only has implications for the way in which travel is perceived, but also in the way in which it will develop in the future.

* All text in red indicates quotes taken from the full text article.