Japan Sees High Interest for Adventure Travel Ahead of the Adventure Travel World Summit 2023 in Hokkaido

The 2023 Adventure Travel Industry Snapshot report recently released by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) saw APAC countries come into their own. The report noted Japan was the third most popular destination for adventure travel clients globally, and Indian travellers were the fifth largest source market of adventure travellers, the first time either country has made it into the top five markets.

The Adventure Travel Industry Snapshot report, now in its 17th year, tracks the current state of the adventure travel industry, using  data from ATTA’s community of tour operators, who are invited to share information about their business operations as well as trends they are experiencing with respect to traveller demographics, destinations, and activities.

Demonstrating the value of adventure travel, the report shows that the respondents’ most popular itinerary is priced at a median of $3,000 USD (for eight nights), 76% of which is spent with local suppliers ($2,280 on average). These are the highest numbers the survey has seen to date, highlighting the importance and value of community engagement and forward-looking environmental practices in travel experiences.

The most popular adventure trip types worldwide were hiking, wildlife viewing, and cycling. The top trending activities for Asia in particular are cultural activities, hiking, culinary, cycling (specifically mountain and/or non-paved surfaces), and photography (wildlife and nature). Cultural activities scored highest for Asia, signalling a strong preference from travellers to experience the diversity of Asian cultures whilst visiting the region.

Going into 2023, Oceania is one of the hottest regions to show a positive change of interest for bookings, with the India/South Asia and Southeast Asia regions also seeing a growth in interest.

“It’s exciting to see an explosion of interest around Japan as an adventure travel destination, particularly ahead of our Adventure Travel World Summit, which will be held in Sapporo, Japan, from 11-14 September,” said Heather Kelly, the ATTA’s Director of Research & Sustainability. “It’s also a wake-up call for those outside of the region to see that Indian travellers reach the top five in terms of source markets, challenging the stereotype that Asian travellers aren’t adventure travellers.”

There are a limited number of tickets still available for the Adventure Travel World Summit 2023. Those interested in attending can register here. 

Key statistics from the report:

• Globally, 74% of respondents expect their 2023 net profit to be equal to or better than 2022, and 63% even expect it to be higher than 2019
• 43% of respondents are seeing an improvement in domestic travel demand for 2023, down from 73% in 2022, showing a stabilisation in demand
• 87% of respondents are seeing an improvement in international travel demand for 2023
• Top trending activities are hiking/trekking/walking, cultural, culinary/gastronomy, mountain biking, and safaris/wildlife viewing
• 68% have or are working toward a sustainability certification
• The average number of travellers served by respondents was 4,243, a 213% increase from 1,355 in 2021 and up 658% from 2020
• Most departments have seen an increase in staffing over the previous year, especially the guides, sales, and operations teams
• Top 5 trending activities for Asia were:
• Cultural
• Hiking/ Trekking/ Walking
• Culinary
• Cycling (Mountain/ Non-Paved Surface)
• Photography (Wildlife/ Nature)
• Primary host market
  
  1. United States (12%)
  2. Peru (9%)
  3. Italy (9%)
  4. Japan (7%)
  5. Ecuador (7%)
  6. Tanzania (5%)
  7. Colombia (4%)

• Primary source market
  1. United States (55%)
  2. United Kingdom (13%)
  3. Netherlands (7%)
  4. France (4%)
  5. Sweden (3%)
  6. South Africa (3%)
  7. India (3%)

About the Adventure Travel Industry Snapshot Report

Every year since 2006, the ATTA has surveyed its growing database of tour operators. Each year adventure travel tour operators are invited to share information about their business operations as well as trends they are experiencing with respect to traveller demographics, destinations, and activities. A survey was sent using Qualtrics to members of the ATTA community in early April 2023, asking for data from 2022. Data was collected through the month of April 2023. The survey asked operators about their business operations, 2022 sales, 2023 booking expectations, travel trends, and consumer motivations. 110 respondents completed the survey and an additional 34 partially completed the survey. To learn more, download the full report.