What is adventure- travel, its history and the most popular activities? It is believed that adventure travel can be physically challenging, often in intense environments and culturally demanding visits to places very different to the traveler’s home town.
What is adventure travel? According to adventure travel expert Christian says, “Adventure travel is about the experience and the journey, rather than a list of places visited or the level of luxury. Travel to places that require a bit of effort and commitment to get to” (Christian, 2004).
Travel experts explain, “Adventure travel encompasses a broad range of options for the traveler, from historical visits to hill-tribe stays and white-water rafting. It is a problem, many people tend to confuse adventure travel with extreme sports and aren’t fully aware of the activities available” (Christian, 2004). The activities include a pick-and-mix adventure or multi- activity trips combine trekking, rafting, diving and so on, but often there is an added cultural element to it.
Experts believe that adventure travel is traveling to places that require a little effort and commitment to get to, but it is not necessarily physically challenging. A great adventure travel experience is when travelers go to a great length to find and explore the nature, animals, people, history and their culture. For example, people have been interested in visiting Mongolia, China. These remote cultural areas of the world are not as easy to plan for as going to the beach. These difficulties and not knowing how one can travel to distant and specific environment conditions are becoming much better and accessible than before.
Humans have traveled throughout history, traveling from place to place used to be by riding horses and walking long distance on foot. I have always wondered how people handled different weather conditions, heat, snow, storms and rain when traveling far distances. We have come a long way from different historical periods to the 21st century travel guides, tour specialists, modern technology tools (GPS, Google Earth images and Map) available to use.
When travel and tourism agencies advertise for adventure travel, it appeals to an increasingly broad section of society, it is not just for young people only. Travel experts say, “Discerning mature travelers are continuing to find adventure travel appealing. Members of this group are becoming more adventurous than ever before, and are seeing their children take time out on gap years, want to experience something personally satisfying themselves” (Christian, 2004). Adventure travel is not only for individuals with extreme passion for sports or the outdoors, but it is also equally for individuals who like to find out about people, cultures and history. The majority of adventure travel trips involve in visits to historical and cultural places and sightseeing.
Adventure travel has a long history in different eras and formed their unique concepts of travel. People started traveling for many reasons, in a form of religious pilgrimage, a big fuel for scientific curiosity, military campaign and for artist nature’s visionary experiences. Christian explains, “The most exciting journeys are often those that are extremely arduous and expensive-the ‘journey of a lifetime’, nowadays we ask, ‘Where did you go this summer?’ Hundreds of years ago, you’d only make one journey abroad in your whole life, if you were lucky. No wonder people got more out of the experience” (Christian, 2004).
The innovation of the industrial revolution increased the way people travel, starting from railways, steamships, automobiles and high speed jets has improved the numbers of travelers. It opened up doors for traveling to remote locations and for the development of tourism industries.
How will adventure travel be in the future? Adventure travel will increasingly grow over the next several years from now. As more people experience the cultural side of adventure travel, it will affect growth in bigger part. Many adventure travel agencies and tour specialists are being available now that it became doable to choose the activities that interest us. In my opinion, modern technology will develop and improve the ways and means to travel the less frequented parts of the world. In addition, people are curious about the universe and will progress the capability to travel to space.
Christian, A., (2004, January). Putting the adventure back into travel: Geographical (Campion interactive publishing); Vol.76 Issue 1, 83-87. Retrieved December 10, 2010, from: the Academic Search Complete Database.
Image, (n.d.), Adventure Finder.com. Retrieved December 12, 2010, from:
Image, (n.d.), Adventure Finder.com. Retrieved December 12, 2010from: http://www.adventurefinder.com/adventure-travel/arts-adventures.html.
Image, (n.d.), Adventure Finder.com. Retrieved December 12, 2020, from: http://www.adventurefinder.com/adventure-travel/thorong-la-pass-trek-in-annapurna-one-world-trekking-adventures/thorong-la-pass-trek-in-annapurna-one-world-trekking-tidonwt1792.html.
Image, (n.d.),The Family Travel Files.com. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from: http://www.thefamilytravelfiles.com/folders/reunions/.
No comments:
Post a Comment