There are many options when it comes to choosing your next vacation destination—but one option growing in popularity is adventure tourism. In this article, you'll learn about adventure tourism and how you can capitalize on this growing market.
The term ‘adventure tourism’ may evoke images of thrill-seeking tourist activities like skydiving, cliff diving, rock climbing, and skiing. These adventure travel activities qualify as adventure tourism, but it also includes low-risk activities like cultural immersion and hiking nature trails. Imagine wildlife viewing on a guided tour in Southern Africa, hiking in national parks, or kayaking in a scenic lake. You can opt for hard or soft adventures depending on your preferences.
The global adventure tourism industry is valued at $282.1 billion in 2021. Experts estimate it will have a compound annual growth rate of 15.2% by 2030, which means its potential revenue could skyrocket to $1.009 trillion.
Here are some interesting research-based insights about the future of adventure tourism:
These statistics show that the adventure tourism industry is thriving. If you’re not planning to jump on the bandwagon, then you could miss out on a lot.
Here are some ways you can make money from the adventure tourism industry.
Cheap packages might help you attract a number of consumers, but it’s not the only way to compete. Instead, focus on offering unique packages to consumers. Can you offer a guided tour of the savannas and provide local cuisine and beverages? Will you allow customers to go whitewater rafting or explore glowworm caves? Many customers may be willing to pay more for a vacation with a complete package. If your packages stand out, you may be able to get ahead of your competition.
67% of marketers believe that content marketing helps attract leads. Additionally, 51% of the businesses that invest in a content marketing strategy publish new content on a daily basis.
Think about the last time you browsed for travel packages and compared hotels or destinations. You probably made your pick based on blog posts, photos, social media posts, and vlogs from online. Not surprisingly, compelling content is key to attracting leads.
Keep in mind content marketing isn’t just about content creation. You have to research keywords, optimize blog posts for SEO, as well as A/B test landing pages and CTAs.
No man is an island—and the same goes for companies. If you partner with local businesses and restaurants, you’ll be able to build more immersive travel experiences. Take, for instance, serving local cuisine in a cruise package. Or combine a guided hiking trip with a rafting experience. Promote deals and discounts of restaurants and local destinations if they make an effort to promote your packages as well.
Everything may seem more convenient in the online realm, but it’s not the only place where you can reach customers. Think about possible customer touch points on the ground. This could be hotels, restaurants, or bars that tourists frequent.
A good tip is to offer brochures of your adventure tourism packages to concierges. Invest in out-of-home advertising materials like billboards, posters, and wallscapes. Residents and locals are a good source of revenue during the off-season. As a result, you should network with local organizations and distribute press releases to community newspapers too.
It’s no secret that getting a new customer can cost five times more than keeping the ones you already have. Additionally, the success rate of selling to a current customer is 60% to 70%, while the success rate of selling to a new customer is 5% to 20%.
The numbers show you shouldn’t let go of first-time customers or travelers. Collect their personal information and email address, and encourage them to follow your social media profiles. If customers are satisfied with the services, it’s likely they will book again.
The demand for travel fluctuates over the peak season and off-season. You can identify periods with low demand for adventure tourism and prepare for them ahead of time. For example, you can offer discounts for group bookings during off periods. Promote discounts and deals during the offseason ahead of time to remain profitable throughout the year.
A study by TripAdvisor found that half of American travelers spend less than a week planning their trip. Meanwhile, the other half of consumers spend 12 weeks leading up to the trip to make their bookings in advance. Plan your marketing strategy based on these two segments to get ahead even in off times.
Businesses on a budget don’t have to spend a lot of money to get the manpower they need to promote their services. Instead, you can hire high-quality freelancers to get more done at an affordable rate. Here’s how freelancers can help.
Businesses need a lot of writing to create promotional materials and email templates. The good news is there are a lot of freelance travel writers that can help you with creating SEO blog posts, social media copy, landing page copy, and advertising copy. Also, they can create email templates to help support teams get more customers down the sales funnel.
Going on vacation requires a lot of planning beforehand. Tourists need to evaluate maps in the local area, conduct research on their transportation options, and find hidden gems. However, you can provide this service, so customers don’t have to make the extra effort.
A freelance travel consultant can recommend the cheapest transportation options, accommodations, things to do, and healthy foods. They can even provide a tourist-friendly itinerary and recommend hidden gems, especially if they frequent the area on a regular basis.
You can check out Fiverr’s list of travel-related services to find a travel planner or consultant for your business.
Traveling to a foreign destination can seem like a stressful experience, especially if you don’t know where to go and what to do. A freelance virtual assistant can help your clients and customers be more productive so they spend more time with loved ones. They can provide support by helping tourists book an Uber, schedule trips, and offer restaurant recommendations.
Most people book travel experiences online via platforms like Expedia and Booking.com. If you want to get ahead of the competition, you need to show high-quality photographs. Otherwise, you may dissuade customers from booking an experience.
Instead of hiring a dedicated photographer, you can opt for a freelance photographer to take pictures of exciting experiences and destinations that you offer. Done right, you’ll be able to get customers to stop and stare at your listings on booking platforms. Similarly, these posters are also useful for marketing purposes.
During peak season, you may need additional staff to offer customer service and support to numerous tourists. Having a freelance customer support staff on-hand can help your support teams cope during busy periods. In addition, you’ll also be able to provide fast and efficient service during busy times.
You can hire full-time, part-time, or freelance staff to assist with your adventure tourism packages—but make sure they’re trained first. You can invest in a freelance HR manager to train freelancers or part-timers in the proper way to communicate with employees. You can also provide colleagues with scripts to improve the end result.
The adventure tourism industry has a lot of potential; however, you need to plan ahead to make the most profit. Get in touch with marketers and content creators who can help you advertise your listings and experiences. To prepare for the peak season, hire freelance customer support staff and HR managers to train them in advance.
How to find highly-experienced and qualified freelancers? You can check out the Fiverr platform to network with freelancers or the Fiverr blog to learn tips and tricks for growing your business.
