ATTA believes adventure is for everybody—anyone, at any age, with any ability—and that it means something different to every traveler. For some, it may be a walking food tour with a local chef in Latin America. For others, it might be a short hike in a new city close to home or a long-distance trek on the other side of the world. Some call themselves adventurers, and others don’t. But the way we see it, an adventure is an experience that involves the combination of nature, culture, and physical activity.
Adventure travel covers a diverse array of activities ranging from birdwatching to surfing to culinary and language exploration. It can mean outdoor travel, nature travel, ecotourism, active adventure, and so much more. ATTA sees adventure travel as a sustainable form of tourism that supports conservation of nature and historical resources while investing in local, community-driven economic development.
ATTA’s team is made up of experienced travel practitioners who have been in the business for years and travel for adventure in their own free time. Through decades of experience, we’ve seen firsthand how the adventure community can transform tourism for good, and support a more sustainable supply chain in destinations throughout the world. On average, adventure travelers visit for longer, spend more money, and are more likely to spend with small, locally-grown businesses than with multinational chains operating in dozens of markets.
Adventure travelers want to visit less-known corners of your destination, bringing significant income to small businesses in rural areas. Our destination partners have seen high returns on investment in positioning their suppliers to meet interest from adventure travelers. In Jordan, for example, which hosted a multi-year AdventureNEXT program, adventure travelers spend about $300 per person per day for multi-day itineraries. It has been calculated that investing in adventure travel could yield up to $10 million per year for the Jordanian economy.