Tourism is one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the world, and adventure tourism is one of its fastest growing categories. Increasingly, countries in all stages of economic development are prioritizing adventure tourism for market growth, because they recognize its ecological, cultural, and economic value.
To date no definition of adventure tourism exists in UNWTO literature, however the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) defines adventure tourism as a trip that includes at least two of the following three elements: physical activity, natural environment, and cultural immersion. While the definition of adventure tourism only requires two of these components, trips incorporating all three tend to afford tourists the fullest adventure travel experience – for example, a trip to Peru that involved trekking (physical activity) through the Machu Picchu trail (natural environment) and genuine interaction with local residents and/or indigenous peoples (cultural immersion).
Adventure tourism can be domestic or international, and like all travel, it must include an overnight stay, but not last longer than one year