Tourism is a complex sector with many players contributing
to the final consumer product. This chapter examines the
structure of the adventure tourism sector, which includes
the following:
· Supply chain;
· Marketing channels;
· Destination structure, meaning the governmental entities
charged with regulating and promoting tourism;
· Technology, which has greatly impacted the way adventure
tourism products are created, marketed, sold,
and experienced.
To understand the structure of the adventure sector, it is
important to understand how demand is created by the
consumer. Demand refers to the amount of desire within
the market to purchase adventure tourism holidays. People
must be motivated to travel, and they must have access to
information and resources that allow them to plan their trips
and ultimately book them.
Adventure tourists typically go through six stages of travel:
Dreaming “I’d like to take a holiday somewhere this year.”
“I’d like to visit either the Caribbean or Europe.”
“Italy is amazing!”
“I’ve decided I’ll visit Italy, now I need to book
hotels and activities.”
“Look at this amazing trip I am going to take / am
on / just got back from!”
“I need to pay for my trip to Italy.”
Consideration
set
Experiencing
Booking
Planning
Sharing (can occur
before,
during and/or after
a trip)
The current Structure
of the Adventure
Tourism sector 3
Source: ATTA (2013)
Factors influencing the demand for adventure tourism include:
· The cost of an adventure tour;
· The cost of related products (e.g. airline tickets);
· The capacity or income of target markets;
· Marketing, which appeals to the preferences or motivations
of travelers.