TRAVEL TRENDS:ADVENTURE TRAVEL is outperforming the rest of the tourism industry, but Ireland and the rest of western Europe risk missing out on the boom, according to a new report.
The “Passport to Adventure” report is forecasting a threefold rise in interest in adventure and ethical holidays over the next three years and a fourfold rise in environmentally friendly holidays. Interest in holidays in Australian and New Zealand is forecast to treble, while a fourfold rise in trips to the polar regions is foreseen. In contrast, adventure holidays in western Europe are set to fall by 8 per cent.
The report was commissioned by seven companies active in the adventure-travel sector, many of which operate in the Irish market.
Fáilte Ireland is predicting that activity holidays in Ireland will continue to grow and outperform the overall holiday market, though its hopes are mainly concentrated at the casual end of the activity spectrum. “Whether it is a simple walk or an arduous rock-climbing adventure, more and more people want to get out there,” says Fáilte Ireland’s chief executive, Shaun Quinn.
But local operators believe the board could be doing more to promote Ireland as an adventure-holiday destination. Keith McDonnell of Extreme Ireland, which offers bespoke walking tours and other adventure activities, says this country could become the New Zealand of the northern hemisphere, famed for its outdoor reputation, if marketed correctly. “We have all the elements for adventure, just at a lower elevation than in other countries. And we can offer wilderness: you can drive three minutes out of Glendalough and see no one.”
The Republic has more than 200 adventure and activity operators; most are small outfits with few resources for marketing and promotion.
McDonnell acknowledges that Fáilte Ireland has invested extra resources in the promotion of activity holidays but says more needs to be done to put Ireland on the map as an adventure destination.
Fáilte Ireland says that almost a million overseas visitors took part in active pursuits here in 2008, and the sector generates annual revenues of about €1.1 billion. Surprisingly, perhaps, activity-oriented tourists tend to spend up to 40 per cent more than the average visitor.
Quinn, speaking at a conference on the subject late last year, pointed out that more than €21 million has been spent on infrastructure, such as walking and cycling trails and angling facilities, over the previous years. “The challenge for tourism operations is to fully exploit both our natural environment and our man-made infrastructure to provide the best experience to our visitors and to entice as many visitors as possible,” he said.
