Welcome to the second annual Intrepid Adventure Travel Index, an opportunity for us to share the latest trends and insights in the adventure travel industry with all Australians
As the world’s largest adventure travel company with 30 years behind us, this report aims to share insights in to the fast-growing adventure travel sector by combining our own travel figures and industry knowledge, with externally-commissioned qualitative research of 1000 Australians. To provide a report which challenges the dated stereotypes of adventure travellers, and redefines this growing sector within the tourism industry.
Intrepid Adventure Travel Index 2019
The index, contains a wealth of current information and research examining topics such as top destinations for Australian travellers, how young Australians choose to travel, and trends in the travel market, plus some handy insights on getting your money's worth around the world.
Adventure travel is a growing sector within the tourism industry, stay ahead of the trends and read the Intrepid 2019 Adventure Travel Index.
2019 Index highlights
Top 10 destinations for Australian travellers
Remaining our number one travel destination Vietnam offers adventures full of beauty and contrast, in a country of incredible food, lively locals, stunning scenery and cosmopolitan cities.
Full of mystery and culture dating back millennia, Peru is an indomitable land of deserts etched with enigmatic lines, Amazonian rainforests teeming with wildlife, and soaring mountains harbouring secret cities.
A vast nation filled with colourful, chaotic, and enchanting cultures. Witness pilgrims performing ancient ceremonies on the ghats of Varanasi and marvel at the iconic Taj Mahal, inspiring India has it all.
Growing in popularity and moving up one place on the list . Morocco's offering of camel rides through the Sahara, the stunning Atlas Mountains and the pulsating energy of Marrakech are just a few highlights that have helped build this destinations popularity.
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Cuba a stunning and idyllic time capsule, where the cars are classic, salsa dancing is a must and the mojitos are icy, icy cold.Â
With art galleries popping up in Phnom Penh, and Siem Reap’s thumping nightlife, Cambodia is more than just epic temples (although they’re awesome too).
Sri Lanka is jam-packed with ancient sites, fascinating culture, beautiful wilderness and idyllic beaches, it's an all-encompassingdestination for those seeking a unique travel experience.
Whether you’d rather track rhinos in the Chitwan jungle or eat momos in Thamel – there’s more to Nepal than the mighty Himalayan mountains.
Peel back the lucha libre mask and you’ll find a patchwork of cultures and customs mixed into one tequila-drenched country.
Food, wine, history, architecture, fashion, coffee – there’s nothing this European favourite can’t do. You’ll surely be seduced by a slice of La Dolce Vita.
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Travel for good: Understanding Undertoursim
Destinations with the lowest tourism density ratio
The below figures examine tourism density ratios, by comparing the number of tourists to locals in each destination using 2018 figures.
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Kenya
Tourists: 1,449,000
Locals:Â 49,699,862
Tourism Density Ratio: 2.29%
Papua New Guinea
Tourists: 212,000
Locals:Â 8,251,162
Tourism Density Ratio: 2.75%
Iran
Tourists:Â 4,867,000
Locals:Â 81,162,788
Tourism Density Ratio: 6%
Tajikistan
Tourists: 431,000
Locals:Â 8,921,343
Tourism Density Ratio: 4.83%
Uzbekistan
Tourists: 2,690,000
Locals:Â 31,910,641
Tourism Density Ratio: 8.43%
Colombia
Tourists:Â 6,531,000
Locals:Â 49,065,615
Tourism Density Ratio: 13.31%
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As concerns with the impact of overtourism grow, we believe the concept of undertourism will become more relevant. Particularly as responsible travellers opt to spend their dollars wisely in economies where their holiday can provide positive benefits to the communities they visit.
The rise of solo travel
 
At Intrepid, we've seen increase in solo travellers with a rise of 113% in 2018. The global rise in single women and solo households is mirrored in the travel sector with 77% of solo travellers from Australia being women*.
Explore our range trips for solo travellers
The increasing value of experiencesÂ
Intrepid travellers have always sought out experience-rich holidays. Anecdotally, we are seeing a rise in consumers placing more value on experiences than materialistic belongings.
"This is the age of travel, where consumer shifts see the hoarding of material possessions increasingly making way for the desire to have extraordinary life experiences, especially through travel."
Dr. Jospeh Cheer - Center for Tourism Research at Wakayama University, Japan
In our survey 1,000 Australians* were asked to rank the below experiences that tourism facilitates in terms of what they value the most. See their rankings below:
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Spending time with loved ones
 Creating new memories
 Learning new things
Enjoying the food
Feeling recharged
Meeting new people
Getting outside a comfort zone
Achieving a travel goal
Making new friendships
Taking part in a physical challenge
Millennials and social media's influence on travel
Intrepid's national survey of millennial's revealed the growing power of social media on travel desicion making. It was found social media played a key role in the decision making process from providing destination inspiration, to influencing travel purchasing behaviours.Â
Furthermore, around a third of 18 to 24 year olds (33%) and 25 to 34 year olds (27%) admited they always consider how their social media feeds will look when booking a trip.
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Ranked number 1 in influence over 18-24 year olds, with 81% indicating it played a significant role in their travel purchase decisions
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Ranked number 1 in influence over 25 - 34 year olds, with 63% indicating it played a significant​ role in their travel purchase decisions
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Interestingly, 31% of 18 - 24 year olds indicated Snapchat played a significant role in their travel purchase decisions
Explore Intrepid's 18-29s range of trips
Women in tourism: a force for good
"The industry is male dominated. In fact, I am the first female overland truck driver in East Africa and now I am known as ‘Mama Overland!'."
Becky Kieha, -Â Kenya Overland Truck driver
"My family, are so happy because I’m paving the way to other females to become tour leaders too."
Sara Lamzawaq -Â Morocco tour leader
"Other than my elder sister and a few friends, no one else supported my decision of becoming a tour leader .... Now, everyone feels very proud of me."
Sana Jinah -Â India tour leader
Our plan for gender equality
Intrepid travel is committed to supporting and empowering women across the globe. Women in developing countries often face ingrained gender discrimination and two years ago we set a target to double the number of female tour leaders around the world by 2020. We are currently on track to reach this goal.
Further reading
Mar 05, 2017
Life advice from 8 incredible female travellers
Every year, there are women out in the world doing amazing things. Riding across...
Aug 26, 2016
Flying solo on a South Africa group tour
Reading Time: 4 minutes This 9-day overland tour, from the game parks of Kruger,...
Apr 26, 2019
6 easy tips for solo female travel in South...
After several extended trips in South East Asia on my own, I share some of my top...
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