The Adventure Tourist and Adventure Tourism Market - Essay Example

Adventure Tourism Executive Summary Tourism has been traditionally considered as one of the most effective tools which is provided to modern human inorder to help him to escape from daily routing and enjoy a series of activities that offer a – temporary – but necessary break from the ‘obligations’ of life. Tourism can have a different form, in accordance with the type of services provided to the public, however generally it refers to specific activities that are common around the world. Moreover, tourism tends to be evaluated differently in accordance with the part of the public which it addresses. In this context, tourism offered by the state is really important for people of ‘weak’ financial status, whereas tourism products that are designed specifically for people with a strong financial background, can be just a part of daily life without a significant value for the people involved (in terms of expectancy). However, in terms of pleasure tourism products are welcomed by people of all social levels around the world. It has to be noticed that tourism has been developed a lot especially the last decade where a series of tourism products have appeared and are offered to the public (or to a more limited part of the population). Under these terms, the adventure tourism products have expanded internationally and keep on gaining the preference of people in the global community. The types of these products are many, however because they have common characteristics they can all be evaluated simultaneously with just slight differentiations referring mostly to their ‘structure’ and the facilities used for their ‘realization’. I. Introduction The development of tourism around the world has been in accordance with the potentials of each particular geographical area (in terms of landscapes and facilities provided) as well as the preferences of tourists as they are expressed through the tourism products chosen worldwide. In this context, it has been stated by Werner (2003, 141) that ‘within the past century, international tourists have increasingly sought exotic destinations in their pursuit of relaxation, escape, and adventure; recognizing the opportunity to earn valuable foreign currency, developing countries have catered to these desires by encouraging tourism development’. The types of tourism products offered by each country are depended on a series of parameters with most important its ability to respond to the requirements set by these products from a financial and environmental aspect as already expected above. For this reason, it is hardly influencing the fact that a country is recognized as a ‘developing’ one, since it can respond effectively to the demands of the tourism products promoted in the particular country. Cost of products offered is also a significant issue for tourists around the world. Under these terms, tourism products of high quality if combined with a low cost they can be really attractive for tourists globally no matter the location of the area in which these products refer. The level of risk occurred has been found recently to be another factor that can influence the preferences of tourists. More specifically, adventure tourism products seem to be the preferable choice for a significant part of tourists around the world. In this context, the management of these products has to be conducted very carefully ensuring the safety of participants (tourists) as well as the protection of the environment during the particular activities. In the case under examination, space tourism is examined as of its viability in terms of physical and financial risk of both the participants and the provider. The example of Denis Tito, the sixty year old Californian businessman who paid the Russian Space Agency around $20 million in order to participate on a ten-day mission in the space can be used in order to evaluate the conditions of a relevant activity at a first level, however the safety of such tourism products in general cannot be derived from particular events but it would be rather examined on a vast number of similar cases, which are not available (because they don’t exist). For this reason, regarding the space tourism, every assumption should be limited to the circumstances of the particular case and should not be expanded on all similar efforts in the future. II. The adventure tourist and the adventure tourism market In order to present the characteristics of the adventure tourism market, we should primarily proceed to the presentation of the definition of tourism at least regarding its general form. In this context, it has been stated [1] that tourism is ‘a service industry, comprising a number of tangible and intangible components; the tangible elements include transport systems - air, rail, road, water and now, space; hospitality services - accommodation, foods and beverages, tours, souvenirs; and related services such as banking, insurance and safety and security while the intangible elements include: rest and relaxation, culture, escape, adventure, new and different experiences’. The above description of tourism in fact presents its characteristics as they can be observed through the tourism products offered around the world in people of all financial levels. As for the adventure tourism, it has been found that the specific type of tourism ‘involves trips with the specific purpose of exploring a new experience, often involving perceived risk or controlled danger associated with personal challenges, in a natural environment or exotic setting; one can think of a continuum of adventure tourism from soft to hard adventure; the harder the choice, the greater is the physical challenge, perceived risk and the element of danger’ (Jafari, 2000, 11). In accordance with the above the adventure tourist should have a particular interest for all activities involved in high danger. The level of the danger involved is estimated in each occasion by the general characteristics of the relevant adventure tourism product but it can also been differentiated in accordance with the demands of the customer. Moreover, the adventure tourist has to be prepared to face all possible consequences from his/ her participation in a tourist product of such type since the risk occurred is usually high and although there are specific measures taken for the protection of the adventure tourist there is always the change of an unexpected event which can harm the person participated in adventure tourism products, with a few chances for even a fatal injury. As a result, the adventure tourism market has to be concentrated primary on the protection of the potential participants (adventure tourists) ensuring that the advertisements used for the promotion of particular adventure tourism products respond to reality. As for the space tourism, this is a quite new type of adventure tourism and for this reason, there are not many suggestions proposed apart from the notice that there are many regulatory and legislative challenges that have to be overcome in order for this industry to be available to the public. The number of potential participants remains limited mostly because the cost involved is prohibited for the vast majority of people around the world. III. Destinations and venues: the adventure tourism industry The study of Jafari (2000, 11) showed that ‘the adventurer choice of potential activities range from hiking and walking tours to mountain climbing (see mountaineering), whitewater racing and kayaking; today, such excursions are available for all ages worldwide, but countries such as New Zealand, Nepal, Kenya and Tanzania are among popular adventure destinations’. In fact, there are many places around the world which are offered for adventure tourism. One of the most known is the high Himalayan regions of Nepal (Asia) which is used mainly for mountaineering and trekking. The specific region has become known to the West around 1950 when the area was first visited by Europeans and Americans. Referring to the history of the region Stevens (1993, 410) mentions that ‘until 1964 only mountaineering expeditions were allowed to visit the region; as recently as 1971 Khumbu hosted scarcely a thousand visitors; a decade later five times that number visited, and by the end of the 1980s tourists numbered more than 8,000 annually’. Another area that is used for adventure tourism is Peru. Regarding the development of this country as an adventure tourism destination Barrett et al. (1999, 47) stated that ‘the development of Perus tourism space has been greatly restricted by severe transport problems and a small number of spatially-localized primary tourist circuits; some of the absence of foreign tourists in the Sierras can be explained by a lack of good roads and difficult mountain terrain in the Andes which limits easy access to many attractive towns in the Sierra e.g. Ayacucho, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Cajaramara’. On the other hand, New Zealand is also a favourite region for adventure tourists. The extremely ‘wild’ landscape of this country has attracted many tourists from the international community. The extended range of adventure tourism products offered in relation with this region (showed in Appendix) is also another factor that influences the choice of the potential adventure tourists for the specific country. Regarding specifically the adventure tourism activities developed in New Zealand Hall et al. (2002, 335) stated that ‘as a result of the growth of this sector of the tourism industry, the nature of the risks and problems inherent in adventure activities increased and a series of highly publicised fatalities occurred’. In other words, the development of the country as a favourite adventure tourism destination has not been controlled effectively and as a result the safety of participants is not ensured (at least at the desirable level). An area that has been recently recognized as a potential destination for adventure tourists is Newfoundland. In accordance with the study made by Faulkner et al. (1998, 134) ‘the island offers diverse outdoor and adventure-style tourist opportunities, both land- and sea-based, as well as a distinctive historic and cultural environment; Newfoundland is very remote from its main tourism originating markets-it is located equidistant between Toronto in Ontario and Ireland in western Europe; as a result, access by land and sea or air is both long and costly and, with regard to air routings, is not a priority with major domestic carriers in Canada’. Because of the difficulties related with the transportation offered to the public (as described above) the development of Newfoundland as a destination of adventure tourists is slow but continuous. In case of space tourism, the development of destination is a necessary requirement before the expansion of the relevant tourism market. More specifically, in the case under examination it is proposed that ‘some locations will trade on their links with the space industry and develop space tourism facilities, becoming gateways for this particular form of adventure tourism’. Still these facilities have not been developed but instead the participation of the tourists is limited in accordance with the program of the teams sent to the space for scientific and technology research. For this reason, other destination apart from the international space station has not been existed so far. IV. The impacts of adventure tourism Adventure tourism can have a significant influence on the local economies of the regions involved. More specifically, it has been stated by Werner (2003, 141) that ‘tourism development affects local cultures in multiple and complex ways; cultural authenticity is compromised when performances are staged for tourists and when artistic objects are created with tourist interests in mind; cultural disruptions may also occur when there are wealth disparities between tourists and their hosts; members of a host community may begin to resent their relative poverty and seek ways to emulate the lifestyles of the tourists’. The difference in cultural background between local people and visitors seems to be therefore on of the most significant issue in the development of adventure tourism across a particular region. This assumption is also supported by Van Beek (2003, 251) who studied the tourism in two African communities, the ‘Dogon in Mali and the Kapsiki in north Cameroon’. The study of the above researcher was based on the fact that the above societies ‘are comparable in many respects, but the effects on them of the tourist presence quite different; the Dogon react to tourism by bolstering their cultural pride and self esteem, and they develop inventive ways of gearing their cultural performances to tourist demands without compromising the rituals to which the performances belong; the Cameroonian Kapsiki (called Higi in north Nigeria) interpret the attention bestowed upon them and their country as indicating that they are marginal, living at the rim of the habitable world; they translate the tourist quest for authenticity as being backward and left out’. The differences that have been found to exist between the above two societies regarding the acceptance of tourists and their involvement with the communities’ ethics and culture could be possibly explained by the specific agenda of tourism in the above countries and by the particular cultural characteristics of the communities. Another study that refers to the impact of tourism on the local communities and the physical environment has been that of Stevens (1993) who examined the case of Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park which was first established in 1976. The study of the above researcher regarding this region has shown that ‘tourism has undoubtedly had other effects on local culture, values, attitudes, and behaviour that are more subtle and more difficult to evaluate; these include the commercialization of art and changing attitudes and hospitality toward foreigners; tourism has also promoted cultural change by providing a powerful incentive to acquire an education, including facility in English, which has led many Sherpa families to send their children, especially their sons, to local schools where they are taught according to a government-developed curriculum that makes little reference to local history or culture’. Apart from the above tourism has influenced at a significant level the social context of the region. More specifically, Stevens (1993, 41) found that ‘the increased status and power that adventure tourism has brought to men from formerly poor and low-status households have been an important factor in village social and political dynamics for several decades, and tourism-based economic differentiation may ultimately have far-reaching effects on Khumbu society’. However, the exact effects of such an influence cannot be precisely estimated in advance. The structure and the culture of local society prove that there is an interaction between adventure tourism and local societies in either the financial and social areas; however it is an issue of the cultural characteristics of the above regions that will offer a valid evaluation of this ‘exchange’ of cultures. In the case of space tourism, there can be no particular impact on local cultures. The only existed interaction is that between the human and the space and for this reason there are no particular impacts that should be investigated apart perhaps from the impact on the environment (emissions of space crafts used). V. Management of adventure tourism – Impact and risk management In order to describe the methods that could lead to an effective management of adventure tourism around the world, we should primarily present the major characteristics of adventure tourism as they can be observed in similar activities internationally. Towards this direction (Jafari, 2000, 111) mentions that ‘by definition, adventure tourism involves the use of a destinations natural resource base (see also nature tourism). Regarding this issue, Jafari notices that there are regions that are offered for activities of such kind however in certain areas like Nepal there can be questions about ‘the long term sustainability of adventure tourism’. The issues of safety of participants as well as the training provided to the staff of adventure tour operators should be also taken into account when designing a specific adventure tourism product. However, because most of the administrators of adventure tourism products avoid dealing in detail with the above issues, fatalities in this sector of tourism grow while severe injuries have become a common phenomenon. Regarding the above, Gass et al. (1995, 23) notice that one of the most significant problems related with adventure tourism is the certification of ‘certain standards of program quality, professional conduct and behaviour, and appropriate risk management--stimulating the need to develop standards that will ensure program quality and safety’. According to the above researchers there are certain methods that can ensure (if followed) the safety of participants in adventure tourism products. These methods are the following ones: ‘a) to identify common practices within the industry, b) the certification of individual leaders and c) the accreditation (recognition of standards in the field); in this process, the program or institution is evaluated as a whole in terms of meeting specific standards of operation’ (Gass et al., 1995, 23). However, in practice the application of the above methods is limited and there are many cases of adventure tourism products providers that haven’t been examined as of their credentials and the safety (financial and physical) related with the products offered by them. It has to be noticed that the report of the Australian Inquiry into Tourism in 1987 refers to the role of private sector in the development of adventure tourism having as its priority ‘to provide tourism facilities and services to the travelling public while maximising financial returns’. The above role has also been examined by Elliott (1997, 180) who stated that the above role of private sector ‘engenders ideas and leads to the initiation of new projects in which the private sector is able to recognise the market need or niche—as, for example, in the development in the 1930s of youth hostels, and in the 1980s backpackers’ hostels; the private sector formulates and implements the project, and takes the financial risk. In other words, the most significant role of private sector in the development of adventure tourism can be identified in its participation in the financial protection involved in the adventure tourism products in cases of unexpected events. This role is emphasized perhaps because the public sector is not considered as having the financial strength to respond to such issues with the same effectiveness. Regarding the management of space tourism this belongs to the administration of the countries in which the relevant facilities have been developed. Private sector can participate however financially in order to cover part of the expenses and the risks related with relevant efforts. It should be noticed however that because of the extremely long preparation required for this type of tourism (current training programme lasts 60 days) and the high costs of facilities required, the funding and the management of the preparation phase is of major importance for the whole project. VI. Key sectors of adventure tourism Adventure tourism involves in a series of activities in many regions around the world. Indicatively, it is mentioned by Stevens (1993, 411 that ‘today more than 90 percent of tourists in the Mount Everest region are trekkers, primarily from the United States and western Europe, with considerable numbers also from Australia, New Zealand, and Japan’. The activities included in the adventure tourism are presented in the Appendix. The existence of each of these activities in a particular region is depended on the physical environment and the financial strength of the local societies to provide the necessary facilities. Where there is no need for particular facilities, the financial risk for the appropriate structure of a specific region used as an adventure tourism destination has to be covered by the provider of the relevant adventure tourism products. In the area of management of the particular activities, adventure tourism should be properly organized and ethically advertised to the public avoiding to present conditions or potentials that do not respond to the reality. The development of a well structured risk management plan is considered as necessary in order to ensure the quality and the safety of the products offered to the public. The appropriate training of the staff and the continuous control over the areas used for the specific activities are also necessary parts of the relevant plan. In the case under examination, the provision of adventure tourism in the space should not be evaluated using the common criteria of safety and risk. Because of the unusual conditions related with the particular type of adventure tourism product, the identification of its demands is not an easy task. The relatively limited experience on the specific sector of adventure tourism also prohibits the analytical examination of its elements and the possible risks involved. For this reason, as key sectors of the particular type of adventure tourism, the common ones should be primarily mentioned. In this context, risk and impact management, human resources management and quality management should be regarded as areas of major importance for the providers that activate in the area of space tourism. Other possible areas that could be used in the specific type of adventure tourism should be related with its particular characteristics (management of facilities used, communication, health and training of participants – apart from the staff etc.). VII. Conclusion Tourism is a significant sector of modern social context. In this context, it has been stated by Driver (1998, 26) that ‘unless each of us promotes and articulates the benefits of leisure, the tremendous value that parks and recreation adds to human welfare will never be recognized and appreciated fully outside the leisure profession’. In any case the benefits and the risks of this sector are formulated in accordance with the type of activity in which a person decides to participate. In the case of space tourism, the management of all issues involved in the success of the relevant projects is a rather complicated task because of the particular characteristics of the sector and the extremely high physical and financial risk involved. However, the application of the principles and the ethics applied in tourism in general could help the development of this sector as well but only if the cost could be limited in order for the relevant trips to be available to the public. In a different case, we could refer just to costly individual habits and not to space tourism because the term ‘tourism’ refers mainly to the public. References Australian Government Inquiry into Tourism (1986) Report in 2 volumes, Canberra: AGPS Barrett, H., O’Hare, G. (1999). Regional Inequalities in the Peruvian Tourist Industry. The Geographical Journal, 165(1): 47-54 Driver B. L. (1998). The benefits are endless. . . but why? Parks and Recreation, February, 26-32 Elliott, J. (1997). Tourism: Politics and Public Sector Management. London: Routledge Faulkner, B., Laws, E., Moscardo, G. (1998). Embracing and Managing Change in Tourism: International Case Studies. London: Routledge Gass, M., Williamson, J. (1995). Accreditation for Adventure Programs. JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 66(1): 22-34 Jafari, J. (2000). Encyclopedia of Tourism. London: Routledge Stevens, S. (1993). Tourism, Change and Continuity in the Mount Everest Region, Nepal. The Geographical Review, 83(4): 410-425 Van Beek, W. (2003). African Tourist Encounters: Effects of Tourism on Two West African Societies. Africa, 73(2): 251-267 Werner, C. (2003). The New Silk Road: Mediators and Tourism Development in Central Asia. Ethnology, 42(2): 141-155 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_industry [1] Appendix Table 1 A typology of adventure tourism activities (Hall et al., 2002, xvi) Aviation-related • Ballooning • Hang-gliding • Gliding • Heli-bungy-jumping • Parachuting • Paragliding • Scenic aerial touring (small aircraft/helicopter) Marine • Black-water rafting • Caving • Charter sailing • Diving/snorkelling • Jet-boating • Para-sailing • Rafting • River kayaking/sea kayaking • Canoeing • River-surfing/river-sledging • Water-skiing • Wind-surfing • Fishing Land-based • Cross-country skiing • Downhill skiing • Heli-skiing • Ski-touring • Trekking/tramping • Vehicle safaris • Flying-fox operations • Bungy-jumping • Mountain biking/cycling • Guided glacier trekking • Horse trekking • Hunting • Mountain guiding • Rap-jumping/abseiling • Rock climbing Read More