The adventure travel industry in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region is experiencing a robust rebound. In 2023, the average number of guests per operator headquartered in Asia climbed to 2,636, a significant increase from the pandemic years of 2020-2022 and nearing the pre-pandemic 2019 average of 3,263. Trip fill rates for APAC in 2023 also reached 62%, closely matching the global average of 65%.
The composition of guests for Asia-based tour operators is shifting. There’s been a notable rise in the percentage of fully independent travelers (FITs), especially families and couples. Families now make up 26% of the total (up from 17% in 2022), and couples represent 33% (up from 20%). Conversely, the share of group travel has decreased to 24%, compared to 49% in 2019.
India has emerged as a key source market, with 4% of surveyed operators identifying it as their primary source of guests, making it the fifth largest in the region. While no APAC destination ranked in the top seven host markets in 2024, Japan placed fourth in last year’s report. These rankings often fluctuate based on short-term trends.
Japan’s rise aligns with its position as one of the top five global travel markets, contributing $297 billion to its economy in 2023. The popularity of destinations in the APAC region is evolving. North-East Asia saw a surge from #14 to #4 on the list of trending adventure travel destinations, bolstered by the reopening of China in March 2023 and the depreciation of the Japanese yen. South-East Asia also rose from #10 to #7, while South Asia and Oceania experienced a slight decline in popularity. These changes could be attributed to rising airfare prices, a natural stabilization following the post-pandemic travel boom, or shifts in consumer preferences.
Hiking, trekking, and walking remain the most popular adventure travel activities globally and in the APAC region. Cultural activities also continue to grow in popularity, and in 2023, they were joined by camping and climbing as favorite activities in the region. Notably, culinary adventures in the APAC region dropped in popularity, ranking fourth compared to their global position of second.
“Japan has seen a huge surge in adventure tourism since fully reopening in spring 2023,” said Matt Blench, Director of EXO Adventure and an ATTA member. “Cycling and trekking are in high demand, and supply is struggling to keep up. Indonesia has also made a comeback as a prime destination for trekking and climbing, combined with camping, and has seen 100% growth in 2024 compared to 2019.”
Sustainability is increasingly becoming a focus for tour operators in the APAC region. In 2023, 57% of operators in the region either held or were pursuing sustainability certifications, compared to 51% globally. This indicates a growing interest in responsible and sustainable travel practices across the region.
Looking ahead to 2025, hiking and cultural activities are expected to remain among the top five adventure activities in the APAC region, according to Hannah Pearson, Regional Director APAC at ATTA. Pearson also anticipates Oceania regaining traction as a top destination due to the region’s increasing focus on adventure tourism. Pearson emphasized the APAC region’s potential as both a key adventure travel destination and a vital source market.
“Following last year’s Adventure Travel World Summit in Hokkaido, we are working closely with the Japan National Tourism Organisation to host AdventureWeek in Okinawa, as well as collaborating with Tourism Fiji to hold AdventureNEXT in Fiji in November.” ATTA will also partner with ITB Asia in October for the third consecutive year to run an adventure travel-focused session, bringing together the adventure travel community. The session will be held on October 24th at the Knowledge Theatre and will cover trends in adventure travel, over-tourism, and sustainable tourism practices, followed by the AdventureConnect networking event.
The 2024 Adventure Travel Industry Snapshot survey defined the Asia and Oceania regions as follows: [information about the survey’s regional definitions]
