The $188 Billion Niche Transforming Guided Land Travel

Today’s travelers want more from their vacations. They want to immerse themselves in new cultures, explore the unfamiliar, and embrace personal enrichment—all goals perfectly suited for the growing niche of adventure travel.

New research from the Adventure Travel Trade Association reveals a growing appetite for this category. The report, “Adventure Travel Market Sizing: North America, 2026,” found that 64% of travelers from North America (U.S. and Canada) are “open to adventure” in various forms, including active experiences, exploring nature, and cultural immersion.

In terms of market value, this represents approximately $188 billion: $160 billion from the U.S. and $28 billion from Canada.

The ATTA’s research was compiled from survey data collected in Q1 2025, supported by EF Adventures and developed in partnership with CBI. In total, 5,000 international travelers participated across 13 countries. This report focuses on the findings specifically from North American respondents.

One of the report’s key findings was that the perception of what constitutes “adventure” travel is shifting:

“[Adventure travel] It is no longer defined narrowly by extreme or high-adrenaline pursuits, but by a wide spectrum of experiences that combine exploration, culture, nature, and personal enrichment. In North America, this evolution reflects mature travel markets, strong discretionary income, and a growing expectation that trips deliver meaning as well as enjoyment.”

Meet Today’s Adventure Traveler

The ATTA report split travelers into five categories: adventure intensive, nature enthusiast, cultural explorer, experience sampler, and non-adventurer. Within North America, just over one-third (36%) fit into the non-adventurer category.

Across the categories, these travelers spend a median of nine nights per trip, with a per-night spend of $279. The vast majority are between the ages of 26 and 64 (74%), with only 9% of adventure travelers being between the ages of 18 and 25. Slightly more than half (54%) are male.

Interestingly, most adventure travelers are employed full-time (68%), with just 16% identifying as retired. About two-thirds (67%) are either in the middle (38%) or upper-middle (29%) income brackets.

In terms of behavior, 41% said their primary motivation to travel was for adventure and exploration, followed by cultural immersion and education (37%). Cost and affordability lead booking decisions, followed closely by quality and comfort. Travelers in the adventure space also want time to relax and enjoy good local food, underscoring that this segment caters to soft leisure as well as rugged thrill-seekers.

What Suppliers Are Seeing

Currently, the adventure travel market is served by a few key players in the packaged travel space. Both G Adventures and Intrepid are well-positioned to serve this market with their portfolios of small group tours that balance sustainability, cultural immersion, and active experiences.

Explore Worldwide, an established tour operator in the U.K. market, has been gaining ground among North American travelers. The company announced this month that it’s seen double-digit growth in bookings from U.S. travelers, with walking- and hiking-based bookings up 55% year-over-year.

Heidi Durflinger, EF World Journeys’ CEO, told Travel Market Report in an exclusive interview that she launched the brand EF Adventures in 2024 in response to market demand for trips that combined cultural immersion and outdoor, active experiences. According to Durflinger, the rise in traveler interest for adventure can be tied to shifting priorities, especially towards health and wellness.

“Everyone is trying to focus on their health and healthy aging,” said Durflinger. “Wellness and active travel … is one of the fastest growing segments in adventure travel.”

Other travel brands are following suit. In January, Active England unveiled Adventure by AE, a new B2B brand focused on the adventure travel segment. Like Active England, Adventure by AE will specialize in immersive, soft leisure itineraries in the U.K. but is catered to the trade, unlike its consumer-facing sister brand.

“We’ve always believed the most memorable trips come from slowing down, going a little deeper, and spending time in places that mean more,” said Will Cairns, founder and managing director of Active England. “This new brand gives our partners greater confidence in our wider U.K. and Ireland capability, offering clearer structure and access to the same level of quality, care, and authenticity that has always defined our work, while allowing us to expand carefully and deliberately.”