“You Don’t Need To Be A Marathoner”: Backroads & the New Era for Active Travel

The active travel segment is changing. The once-niche specialty is attracting more and more travelers each year, thanks to increased awareness, a steady interest in wellness, and barrier-breaking innovations like e-bikes. As more people are physically able to participate in active travel experiences, more people are opting to book guided land tours that include these components — whether that’s a small group trek up Machu Picchu or a women-only walking tour through France.

Backroads — a tour operator that’s been a leader in this space for decades — has seen these changes firsthand.

“Active travel feels so much more accessible to a much wider audience than it did in years past,” said Avery Hale Smith, chief experience officer at Backroads. “You don’t need to be an ultra marathoner to go on a Backroads trip.”

Travel Market Report sat down with Smith for an exclusive interview on the latest trends shaping the active travel segment, and the opportunity this presents for travel advisors. Smith, who is the daughter of founder Tom Hale, is uniquely positioned to speak on the subject, having grown up in the business.

“When we first started out, we were just a bike touring company. We’ve since evolved to have a much wider array of offerings,” explained Smith. “More travelers now see active vacations as just a natural extension of their healthy lifestyle. It offers them a chance to stay active and connect to others — to have this authentic, real-world experience. Many more people are searching for that.”

Backroads: A Pioneer in Elevated Active Travel

Backroads is an active tour operator that has been offering walking, hiking, and biking trips since 1979. Currently, the company offers both private and small group tours, with themed itineraries for Couples, Friends & Solos, Family, and Women-Only groups, as well as active cruises through partnerships with companies like AmaWaterways and Silversea. Guests can also choose from three accommodation tiers: casual, deluxe, and luxury.

Backroads recently joined the USTOA as an active member, which Smith said gives the tour operator access to industry trends, data, collaboration, and conversations about the future of travel.

“USTOA really just broadens those horizons. In a way that we felt was beneficial to us as we continue to evolve and grow,” said Smith. “Having an opportunity to connect with other leading tour operators is something that we get a lot of value from.”

Such conversations will no doubt be fruitful for other tour operators as well. Backroads has developed an excellent reputation for operating high-end active tours, reflected by high ratings on platforms like Tripadvisor and Trustpilot. And unlike other tour operators in the active space, Backroads has always leaned into more premium offerings — while some active travel companies have recently expanded into luxury, luxury has always been central to how Backroads defines itself.

“At our heart, we are an active travel company. We are a luxury active travel tour operator, and we operate all over the world. We like to think we have something for everyone,” said Smith.

According to the C-suite executive, the majority of Backroads’ itineraries fall under the luxury tier for hotels, which include properties with 5-star, white-glove service. An itinerary might feature a mix of hotel service levels, like two luxury and a deluxe hotel; however, she stresses that the company makes sure to communicate this to guests in order to set expectations. All properties, regardless of service level, are vetted by Backroads.

“We try to be really straightforward with our guests about the type of accommodation that they can expect on that trip,” explained Smith. “Usually for our casual trips, even though we categorize the hotels as more casual or less refined, we’re choosing those hotels because they offer the best access to the best trails in the region, or they might have something special about them that isn’t your traditional luxury.”

Active Travel Outlook: The Trends Shaping the Segment

Smith told TMR that Backroads has seen several major shifts in traveler booking behavior in recent years. Not only are more people drawn to this segment, but the booking season is expanding too. Once marked by clear peaks and valleys, Smith said Backroads’ bookings are now more steady throughout the year, thanks to the increase in shoulder season interest.

“We stay really steady throughout the year because I think people are more attracted to the shoulder season … We’ve seen substantial growth in the shoulder season, months, year over year,” she said. “September, for example … we’re 10% up year over year. October 15% up year over year, and in May, we’re 30% up year over year.”

Shoulder season has a few advantages for travelers. Smith suggested the increase in bookings could be explained by people wanting to avoid extreme weather and peak season crowds.

Another growth area is in walking and hiking trips, as well as women-only itineraries. Backroads continues to expand these segments in order to meet the increased demand. On the cycling side, the company is investing in e-bikes, which make biking itineraries more accessible to a wider audience. Backroads launched an e-performance bike in 2026 and plans to expand those in 2027.

“We’ve seen strong demand for e-bikes… but I see that only continuing to increase over time, especially as guests age,” said Smith.

In terms of segment outlook, Smith predicts that travelers will continue to be drawn to human-led active itineraries as a way to connect with others and maintain a healthy lifestyle while on vacation.

“We hear a lot from our guests that we [were] able to provide them with a nice mix of leisure time and relaxation and indulgence, while also… working hard, sweating for their meal, whatever it might be,” said Smith. “To be able to come away from their vacation feeling a sense of accomplishment and immersion in a way that other travel experiences just don’t grant you — that feels like the ultimate luxury.”