Adventure
Tourism
Roger Merchant, Extension Educator
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
Adventure travelers engage in outdoor activities and adventures that
are hands-on, challenging and participatory. Adventure travel can
be either "soft" or "hard".
What is it about?
- SOFT ADVENTURE … road biking, easy hiking, wildlife watching,
photo safaris, camping, sailing, birding, flat water canoeing
and skiing
- HARD ADVENTURE … off-road mountain biking, white-water
rafting and canoeing, back-packing, scuba, rock climbing, hang
gliding, survival, white water canoeing
Who might like it?
People who
- are active, from many ages and stages of life
- like adventure, risk-taking, fitness oriented
- like biking, walking, hiking, canoeing, rafting
SOFT Adventure people …
- tend to be married, 55% with children, some bring grandchildren
- have lower median income ($44,400) than HARD
HARD Adventure people …
- tend to be Gen X (18-34) and Boomers (35-54)
- bring friends and spouses, fewer children
- have higher median income ($49,000) than SOFT
How can a community-county participate
with this?
- Partnership and management by public and private sectors
- Inventory land and water based adventure assets
- Asset Evaluation: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats
- Assess infrastructure needs around marketable assets
- Develop and implement a strategic marketing plan
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