FROM RISKY ENDEAVORS TO PROFITABLE VENTURES: AN OVERVIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF ADVENTURE TOURISM

Abstract

Recently, adventure tourism has exhibited an explosive growth in its development and has been regarded as one of the most popular types of nature-based tourism. Stimulated mainly by high numbers of participants who aim for the novel, exciting, challenging as well as adrenaline-rushed experiences, commercially-specialised operators have emerged to satisfy this demand. A wide range of activities are offered and various promotional initiatives are advertised in order to obtain a wider market segment. The existing scenario has led to a new paradigm in assessing the traditional consumption of outdoor and adventure recreation. This paper intends to provide an overview of adventure tourism as an increasingly popular trend by exploring several conceptual dimensions relevant to the adventure tourism, particularly in terms of its affiliation with outdoor recreation, adventure recreation, and natural environment.