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- Higher numbers of tourists are seeking out adventures when they travel.
- Adventure tourists are often wealthy and go to more remote parts of the country for outdoor excursions.
- This represents an opportunity for rural communities in South Africa.
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A growing number of wealthy tourists are traveling in pursuit of adrenaline-filled, or adventure-orientated outdoor experiences, providing an opportunity for rural South African communities to host them.
Adventure tourism is an international trend that is expected to grow in prominence over the coming years, according to Andre du Toit, the chapter chair of the recently established Adventure Tourism Committee of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA).
The global adventure tourism market is set to reach $4.6 trillion (R88 trillion) by 2032, growing at an annual rate of 28.7%, according to a report by Allied Market Research.
Adventure tourism generally includes physical activities that happen outdoors and may contain an element of risk. Tourists might go hiking, diving, paragliding, ziplining, rock climbing, and the like.
"Adventure tourism really is the main trend around travel," said Du Toit, adding that the sector generally attracts high-earning tourists, meaning the market is resilient to political and economic challenges.
On a South African level, Wesgro compiled a report using data from SA tourism that provided insight into adventure travel trends locally.
The majority of adventure tourists came from Europe, with Germany being the most popular country of origin in 2021.
Adventure was ranked as the second most enjoyed activity by European tourists to South Africa in 2021.
Du Toit said that South Africa has a huge number of beautiful rural areas where adventure guides already operate, but that many tourists still stuck to "traditional" tourism areas such as Cape Town.
He said that the increased desire for adventure experiences by tourists offered an opportunity for rural communities in areas such as the Drakensberg, Karoo, and parts of the Eastern Cape.
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"We believe that adventure tourism is the major catalyst required to ignite tourism in rural areas," said Du Toit.
Guiding
Jessi Sunkel, the executive director of the South African Adventure Industry Association (SAAIA), said that there was an opportunity for adventure guides in rural communities to come from those communities themselves.
She said that financial barriers, experience, and training as an adventure tour guide were barriers to this.
"As a guide, you can run your own business, so literally after four months of training and logging hours and getting experience, you can start your own business as a freelance guide," said Sunkel.
Sunkel explained that the current requirements for becoming a guide were set to change, and said that SAAIA was working with industry bodies to make it more accessible to become a guide, and differentiate the training requirements for adventure guides as compared to other guides in the tourism industry.
Du Toit said that guides involved in the adventure industry usually had a natural sense of how to ensure the safety of their customers.
"The reality is that those who work in the adventure industry are risk aware," he said.
