Adventure travel companies are probably facing the biggest adventure of their lives as they handle the digital disruption and are forced to be transformers and disruptors
The adventure travel sector is being shaken to its core by successive waves of digital disruption and transformations in the way people want to travel and share their experiences.
Not only has digital marketing become key for promoting services and engaging with customers at every stage from research and booking and returning home, digital media, GoPros and social networks have become essential channels for documenting adventures in real time.
As with other parts of the travel trade, adventure specialists are now finding themselves being placed into one of three camps: traditionalist, transformer and disrupter. Specialists described the concepts in broad terms:
• Traditionalists: anything from mainstream travel companies to full service adventure specialists drawing on the skills and experiences of a range of consultants to service clients.
• Transformers: companies using technology to improve the efficiency of the traditional businesses or those which alter the entire travel landscape.
• Disrupters: those who completely change a business using technology or do new things but fail to change the industry at large.
Given the subjective nature, the boundaries between some of the categories are blurred. “The difference between disruptors and transformers is extremely subtle,” said Carolyn Childs, head of travel research at MyTravelResearch.com. “Disruptors are those who do new things but do not change the whole travel landscape. Virgin Galactic would be a good example of this. They’ve brought the ultimate adventure experience within the budget of the mass affluent.”
“In the adventure space G Adventures and Intrepid are among those who have changed the experience (as transformers), using local transport for example, aiming to avoid experiences like elephant-riding and providing options to live locally.”
A company’s position can change over time too, observed Robert Basiuk, managing director of Borneo Adventure, who believes this is fundamental to the evolution of adventure travel.
“When we started our tour business, we were the disruptors, as we were offering something new to the market – ecotourism and responsible tourism,” he said. “We were part of the transformation of the industry shifting from the usual package tours to something more active and interactive.
“I guess having been doing this for some 28 years, we are now considered traditionalists. That said, we definitely see the need to continue to change and adapt as new media has disrupted many of the traditional supply chains and clients are now coming direct through many new portals.”
The industry still faces the usual concerns relating to safety, security, insurance and liability, and more contemporary challenges such as providing Wi-Fi, mobile connectivity and charging points for electronic equipment when on a trip.
“GoPros, digital media, Internet and social media have everyone recording and reporting everything,” said Basiuk. “The good part is that your products are reaching a far wider audience and reaching it now. The challenge is that the expectations are very high – pressure lamps do not quite cut it anymore.”
Technology is becoming increasingly important for adventure travel operators, and companies that fail to deploy it effectively to market their services and connect with clients will pay a heavy price. However, many specialists believe that focusing on the fundamentals of content and quality are still the best methods for building a competitive advantage in the market.
“You need to do many things well,” said Natasha Martin, a tourism consultant with Solimar International who also counsels the Adventure Travel Trade Association, “but perhaps the top three issues for companies entering this business are: one, provide a unique and delightful experience for your guests; two, provide your service in an environmentally and culturally sustainable manner; and three, build and maintain relationships with customers and trade partners.”
Anthony Hill, managing director of Adventure Travel, takes a harder line by saying companies must become transformers if they are serious about transforming the adventure travel space. Technological innovation is also essential for protecting margins in an increasingly competitive market, he added.
“Adventure travel companies around the world are run by owners that are passionate about the activities they offer and the regions they travel through, but few embrace technologies that would make them a disruptor.
“To differentiate yourself and be considered a leader in the field, you need to become a transformer.”
While there will always be competition among players, Hai Ho, principal at Triip.me, which he described as a transformer in the tour booking segment, said this does not mean relationships have to be adversarial; in fact, he advocates much greater collaboration and co-operation between operators.
“The cake in travel is big enough for everyone,” he said. “Stop fighting. Start working together. Otherwise Google or some other big tech company may kill us all.”
The South-east Asia kick
Greg Lowe compiles 10 adventures in ASEAN worthy of retailers’ attention
Bali | Bali Family Adventure
Tailored to families, this 10-night guided tour takes clients on an action-packed adventure across the Indonesian island. Key highlights include surfing in Kuta, taking in the volcanic terrain of Mount Batur and rafting down Ayung River. Food is also a focus and Balinese cuisine is served in various settings throughout the trip. Stay in a host of boutique properties. Cultural activities include jewellery making in Sanur, temple tours, a farm trip in Ubud and a visit to the indigenous Aga community.
www.backyardtravel.com
Bhutan | Motorbike tours
Travelling around Bhutan in an SUV, pretty much the only option for most tourists, can be an arduous experience at best with many trips taking up to eight hours. Travelling by motorbike, however, transforms the hard task into an unforgettable experience. A number of day trips are on offer, but Bhutan TUSK Motorcycle also offers a 15-day Around the Dragon tour which travels from Paro through Thimphu to Punakha, Bumthang, Mongar and Tashigang, taking in Ura and Gangtey valleys. A number of side trips, including a trek to the iconic Taktsang Monastery and the option of enjoying colourful Bhutanese festivals are also included.
www.bhutantuskmotorcycle.com
Borneo | Ulu Ai experience
Groups are picked up in Kuching, stop at Lachau Bazaar on the way to Batang Ai Lake, where they depart for Nanga Sumpa lodge by longboat. Action starts the next day with a breakfast along riverside jungle trails. The journey continues upriver to Le Enseluai waterfall, with a short stop to watch Iban-style net fishing. Accommodation is at Jambu longhouse, located in the furthermost and most isolated community on the Delok River (with just eight families). The journey then continues to the waterfall, where the group has time to relax, swim and enjoy a riverside BBQ prepared by the Iban hosts. Return to Kuching the next day after overnighting at the lodge.
www.borneoadventure.com
Cambodia | Chi Phat, community based tourism
This jungle adventure in Cambodia’s Cardamon Mountains combines natural beauty and community-based tourism. Many of the guides from the traditional Cambodian village who lead groups on excursions were former poachers. There is plenty of wildlife to see. Soft adventure options include early morning bird-watching excursions on traditional boats and staking out. More challenging trips including treks and mountain bike rides deep into the forest.
www.chi-phat.org
Laos | Nam Nern Night Safari
Head into the Nam Et-Phou Louey National Protected Area in northern Laos for this 24-hour boat excursion into the area’s interior. Night-time nature watching is a highlight: groups are able to track and observe wild and endangered animals from their longtail boats before overnighting in traditional Lao bungalows at the ecolodge built and managed by the local community.
The adventure also supports the villagers and features programmes to conserve tigers and other wildlife. Activities include bird watching, wildlife tracking, night treks and an introduction to local medicinal plants.
www.namet.org
Myanmar | Inle Lake bike ride
Rather than taking a minibus transfer to their hotels, clients arriving at Heho airport en route to Myanmar’s iconic Inle Lake instead mount bicycles for the two-hour descent to Inle. Along the way they stop off at a local workshop in Heho to see how Shan paper is made, walk across the old railway bridge, then ride on to Nyaung Shwe before finally reaching the hotel.
www.khiri.com
Philippines | Mayon Volcano
The Philippines most famous volcano rises 2,462m above Luzon Island and is renowned for its almost perfect conical form and frequent eruptions. (While the volcano is now a core attraction for tourists, an eruption in 1814 killed more than 1,200 islanders.) Groups can explore the mountain and its surrounds on an ATV tour which takes them through gullies and to the Lava Wall, a towering pile of volcanic rock from a recent eruption, which rises to a height of hundreds of metres.
www.mayonatvtour.com
Vietnam | Son Doong Cave
Despite vying for the title of being the world’s biggest cave, Son Doong Cave, which stretches some 9km and is tall enough to fit a 40-storey building, was only discovered in 1991 by a Vietnamese man. British cavers were the first to mount an expedition into its interior in 2009.
Oxalis has exclusive rights for running tours into the cave, which is so large it has its own weather system, complete with mist clouds. Given the limited access, groups may need to book as far as a year in advance for the four-night 50km trek.
www.oxalis.com.vn
Vietnam | Hanoi to Luang Prabang cycle ride
This13-day tour of two countries, Vietnam and Laos, is not for the faint-hearted. Starting from Hanoi the ride ventures through the diverse landscape, rice paddies and mountains of northwestern Vietnam, including a stop at a hill station in Sapa, a former French colonial retreat. It includes experiences with Montagnards, a mountainous ethnic group, and the Hmong, Dai and Tsao. The group crosses into Laos at the historic Vietnamese city of Dien Bien Phu, after which the tour winds its way through the mountains to the ancient capital of Luang Prabang.
www.spiceroads.com
Thailand | Cave adventure
The area surrounding Mae Hong Son in northern Thailand is home to a diverse range of cave networks, some of which are several kilometres long. Ban Tham Lot offers some of the most spectacular and easily accessible caves, and groups can travel on a bamboo raft along the Nam Lang stream through parts of the network. The main cave features three chambers: Tham Sao Hin, which has columns reaching up to 20m in height; Tham Tukkata, known for its doll-like stalagmites and stalactites; and Tham Phi Maen, where teakwood coffins and other artefacts dating back as many as 2,000 years were discovered.
Tham Nam Lot Nature and Wildlife
Education Centre, tel: (66) 0-53-617-218
This article was first published in TTG Asia, July 17, 2015 issue, on page 14. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.
