By Pippa Jacks
Group Editor
TTG Media Ltd - 07 FEB 2022
Demand for adventure travel in the UK is set to continue even once more of the world has reopened for tourism.
The South West coastal path in Dorset, England (Pic: Matteo Massimi on Unsplash)
Intrepid Travel, which launched a programme of domestic trips during the pandemic, said it is still seeing good demand for its walking and cycling trips in the UK. “Female solo travellers, in particular, are really coming through [for this product],” said Joanna Reeve, head of business development and partnerships.
Reeve was speaking at the Adventure Travel Networking conference in London last week, where dozens of adventure suppliers got together for two days of panel sessions and networking opportunities for the first time in two years.
Above: Lyn Hughes, Wanderlust; Joanna Reeve, Intrepid; Will Cairns, Active England Tours
“The appeal of the ‘bucket list in your own backyard’ that grew during the pandemic, like walking the Jurassic coast or Cornish coast, is still there,” she explained. “Travelling with like-minded people in a safe environment, with a company you can trust, is an over-riding trend.”
She added that taking a walking trip in the UK had also been a “gateway” to customers then having the confidence to book one of Europe’s classic walking trips.
Will Cairns, director of Active England Tours, said there were swathes of the United Kingdom that are still undiscovered. “Last July I went walking in College Valley in Northumberland, which was as beautiful as the Lake District, yet I only saw three other people,” he noted.
“The appeal of the ‘bucket list in your own backyard’ that grew during the pandemic, like walking the Jurassic coast or Cornish coast, is still there,” she explained. “Travelling with like-minded people in a safe environment, with a company you can trust, is an over-riding trend."
ENDS
The ATN22 Conference & Marketplace brought over 250 travel trade members together
(in-person & virtually) to do business, network and kickoff 2022!
This event ran over one week with the Marketplace opening on Thursday 3rd Feb for supplier/buyer meetings & reopening the following week for 3 more days.
The ATN22 Conference took place on Friday 4th Feb.
During the course of the week 300+ meetings took place between overseas DMCs,
Tourist Boards, Travel Providers and UK Adventure Tour operators.
Read the full TTG article and other related articles HERE
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