Adventure Travel Trends for 2019

When we offered our first trek in Nepal in 1975, we became one of the first few companies in the world to offer 'adventure travel'. Since then, we've seen borders open, borders close, and a host of exciting new destinations open up that were once almost impossible to reach as an independent traveller. 

In 2019, it's not so much where you travel but how you experience your destination. We've noticed an interesting evolution in traveller preferences for the coming year as people recognise the negative effects of overtourism, opting to travel less to see much more, as well as using technology to give them a little boost in encouragement to join active trips they previously thought they couldn't.

Check out the top travel trends for 2019, and 10 exciting ways you can experience them with us.

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Reaction to overtourism

While tourism brings a wealth of benefits, when honeypot destinations overfill, their fragile environments can be seriously degraded. 

Travellers are becoming empowered with knowledge about how they can be a part of the solution and, even in the smallest way, make a positive impact when they travel. Active travellers are turning to sustainable and innovative itineraries that can mitigate negative effects. 

Choosing an adventure travel company with responsible travel practices at its heart and opting for destinations away from well-trodden tourist trails helps avoid overtourism. It also gives you a better opportunity to forge greater connections with local people and their ways of life, resulting in a more authentic holiday experience.

Many people are turning to ‘off the beaten track’ destinations, the style of tourism for which we’ve been strong advocates since our first trek in Nepal in 1975. By conserving environments and cultures and supporting local communities at every level of our operations in the places we visit, our big adventures leave small footprints.

The “slow travel” experience

The desire to experience more of a destination – but at a more relaxed and unhurried pace – is making a comeback.

Advancing technologies, busy lives and time-starved people translates to another trend where travellers opt for “slow travel”. That is, they want to travel less and see more, rather than packing in as many places to visit in a short space of time. 

Taking things slow when travelling will see more people switching off and unwinding in order to take their time exploring and enjoying new places. This could mean planning for a longer holiday and challenging themselves in far-flung or less visited destinations and trails. 

When your body is your vehicle and you are immersed in the natural landscapes, life slows down, and one sees everything in proximity with all the sensory avenues alert. This is the epitome of slow travel.

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The rise of e-bikes

The popularity of electronic bikes, or e-bikes, is growing rapidly alongside the range of cycling trips on which they're now on offer. 

Having first offered cycling in India in 1978 and pioneering the first commercial cycling adventures in both China and Vietnam, we know a thing or two about opening up a world of adventure and self-discovery by bike. The great thing about opting for this style of travel is that you don’t need to be a super fit cyclist to explore destinations on two wheels – thanks to the e-bike's battery powered pedalling ‘boost’. An e-bike allows people of various fitness levels to cycle together, taking on greater distances and inclines with ease. 

This growing availability of e-bikes, which kicked off in Europe, has now expanded to destinations in Vietnam, China, New Zealand, Mongolia, Cambodia, Laos and Japan, giving less able cyclists the confidence to enjoy backroads and picturesque cycle trails they may otherwise have considered too tough for their capabilities.

Newcomers to cycling trips can enjoy the benefits of a handlebar level in the rural countryside of Yangshuo or along the popular Alps to Ocean cycle trail in New Zealand’s South Island.