ETOA’s Pulse Check asks one question each time. It’s a rapid and straightforward way to highlight our members’ voices to policymakers and the wider travel industry community.

June 2025
This time we asked our members the extent to which they agree with this statement:

The development and promotion of Adventure Tourism product has the capacity to increase demand for lesser-known destinations and attractions.

For the purposes of this question, we consider “adventure tourism” to incorporate physical adventures, activities, and authentic local experiences (artistic, cultural, culinary etc).

The overwhelming majority of ETOA respondents agree that adventure tourism has the potential to increase demand in lesser-known destinations (80%), with nearly half saying they strongly agree with this assertion. Only 4% feel less well known destinations do not benefit from demand for adventure tourism and 16% are neutral in their perspective on this.

There is a growing tendency for travellers to seek out unique experiences, with some prioritising them over traditional sightseeing. For some, experiences are now the leading factor when choosing a destination. Not only does this emerging trend offer opportunities to showcase lesser-known destinations, it also presents possibilities to help with visitor dispersal in cities experiencing high visitor volumes in peak season.

ETOA is pleased to support our members in building their adventure tourism business with the addition of the Adventure Europe workshop to our events calendar.