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Driven by a collective desire for activities that combine excitement, personal challenge and connection with nature, travelers of varying fitness levels are increasingly shifting from traditional sightseeing to immersive adventure travel. Skift Search, Travelers now spend more than $250 billion annually on adventure travel.
However, according to a study by EF Adventures, only one in four travelers feel they have had the perfect adventure travel experience. At a time when the majority of travelers say experiences have a moderate to significant impact on how they plan their trips, as explained in Skift's 2024 State of Travel ReportTour operators have a huge opportunity to deliver better adventure travel.
EF World Travel is a leading tour operator with 35 years of experience in the adult leisure travel industry, operating multiple brands such as EF Ultimate Stay (18 to 35 years old) and EF Go Ahead Tours (35 years and older). EF Adventures is the company’s newest initiative that hopes to reach an increasingly active traveler base. SkiftX spoke with EF World Journeys President Heidi Durflinger about consumer preferences and expectations for adventure travel and how the company’s new brand, EF Adventures, aims to meet these evolving traveler demands.
SkiftX: What inspired EF World Journeys to launch EF Adventures?
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Heidi Durflinger: The launch of EF Adventures was inspired by our company’s passion for education and learning, as well as a corporate culture that prioritizes well-being and physical activity. EF World Journeys lives these values within a broader EF Education First organization. EF is not only a global leader in education, but one of the more than 15 businesses the company owns and operates actually includes a team of men and women. professional cycling team.So the marriage of cultural immersion and adventure is written into our DNA.
Our research shows that while the adventure travel market is growing, many needs remain unmet. About 80% of travelers surveyed said the idea of traveling on an adventure is exciting, as are the opportunities to learn about the people, history, culture and cuisine of the destinations they visit.
SkiftX: How do you define adventure travel and why is it so appealing to consumers right now?
Durflinger:Adventure travel is all about exploring new cultures and environments while getting outside and being active. For us, it combines movement with cultural immersion, allowing travelers to discover a destination and step out of their comfort zone to experience something new.
Our research found that 75% of travelers want to be more active on vacation and are looking for a variety of experiences to explore the world. This can include activities like hiking or walking in the Alps or biking in Spain. It also includes multi-adventure tours, like the ones we offer in Costa Rica or Bali, which include activities like kayaking, rafting, ziplining or yoga. Our goal is to provide adventure travel experiences at different levels of physical activity that allow travelers to immerse themselves in the local culture.
SkiftX: In a recent study, you found that cultural immersion is the most enriching experience travelers seek out on adventure travel. Why is EF Adventures uniquely suited to deliver this type of experience?
Durflinger: At EF, our mission is to open the world through education. For nearly 60 years, EF has been a leader in education, cultural immersion and integrating special learning moments into our travel offerings. With more than 50,000 colleagues living and working in 100 countries, our local expertise is unmatched.
It all starts with our vision for each tour we produce, the story we are trying to tell through an itinerary and the tour design principles that bring to life those stories of a particular destination and the people who live there. Our itineraries are designed with immersive and experiential activities at the heart of our concerns.
Our secret ingredient is the incredible tour guides we work with locally to guide our travelers. The talented tour guides are local guides, history teachers, and community builders who know those special off-the-beaten-path moments that make a trip truly unique.
SkiftX: Can you share some examples of EF Adventures’ unique blend of cultural immersion and active excursions?
Durflinger: Our research shows that adventurous travelers are dynamic people. They consider themselves foodies, sightseers, culture vultures, amateur photographers, art enthusiasts and more.
This information helps us understand how our tours combine movement with iconic landscapes, local sites and historical landmarks. For example, one of our tours takes travelers hiking the Trans Bhutan Trail, ending in the village of Dopshari, where travelers have lunch at a local farm and can try their hand at archery, the national sport, or play a fast-paced game of darts. On another tour, travelers can cycle to a truffle farm in the Alba region of Piedmont, where they participate in a truffle hunt and sample their finds over lunch.
SkiftX: How are consumer preferences evolving around other aspects of adventure travel, such as food and accommodations?
Durflinger: Adventure tour travelers told us they wanted more cultural immersion on their trips, but many also expressed concerns about the quality of accommodations and meals. We believe we can deliver a quality experience on all levels.
After an active day, travelers want the opportunity to rest and recharge. We see this as another opportunity to experience the local culture. We will fuel our bodies with nutritious meals, taking the time to recharge by learning more about local cuisines.
We offer a premium accommodation experience that includes carefully selected property styles, from modern hotels and agriturismos (an independent farm with accommodation) to charming family-run properties and mountain chalets. Many of these special hotels will offer recuperative services, including spa treatments and amenities such as swimming pools, hot tubs and saunas.
SkiftX: How does EF Adventures fit into the broader EF World Journeys family of brands?
Durflinger: EF World Journeys operates three leisure travel brands for adults that offer guided tours and experiential, culturally immersive journeys to more than 400 international destinations. We are a privately held company and part of EF Education First, founded in 1965.
Our first adult-only travel company, EF Go Ahead Tours, offers guided and experiential travel services for adults aged 35 and over and has been in business since 1990. EF Ultimate Break, which caters to adults aged 18-35, has been in business since 2003. EF Adventures will complement our portfolio of brands, fuelled by nearly six decades of institutional knowledge around integrating cultural immersion into journeys that promise enlightenment and lifelong memories.
SkiftX: According to Search on SkiftTravelers spend over $250 billion annually on adventure travel. How can travel suppliers partner with operators to capitalize on this opportunity?
Durflinger: We’re looking to partner more with corporate brands, like fitness trackers or gyms, and we’re valuing our partnerships with travel agencies and destinations around the world to help spread the word about the incredible benefits their locations can offer travelers. We run our tours independently, but we also work with local destination management agencies who have deep knowledge of a region and can partner with our in-house teams.
Destination marketing organizations, destination management companies, hoteliers, airlines and tour operators interested in working with EF should contact us to learn how we can help generate interest in their destinations. Anyone interested in working with EF Adventures or any of our brands at EF World Journeys should contact us at: www.efworldjourneys.com to learn more or find us on LinkedIn.
To learn more about EF World Journeys, Click here.
This content was created in collaboration by EF World Journeys and Skift's Branded Content Studio, SkiftX.
