Adventure Tourism Research: A Guide to the Literature

Adventure tourism is a substantial industry sector which to date has received relatively little research attention. Most relevant research is from outdoor recreation. The major research themes are: psychological, including thrills, conflicts and norms; safety, including injuries, illnesses and insurance; impacts, whether ecological, social or economic; and participation and management. There has been rather little research on the structure of adventure tourism products or associated business aspects. Future research priorities include: operational audits; commercial statistics; client characteristics; site geography; equipment manufacture; safety and insurance; recreation ecology; adventure destination marketing; and links with amenity migration and lifestyle.