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A
handful tour operators specializing in adventure tours
Only a handful companies sell that kind of trips. Terres d'Aventures, Explorator, Atalante are the best known on the market. So, approaching them and introducing your company should be no big deal.
They sell hiking, cycling, montain climbing, trekking, mountainbiking, whitewater rafting, snowmobiling, desert tours... Well, they sell whatever can make their clients thrill.
You may also approach tour operators targeting a specific sport : Sailaway speciliazes in water sports, Blue Lagoon in scubadiving...
We are talking here about a total of roughly 50 tour operators in the country.
They either make reservations through foreign incoming agencies or through outfitters. They usually sell directly to customers and are rarely retailed by travel agencies. The average package price is between 8 000 francs (US $ 1 250) and 10 000 francs (US 1 600). Average price for packages to France is 3 000 francs (US 470), to medium distance destinations 6 000 francs (US $ 940), to long distance destinations 8 000 francs (US $ 3 100).
Adventure
tours are also sold by incentive trips planners
There are roughly 300 of those in the country. The majority are located in Paris area, which makes it easy when approaching them. They custom design out of the beaten path packages for their corporate clients and bring good business to incoming operators.
Who
are the clients?
The age group ranges from 20 to 40. They can be divided into 3 categories :
- the younger group : this is a very heterogeneous group as far as the disposable income is concerned. Even when budget is restricted, it is largely compensated by long stays and other spending. This segment requires utilities adjusted to their needs and budget : hostels, campgrounds...
- the adult group : they are mainly executives, whose age is around 33. 31% are women, 69% are men.
- the corporate group : they come for incentive trips. They are after something different, casual, sport. They spend a fair amount of money and travel year round.
What
does adventure travel mean to them?
- sport : in the mountain (snowboarding, mountain climbing, surfing...), in the air (paragliding, parachuting...), in the water (whitewater rafting, canyoning, canoeing, kayaking...), in the country (trekking, mountain-biking, hiking...). Mountain-biking and snowboarding are especially on the rise. This market cannot be numbered as most people are not licensed.
- difference : in the destination, in the style, in the approach of the country. Clients want to be out of the beaten paths.
- ecotourism : those who don't solely go for sports are highly sensitive to nature preservation
Many thanks to Fabienne Rault and Sabrina Limery for their contribution to this page.
