North Americans Seek Active Travel Adventures this Summer as Europe Remains a Top Destination

Exodus Adventure Travels, the legacy adventure travel company with more than 50 years leading small group tours, released its summer travel trends sharing where, when and how North Americans are planning their trips. Exodus reports that active travel including hiking, biking, culture and wildlife trips are capturing the interest of North Americans, evidenced by the company’s double-digit growth this year.

Top Destinations: The most popular destinations for adventure this summer 2024 include Italy, France and the Mont Blanc region, Portugal, Spain and even Estonia. Outside of Europe, countries including Vietnam, Costa Rica, Morocco, and Peru lead active travel bookings followed by Japan and Namibia. Top small group guided active tours for the coming months include:

• Classic Dolomites
• Mont Blanc Highlights
• Cycling Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast
• Walking the Amalfi Coast

Expert-Led Travel: Research reveals many travelers are willing to spend time and money to access curated experiences and opportunities to learn from experts, both of which are integral to the intimate nature of group tours. In conjunction with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS), Exodus Adventure Travels launched a series of expert-led tours such as the Classic Kenya 4WD Safari Trip this August to explore Kenya’s best safari sites with an expert safari guide and hosted by award-winning Canadian filmmaker and World Elephant Day co-founder, Patricia Sims. 

Small Group Travel Allows for Convenience and Reassurance: With experience and award-winning itineraries, Exodus has the resources to provide travelers with a secure small group travel experience that provides the convenience, knowledge and security of expert guides. Exodus Adventure Travels also recently received its license to provide active, cultural and educational trips to Cuba, a destination of interest for North American travelers. This means US residents can legally visit the island and know they are directly supporting Cuban locals. Departures begin in early October 2024.

Nature-First Approach to Travel: Additionally, MMGY Travel Intelligence reported that 56% of travelers are willing to pay more to support environmentally responsible providers. The recently B-Corp certified company seeks ways to lower each trip’s carbon footprint by serving locally sourced food, eliminating single-use plastics and using renewable energy sources, where possible.

Solo Travel Remains Strong: One out of three Exodus customers are joining a trip on their own this summer and in 2024. Through independent research, Exodus found that active travel experiences foster a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie while providing an opportunity to share those experiences with others.

While the lead time for reserving travel has increased in 2024, travelers can still find last-minute trips this summer to enjoy the thrill of small-group adventure tours. In fact, Exodus Adventure Travels is offering a Summer of Adventure promotion with savings of up to 15% for some of its most popular tours.