The Journal

Adventure travel in 2025 is quickly being shaped by technological advancements, cultural shifts, and growing consumer demand for meaningful experiences. For tourism destinations, understanding these emerging trends is essential for staying competitive and resonating with the modern traveler. New customers are attracted by brand building (awareness of a destination). Once people are aware of a destination, conversion tactics are more impactful at converting people into travelers and tourists.

Nielsen’s 2024 Annual Marketing Report made a number of important points for destination marketing that can be taken into 2025. One of the most important claims that they made is:

“Conversion-focused marketing is only half the funnel. A 1-point gain in brand metrics, such as awareness and consideration, drives a 1% increase in sales. In addition to helping stay top-of-mind with consumers, always-on upper-funnel marketing is critical when marketers are focused on long-term and full-funnel ROI. The importance can’t be understated, as Nielsen research has found that ongoing marketing efforts account for 10%-35% of a brand’s equity.”

For destinations, this brand equity translates directly to consideration for their location. Additionally, television advertising remains the most effective medium for driving long-term ROI multipliers*.

The outdoor adventure travel industry is entering a dynamic era that will be driven by evolving traveler expectations and innovations in marketing strategies. As destinations compete to capture the attention of experience-hungry audiences, understanding how to effectively create awareness and consideration with both upper-funnel and lower-funnel tactics has never been more important. Let’s dive into key trends that will help tourism destinations achieve their marketing goals in 2025.


Personalization Takes Center Stage

In 2025, travelers expect tailored experiences in their trips and activities. According to Casey Gannon, VP of Marketing at Bold Commerce, personalization has become a “must-have” for marketing strategies. AI-powered tools enable more intuitive and scalable solutions, making personalization more accessible for tourism boards and destination agencies. Custom itineraries, targeted content promotion, and hyper-localized messaging to the targeted audiences are just the first steps in personalization that will drive traveler interest.

Investing in media companies that utilize technology and innovative marketing initiatives is crucial for success. AI tools provide data-driven insights, ensuring marketing campaigns and travel experiences align precisely with consumer needs.


Accessible Adventure is Non-Negotiable

Adventure travel is becoming more inclusive, with adaptive equipment and accessible tour options enabling individuals with disabilities to experience the great outdoors. By 2025, this trend is at the forefront of the industry, driven by a societal push for inclusivity and the significant global spending power of travelers who have a disability.

Innovators like Rocky Mountain Adaptive and Bowhead have paved the way by offering guided experiences and equipment for adaptive skiing, rafting, and hiking. Additionally, the historic passage of the EXPLORE Act represents a significant milestone in efforts to allow access to public lands for veterans, people with disabilities, underserved populations, and the 175.8 million Americans that participate in outdoor activities. 

Tourism destinations that prioritize accessibility and showcase these services, not only broaden their visitor base, but also distinguish themselves as leaders in inclusive travel.


Sustainability and Slow Travel Redefine Exploration

Travelers are increasingly eco-conscious, opting for trips that minimize environmental impact. Sustainability initiatives, such as carbon-neutral accommodations, eco-tourism certifications, and local community partnerships, are now essential for destination marketing. However, it’s crucial to avoid greenwashing your location, as this can come across as disingenuous to savvy audiences. Transparency and genuine action build trust and resonate with eco-conscious adventurers. 

Slow travel, characterized by prolonged stays and deeper cultural immersion, is also gaining momentum. This aligns with consumers’ desire for meaningful connections and the opportunity to leave a positive footprint on the destinations they visit.


The Shift to Values-Based Storytelling

Today’s travelers are drawn to destinations that align with their values, such as environmental stewardship, inclusivity, and cultural respect. Destination marketing strategies and campaigns should focus on stories that celebrate local traditions, highlight sustainability efforts, and feature authentic community voices. Genuine and meaningful content is important to connect with the adventure travel audience. TV integration with a destination helps to introduce a traveler to a new destination by sharing the values of that destination. YouTube videos can also be used to showcase the values of a destination. 

Destinations can attract more tourists by tapping into cultural narratives and creating campaigns that go beyond promoting attractions. TV and YouTube storytelling, featuring a destination, can foster emotional connections to a place and create a long-term awareness of a destination.


Technology Enhances, But Does Not Replace Human Connection

While technology, including AI and predictive analytics, enhance the travel experience, adventure travelers still crave authentic human connections and are quick to notice when customer service lacks a human touch. Technology is useful to simplify logistics and tedious tasks, but the overall experience for the traveler should remain genuine and personal. Human storytelling, face-to-face interactions, and quality customer service are the touchpoints that truly resonate with visitors.


Data Becomes a Strategic Asset

In 2025, destinations should utilize data collection to create content that truly resonates with their audience. It’s imperative for destination marketing teams and agencies to analyze performance and brand building analytics across digital channels and television. There are useful insights to be gained by understanding the adventure traveler perceptions of a destination. Additionally, learning from a successful destination marketing campaign is essential to refining strategies and ensuring success.


Actionable Insights for Tourism Destinations

To stay ahead in 2025, consider these strategies:

Leverage the broad reach of Television as part of your marketing mix to showcase storytelling in your location (it’s more affordable than you think, and still the #1 platform driving long-term ROI multipliers).

Make outdoor activities accessible to a broader audience by offering inclusive options.

Collaborate with eco-conscious organizations and promote your green initiatives in marketing.

Use reviews and surveys to anticipate adventure traveler preferences.

Use AI to help analyze large data sets and find unique traveler insights for your destination

Highlight value-based authentic stories from the destination to foster interest.

Engage with target audiences both in the upper-funnel and the lower-funnel.


Shaping the Future of Adventure Travel

The adventure travel landscape in 2025 will be defined by personalization, inclusivity, sustainability, slow travel, values-based storytelling, and strategic use of content in both upper-funnel and lower-funnel marketing. By embracing these trends and investing in authentic narratives, tourism destinations can inspire a new generation of adventure travelers.


About Heliconia

Our mission is simple – to ‘Guide People to a Lifetime of Adventure’. Heliconia specializes in creating award-winning travel media content that is broadcast into over 100M+ US TV households on platforms like Discovery Channel, PBS, FanDuel Sports Networks, and OutsideTV. From outdoor adventures to family escapes and culinary journeys, our productions inspire audiences to explore the world. Curious about who Hilconia is? Watch out promo reel or explore any of our shows here: Adventure Cities, Great Family Adventure, Outdoor Eats, Facing Waves, Epic Trails or Road Trip Angler

If you’re ready to explore how Heliconia can film with you to showcase your destination, schedule a call with Stefanie Manton, Heliconia’s Tourism Partnership Manager.

👉 Book a call with Stefanie here

If you’re interested in finding out more about Heliconia’s new Television ads platform, please schedule a call with Heliconia Ads Manager, Adam Best.

👉 Book a call with Adam here

Heliconia’s Partner Portal offers a powerful solution for tourism boards and destinations to track their campaign performance. Our Partner Portal offers real-time analytics across television, social media, and YouTube, as well as on-demand access to a library of royalty-free photo and video assets. To learn more about Heliconia’s Partner Portal, book a call for a demo or walkthrough of this innovative platform.

For tourism partnership inquiries, contact:

Stefanie Manton
Tourism Partnership Manager
stefanie@helipress.com 

For Commercial Sales:

Adam Best
Ad Sales Manager
adam@heliconia.ca 

For Media Inquiries:

McKenzie Dolan
Marketing Manager
mckenzie@heliconia.ca

Appendix For more insights on some of the trends shaping the tourism industry in 2025, have a look at these resources:

• The Biggest Travel Trends to Expect in 2025: This article discusses major shifts in travel influenced by cultural, societal, and technological changes, highlighting the rise of unique experiences and the focus on sustainability.
• Travel Trends for 2025 from Intrepid Travel: This piece outlines key travel trend predictions, including the growth of women-only trips, the search for undiscovered destinations, and the increasing popularity of rail travel.
• Outdoor Vacation Market Set for Remarkable Growth: This report provides insights into the expansion of the outdoor vacation market, emphasizing the role of adventure tourism as a driving force.
• 5 Top Travel Trends for 2025 That All Destination Marketers Should Know: This article highlights emerging travel trends, such as the demand for unique experiences, a focus on sustainability, and the diversification of traveler types and preferences.
• U.S. Adventure Travelers to Ramp Up Spending: This piece discusses the anticipated increase in spending among adventure travelers, providing insights into consumer behavior and market opportunities.
• Nielsen’s 2024 Annual Marketing Report