Visit Wales has partnered with leading adventurers, outdoor travel experts, innovators and scholars to reveal the five most significant global outdoor travel trends for 2020. Each trend curated is intensifying in prominence across the world, while emerging in Wales in inventive and imaginative ways.
The Let the Outdoors In: Global Outdoor Travel Trends 2020 has been developed in collaboration with 2020 Pride of Britain Award winner, Benjamin Clifford who runs an adaptive surf school in South Wales, former Welsh rugby international and adventurer, Richard Parks, and self-confessed ‘wild woman’ – award winning adventure writer and journalist, Phoebe Smith, to name but a few.
Through expert analysis, real life experiences and an insight into Wales’ outdoor originators, the report explores a host of important global themes.
These include; how women are set to engage with the outdoors next year and beyond, a new wave of ‘field to fork’ food tourism; the impact of exhilarating adventures on our mental health and addressing loneliness through walking and interacting with others.
The trends have been inspired by a range of innovators from the tourism industry within Wales. From the outdoor chill swimming group, the Bluetits Swimmers, which started in Pembrokeshire and has now expanded across Wales and beyond; to Fforest, a sustainable outdoor hotel which is designed to merge with the natural surroundings. It has also involved leading Professor of Performance Psychology at Bangor University, Tim Woodman.
Jason Thomas, Director of Culture, Sport and Tourism, Welsh Government commented:
“During our Year of Outdoors we will be offering visitors the opportunity to experience the outdoors like never before, emphasising the important link between the outdoors and our well-being, and inviting visitors to experience our world-class outdoor offer.”
One of the trends featured in the report is Walking it Out. Walking is one of the most popular outdoor activities in Wales, embodied by products such as the Wales Coast Path and Offa’s Dyke Path.
In conjunction with Ramblers Cymru, the report details how against a backdrop of social media, stress at work and geographical isolation, walking in the outdoors to connect with others and improve human relationships, will be a key trend to watch in 2020.
Women in the outdoors highlights that the outdoors hasn’t always been enjoyed to its full advantage by women. This is changing as we head into 2020, with more women embracing the benefits and dispelling stereotypical images of outdoor adventure activities.
2020 is set to see the launch of a host of new outdoor experiences in Wales, including Slate Mountain Lodge; a new glampsite that offers a beautiful location in a rugged landscape and Spirit Cymru, which will connect chapels and churches in West Wales through unique cycle tours and overnight stays in remote historic church and chapel buildings.
The Report has been launched ahead of Visit Wales’ Year of Outdoors in 2020 – a celebration of the inherent connection between Wales’ people and the outdoors.
Top Five Outdoor Travel Trends for 2020
Women in the Outdoors
The outdoors: it’s everything that’s not indoors, and it should be open and accessible to all kinds of visitors. In fact, representatives from the tourism industry have found that the outdoors hasn’t always been enjoyed to its greatest advantage by women. In 2020, that’s set to change as more women embrace the benefits of outdoor adventure activities – and dispel stereotypical images of the participants in outdoor activities.
Sarah Mullis is from the Bluetits chill swimmers, which started in Pembrokeshire and is growing in popularity in Wales and beyond.
She says:
“I used to associate the outdoors with cycling, running and competitive men in lycra, but chill swimming changed that for me. The women we swim with – because although we do welcome men, and love it when they come along, the group is predominantly women – have all sorts of things going on in their lives: cancer treatment, relatives to care for, depression and the menopause to name but a few. But when we all get together and go for a swim, our problems seem that little bit smaller and more manageable.”
Walking it Out
The positive effects of walking on both physical and mental health have long been recognised. But in 2020, a new way of understanding the benefits of walking while travelling and in our everyday lives is unfolding. Stressful lifestyles, hectic work schedules and isolation from friends and family are recognised as factors in causing loneliness and disconnection. As a result, walking in the outdoors to connect with others in a unique way made possible by the outdoor environment and escape from technology, is on the rise.
Jacky Cross of Meirionnydd Ramblers says:
“Mental health problems affect one in four of us, yet many people are still afraid to talk about them. Walking together allows us to open up, strengthen existing relationships and create new friendships. It brings laughter, inspiration and adventure, especially for those of us who might be feeling lonely.
Surfing for the Psyche
Surfing has always been known to demand bravery, fearlessness and physical ability but as we head into 2020, experts are starting to better understand its connection to opening up to vulnerability and building resilience which can be taken into everyday life.
In gaining a sense of control and influence over their emotions and the situation, surfers of all abilities can learn to cope more effectively with difficult situations elsewhere in their lives. A benefit that lower-risk sports are simply unable to offer.
Tim Woodman, professor of performance psychology at Bangor University, comments:
“Taking part in outdoor activities that include a perceived physical risk provides significant and long-lasting psychological benefits. Emotions arise that individuals have to control in order to perform the activity. It forces them to deal with a turbulent state of mind, often led by fear.
“Our most recent research shows that it is specifically the risk element in this type of sport that helps people develop their self-esteem, because they learn to adapt to an ever-changing environment. As such, it is a great training ground for life.”
Benjamin Clifford, founder of Surfability UK, adds:
“Each wave is different and the sea is always in motion – much like life – so people have to practice the skill of being in the moment and connected with their bodies in order to surf.”
Adventure for the Senses
In the face of increased working hours and higher stress levels, more and more visitors want their time outdoors to provide them with a new type of challenge and a greater sense of fulfilment. 2020 is set to see more travellers moving away from routine outdoor breaks, and opting instead for adrenaline-fuelled adventures. This has produced a new generation of daredevil explorers, keen to reassess what they can take from the outdoors to create a sense of balance in their busy lives.
Andrew Hudson from Zip World, home to the longest zip line in Europe and the fastest in the world, says: “Often, those people who come to Zip World for the first time underestimate the real impact it will have on them. Zip lining is one of the most accessible adrenaline activities – everyone from children to grandparents can take part. But when they do, they slide into a totally new perspective on life and achieve a true escape from the daily grind.”
Eating Natural
In 2020, “field to fork” is an ideology that will have more of an influence over food tourism than ever before. Knowing where ingredients come from is becoming more of a priority for an increasing number of ‘food tourists’ who want to link what they eat to the outdoors, where it begins its journey to our plate.
Now the connection between food and the outdoors is being taken to a new level. Where hyper-local sourcing and foraging may once have been the preserve of experts, visitors can now literally take matters into their own hands by taking part in foraging breaks. Not only are food fanatics seeking holidays where they can eat and source food from the outdoors, they are finding unique and beautiful locations to eat in the elements, furthering their connection to the land where their food came from.
Sian Tucker from Fforest outdoor hotel, said:
“Growing and eating your own food is a great pleasure, as well as foraging and gathering food in the outdoors. We encourage people to learn how to identify edible plants, and forage for wild and natural food: mushrooms, herbs, shellfish, seaweed, and lots of pure fresh air on the side.”
