Extreme Tourism: 10 Of The Most Dangerous Places In The World Only The Brave Dare Visit

In extreme tourism, travelers go to the most dangerous areas around the world and try out the most death-defying stunts, all for the thrill of it.

Do you love getting an adrenaline rush? There are so many adventurers who do that an entire sub-category of traveling has developed: extreme tourism. Also known as "shock tourism," travelers go to the most dangerous areas around the world and try out the most death-defying stunts, all for the thrill of it.

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Whether its mountains or volcanoes, cliff diving or cage diving, there are people out there that want to try it even with knowledge of the harmful conditions and repeated warnings from others against making the trek. Here are ten of the most dangerous trips extreme tourists risk their life for.

10 Cave of Swallows - Mexico

The Cave of Swallows in San Luis Potosi, Mexico is the largest known cave shaft in the world. It's also potentially the 11th deepest pit in the entire world. Normally, many people are wary of this ginormous hole around 160 to 205 feet wide that goes 1,220 feet straight down.

Others, however, find this hole that could literally fit the Eiffel Tower inside it as the perfect location for BASE jumping. It takes about ten seconds for jumpers with their parachutes to go from the top of the hole to the very bottom—meaning any mistake resulting in a hard landing could also result in a quick, destructive death.

9 Sistema Sac Actun - Riviera, Mexico

If a cave wasn't scary enough , let's put it underwater! Setting the record as the longest underwater cave ever discovered on Earth, it goes as far as 350 kilometers in, has an average depth of 21 meters, and has a maximum depth of 120 meters.

Oh, and there have been hundreds of roof collapse situations over time. Sounds like the perfect place for a tour, right? The various roof collapses have resulted in hundreds of cenotes, which aren't as dangerous to explore, but others opt to go deeper—without a professional.

8 Death Road - Bolivia

The Road of Death, or North Yungas Road, is not the place to take a peaceful bike ride. While more safety precautions have been put in place nowadays, it was once—and sometimes still is—known as the most dangerous road in the world.

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With constant fog, landslides, cascades, and cliffs that drop 2,000 feet, it's no surprise that 300 drivers were killed there annually until 1994. Especially since the road itself is only 10 feet wide! There are now bike tours for extreme tourists, and so far over a dozen cyclists have died over the past decade.

7 Mount Hua - China

Climbing up this mountain has been regarded as one of the most dangerous hikes in the world, so of course, that's the perfect bait for extreme tourists. Many opt to go on the "Plank Trail," which is rumored to cause 100 deaths per year.

The "Plank Road" bridge sees hikers climbing to the next peak by walking across a 0.3 meter (0.98 ft.) wide plank path that's built along the side of a vertical cliff. Even when using a different path and not opting to use the ridiculously risky plank, many still lose their footing anyway and fall to their deaths.

6 Devil's Pool - Zambia & Zimbabwe

The Devil's Pool gives you a beautiful view, but at what cost? Thousands of years of erosion have led to various rock pools at the top Victoria Falls. One of these rock pools happens to be at the very edge of the waterfall, almost hanging downward.

So naturally, many people have tried to hang onto those rocks and looks over. With heavy enough water and a slip of the finger, you could plunge over the waterfall and die. Even so, there are guides who will accompany you to the Devil's Pool if you still wish to give it a try.

5 Cage of Death - Australia

Of course it's Australia who is offering tourists the opportunity to enter something called the "Cage of Death"! The Cage of Death is a clear box that's made of merely 4 centimeters of acrylic. You enter it and are lowered into the water, where you'll get to see the most aggressive of crocodiles—and there are no bars like there are on the cages for when you go shark diving!

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Tourists report literally being able to see tooth scratches from where the crocodiles have tried to latch on. If this still sounds appealing to you, you're welcome to try it at Crocosaurus Cove.

4 Preikestolen - Norway

Once again, there are some BASE jumpers who just can't help themselves! Preikestolen—also referred to as The Pulpit, Preacher's Chair, or Pulpit Rock—is considered the most dangerous cliff out of all of the beautiful cliffs in Norway.

This steep cliff rises 1,982 feet above the water, and there are, of course, some occasional fatalities. This is to be expected when you try as an extreme of a sport as BASE jumping, but others have died merely trying to take a picture too close to the edge. Use caution if you visit this destination!

3 Iguazu Falls- Argentina & Brazil

The Iguazu Cataracts is basically a giant version of Niagara Falls. There are a total of 275 waterfalls within it, and, as a whole. Iguazu is taller and twice as wide as Niagara. You can go on boat tours throughout the falls for a pretty decent price, and while many have enjoyed their experience, there is always a risk.

For instance, two tourists from the United States died when their boat flipped over in 2011. The waters in the falls are heavy and rough, and boat tours should be boarded with discretion.

2 Villarrica Volcano - Chile

Bungee jumping is risky. Volcanoes are dangerous. So why not combine the two? Yep, tourists who travel to Pucon, Chile have the opportunity to bungee jump into an active volcano. This option comes as a part of an extreme tourist package that also includes waterfall bungee jumping, whitewater rafting, and skydiving as part of the itinerary.

Hurtling head-first towards a giant pit of bubbling, flaming lava doesn't sound too much fun to us, but to each their own! And hey, if you survive it, you have an unbelievable story to tell at parties.

1 El Caminito Del Rey - Spain

Known in English as "The King's Little Path," this walkway goes across a super narrow canyon that extreme tourists love to try. Although the walkway was originally created in 1905 as a way for workers to travel between two hydroelectric power plants, it has since become best known as a tourist attraction, especially for the tourists who like taking risks.

After all, El Caminito Del Rey once held the title as "The World's Most Dangerous Walkway" after five people died within the years 1999 and 2000. It was closed down for a bit following the controversy, but was re-opened to the public in 2015.

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Extreme tourism: ‘If it was safe, that’s not an adventure’

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Tomaž Rotar knows a thing or two about life and death in extreme environments. In February 2021, the Slovenian oral surgeon was sitting inside a cramped tent 7,300m up K2, the world’s second highest mountain. More than 20 climbers had gathered in the dark on the snowbound ledge, arriving at the camp in worsening winds and temperatures that were already below -30C. 

To stand a chance of reaching the summit as the weather window they had been chasing began to close, they would have to set off again almost immediately.

Most of the climbers there that night did the sane thing; they sat tight and descended at dawn, many swallowing the fact that they had paid guiding companies at least £20,000 for a chance to reach the summit in winter, a feat that had been achieved for the first time only weeks earlier. Others felt moved to step back into the darkness and attempt what they had flown halfway around the world to do.

Rotar was among seven climbers who made the decision to go on. He only turned back hours later when he came across an unexpected crevasse. Three other climbers managed to get across it, and continued. When they failed to return, a frantic search gripped the world’s media as military helicopters and even a fighter jet scoured K2.

All three men died that night. It would be months before their frozen bodies could be found. As Rotar has followed news updates about the Titan submersible this week with a familiar feeling of dread, he has been reflecting on the calculations wealthy adventurers make when they face that vital decision: do we stay, or do we go?

“It’s the same kind of people who feel the same kind of draw, whether it’s to go deep under the sea, or to climb very high, or to run very far,” he says. “It’s a kind of sickness, like a venom in your veins that makes you want to go. Because you want that beautiful feeling that comes when the danger is over and you know you have achieved something. And then you don’t even know how you lived before that, so you go back and you do it again.”

At the extreme and often prohibitively costly end of the travel industry, a niche has grown to meet demand for variations on that same feeling. From the oceans, to the mountains, to polar ice sheets, to active volcanoes — and now the vast expanse of space — people are increasingly prepared to pay small fortunes in pursuit of big, sometimes dangerous dreams.

Even the South Pole — which, after Scott’s ill-fated visit in 1912, went unvisited by humans until 1956 — is now offered in tourist brochures. The US Amundsen-Scott South Pole station is shadowed by another facility, about half a mile away: a tourist camp that welcomes visitors with a sign announcing “the world’s southernmost resort”. Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions, which runs the camp, offers a range of ways to get there, including the “South Pole Overnight” trip at $65,000 — guests simply fly there and back (and are presented with a certificate on their return).

Two figures seen in the distance walk across a snowy expanse

Interest in visiting Antarctica — the world’s coldest, highest, windiest continent — is surging, with the large majority of people arriving via cruise ships and landing in small boats. The number coming ashore doubled from 26,000 in the 2014/15 austral summer season to reach 55,000 in 2019/20. (Data from the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators also records some of the activities they undertook: the most recent season saw tourists go stand-up paddleboarding 598 times, snorkelling 1,661 times, snowboarding 766 times and making 4,217 dives in submersibles.)

As with other areas of the “extreme tourism” world, tour operators are increasingly blurring the lines between holidays and expeditions. As well as fly-in trips to the South Pole, ALE offers a range of itineraries that casual observers would assume were the preserve of professional explorers. Want to ski from the edge of the continent to the Pole, a 60-day epic, battling temperatures down to -30C? Just head to the ALE website and, if you can manage the $85,000 price tag, click the “book now” button. The trip will be led by an experienced guide (though it’s up to you whether you mention that in your press release and Insta-posts).

Particularly popular is the “ski the last degree” expedition, where guests are dropped by plane 69 miles from the Pole (one degree of latitude), then trek there on skis over about five days, giving those on a tight schedule the flavour of a classic polar crossing. According to IAATO, numbers taking part in the $75,000 trip tripled in the three years to 2019; those interested can head off on December 7 or 14, or January 4 next year.

“We push our clients as far as they want to go, from abseiling to zip lining to getting a taste of what it’s like being a polar explorer,” says Patrick Woodhead, a record-breaking Antarctic adventurer and founder of the luxury Antarctic operator White Desert.

Starting in 2005 with three tents and two clients, White Desert now runs three camps, each for 12 guests, offering cocktails and chef-prepared meals, a yoga pod, sauna and library. Transport options include a Gulfstream private jet (a service that Hamish Harding, one of the five people who died on the Titan submersible, was involved in setting up); clients typically pay around $100,000 per visit. “I think that this kind of travel is exactly what people are looking for,” says Woodhead. “When people come to Antarctica, they are disconnected from their phones . . . they’re in an otherworldly situation and environment and that very much changes people.”

Though tourism is growing more normal in Antarctica, risks remain. The US Coast Guard is currently carrying out an investigation after four cruise-ship tourists were killed in three incidents at the end of 2022. Two died after an inflatable boat capsized, one when a “rogue wave” hit the ship, and another fell and hit his head in rough waters.

Yet one of the odd things about extreme tourism is that risk seems to attract rather than deter customers. Just two days after a volcano erupted on White Island off New Zealand in 2019, killing 22 people, a boat guide in Whakatāne, the town closest to the volcano, told reporters that he had begun receiving new inquiries from tourists who wanted to go there. One woman wanted to see White Island close up “to feel the fury”.

A woman looks out of an aircraft at smoke rising into the air from an island

“It’s the same kind of thing that the Romantic poets talk about when they talk about the sublime in nature, the spectacles that take us out of ourselves and transcend the day-to-day human experience,” says Amy Donovan, a geographer and volcanologist at Cambridge university who has watched demand grow ever higher for proximity to spewing ash and lava. When Fagradalsfjall erupted in Iceland’s Reykjanes peninsula in March 2021, more than 350,000 people flocked to the site over the following 10 months.

After two people died in the Clipper Round The World yacht race in 2015/16, applications increased. When the celebrated US extreme skier Doug Coombs was killed in 2006 in an accident in La Grave, France, an event reported at the time as “like Superman dying”, guides noticed an uptick in inquiries from American tourists wanting to ski there.

Disaster also sells in the Himalayas. The deadly 2021 winter season on K2 — which claimed the lives of two climbers in falls, as well as the three who were lost near the summit — only increased demand for attempts on a mountain that is far more dangerous than Everest. Last summer, about 200 people reached the summit of K2, more than triple the previous record.

“People want to climb Everest because it’s dangerous and involves risk,” says Lukas Furtenbach, an Austrian mountain guide specialising in premium expeditions to Mount Everest (his packages cost up to $217,000, including personalised, professional-level video and photography). “If nobody died and it was 100 per cent safe, that’s not an adventure and I think demand would decrease.”

This year’s Everest season saw a record number of climbers — and a record number of deaths, 17. Furtenbach, whose clients all safely reached the summit, is increasingly concerned about what is happening when money, ego and the human urge to seek thrills collide in dangerous places. “I would say 14 of these deaths could have been avoided with very simple safety protocols,” he says. “Four of them were clients who went missing on summit day. Other people ran out of oxygen. These things should be impossible, and it’s happening because operators are not regulated.”

Not all extreme travel involves physical exertion. Woodhead, the White Desert founder, is this weekend in Equatorial Guinea, speaking at the inaugural “Most Traveled People” conference. The event caters to “competitive travellers”, a rapidly expanding group who attempt to visit as many places as possible on Earth, logging their visits online to climb up the league tables. Having decided the 193-long list of UN-recognised countries was too easy to complete, enthusiasts have divided the world further — MTP’s list now runs to 1,500 countries, regions, territories, dependencies, island groups and so on. (Currently top of the leaderboard is Harry Mitsidis, 51, who has reached 1,362 of them).

MTP is not alone. Since 2009, the Extreme Traveler International Congress has run meetups for tourists wanting to go beyond the brochures. Venues have included Baghdad, Mogadishu and Rockall, a granite islet in the north Atlantic.

“I think there’s a growing awareness that it’s possible to get to these kind of places,” says James Willcox, whose company Untamed Borders offers trips to destinations including Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen and has organised events for ETIC. “Previously, if a destination wasn’t in the Thomas Cook brochure and there wasn’t a Lonely Planet guidebook, people just had zero information. Now it is fairly easy to find out about anywhere online, and social media has this normalising effect — once you start looking, you see that other people are going, however unlikely the destination.”

Virgin Galactic is due to launch its first commercial space flight next week. Already 800 people have bought tickets, which now cost $450,000

The drive to tick boxes and complete defined challenges runs through much extreme travel. As reaching the “seven summits” (the highest mountain on each continent) has become common, adventurers have strived for the “explorer’s grand slam” (the seven summits plus North and South Pole), or even the “explorer’s extreme trifecta” (the highest and lowest places on Earth, Everest and Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, as well as space). A new generation is now rushing to climb all 14 of the world’s 8,000m peaks, often using extensive helicopter support to do so. Critics have pointed out that the approach creates a small number of “honeypot” objectives, while ignoring less well-trodden paths.

The wider phenomenon of buying adventure has long precedents, says Leo Houlding , a professional climber with a string of groundbreaking expeditions to his name. “Since the beginning of exploration, wealthy people have patronised and paid to join expeditions,” he says. “In the so-called golden age of European alpinism, the peaks were being climbed by rich Britons using hired local guides — some were probably good climbers, others were probably paying to go so they could dine out on it.” Nevertheless, the trend has “exploded” in the past decade, he says.

A space capsule carried by parachutes floats down to an empty flat landscape

Space offers the lure of a new frontier. Virgin Galactic is due to launch its first commercial space flight next week — a two-hour experience that will reach about 55 miles above the Earth’s surface. Already 800 people have bought tickets, which now cost $450,000. Meanwhile, the Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin rocket reaches 62 miles in a flight of just 11 minutes; since its first crewed flight in 2021, passengers have included the Star Trek actor William Shatner, the undersea explorer Victor Vescovo and Hamish Harding.

A more leisurely option is Space Perspective, an eight-person capsule that will be carried to about 19 miles (the stratosphere, rather than space) beneath a balloon. Guests are promised “No rockets. No g-force” but rather a gentle “meticulously crafted” six-hour flight “complete with a meal and cocktails”. The company hopes to launch late next year, tickets are already on sale at $125,000 per head.

Many of the operators are developing tourism and commercial space travel in tandem, and extreme travel increasingly cleaves close to science and conservation. Whereas White Desert’s Woodhead started his company by hitching a lift on a Russian cargo plane taking scientists to Antarctica, he says his planes now deliver about 250 scientists to the continent each year, the same number as his high-paying tourists. Original Travel is currently offering a £52,000-per-person trip to Botswana in which tourists will help with the release of a dozen relocated rhinos.

Jimmy Carroll of tour operator Pelorus recently organised a trip for a wealthy family that involved chartering a yacht with an on-board helicopter to Antarctica. At the client’s request, Carroll organised the charter of a second yacht, with a second helicopter, to accommodate a team of research scientists who would also teach the client’s 12-year-old daughter.

Pelorus offers access to submersibles too, of the sort that have become de rigueur aboard expedition superyachts — the increasingly in-demand vessels designed to access the harshest seas without sacrificing comfort. Some of Carroll’s clients recently chartered U Boat Navigator, a 24m yacht which sleeps six and is equipped with two submersibles. Both are built by Triton, whose underwater vehicles, which cost up to $40mn, have been used to film the BBC Blue Planet series. The Florida company was given a boost last year when it welcomed two new investors: the billionaire American hedge fund manager Ray Dalio and James Cameron, the Titanic movie director and submariner.

“People are intrigued by the fact that 70 per cent of the world is covered by water and we have seen very little of it,” Carroll says. “And I think the likes of David Attenborough ’s programmes have definitely helped spark imaginations.”

Four smiling astronauts seated in a space capsule

Perhaps the most extreme tourist of all splashed back down to Earth last month after an eight-day visit to the International Space Station. John Shoffner, 67, former chief executive of the fibre-optic cable company Dura-Line, was one of three astronauts who had bought places on Axiom’s second trip to space; the company hasn’t said how much they paid but previously reported ticket prices of $55mn. Like many adventurers, Shoffner has form across multiple disciplines: he takes part in 24-hour car races at Germany’s Nürburgring, skydives and BASE-jumps and has raced across America by bike without support.

Why does he do these things? “Well, they’re fun,” he says . “They help you find your edge — I would say your limit, but you don’t really want to find the limit.”

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The Wild World of Extreme Tourism for Billionaires

Three climbers walking up snowy mountain with the Mount Everest peak in the background

It was less than an hour off the coast of Greenland that Jules Mountain began to question his sanity. The British entrepreneur was completing the second leg of his eight-day attempt to become the first person to fly a Bell 505 light helicopter across the Atlantic. “I had to go over freezing fog at 14,500 feet or ice would build up on the vehicle’s blades,” he says. “It was -14 degrees Celsius and the high altitude meant I was gasping for air. And then I worked out I had 30 minutes’ worth of fuel remaining.”

Mountain was flying the helicopter from Montreal to Guernsey: a nearly 4,000-mile journey that included fuel stops in the frozen wastelands of Northern Canada, Greenland, and Iceland. He says he took on the challenge when he realized the helicopter’s range was 350 miles and that it could fly only three hours at a time. It meant his longest leg required pumping fuel mid-flight.

“My previous goal was to trek to the North Pole, but it felt too easy,” says Mountain. “It didn’t feel dangerous enough: You could get rescued at any moment. Whereas with this challenge, flying over icebergs and forests far from civilization, an engine failure might mean death. And that’s when the adrenaline rush hits—it’s when you feel most alive.”

Mountain, who has also summited Everest, is one of many businesspeople taking on extreme adventures around the world. British billionaire Hamish Harding and Pakistani British executive Shahzada Dawood were among the passengers aboard the Titan submersible that disappeared in the North Atlantic Ocean on June 18. Operated by OceanGate, a US company that builds and launches manned submersibles, Titan was part of a tourist expedition to observe the wreckage of the Titanic at a depth of about 12,500 feet.

On June 22, remains from Titan were located by a remote-controlled underwater search vehicle about 500 meters from the wreckage of the Titanic , roughly 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. The US Coast Guard believes all five passengers died following a catastrophic implosion .

The extreme tourism industry is niche, but growing. A swelling number of companies have emerged to facilitate dangerous adventures for the super-rich. OceanGate began offering trips aboard Titan to the site of the Titanic wreckage in 2021; seats on the latest, ill-fated trip cost $250,000 per person. However, safety concerns were raised as early as 2018, during Titan ’s quality-control stage, including questions about the 6.7-meter vessel’s experimental carbon-fiber hull structure (typically, deep-diving subs have hulls made from metal) and lack of industry certification. Past passengers have also shared details of problems with communication, navigation, and buoyancy during their 12-hour round trip to the Titanic .

With such extreme adventures, the work of operators is naturally risky. Seattle-based mountaineer Garret Madison offers bespoke expeditions to unnamed, unclimbed Himalayan peaks through his company, Madison Mountaineering. He explains that the average Everest death rate is 1 percent—a higher figure than for US service members in recent conflicts. “It’s the exhilaration of being on the mountain and coming face-to-face with danger that’s so attractive.”

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Since the pandemic, Madison has noticed an uptick in high-net-worth individuals booking out entire expeditions. “One client bought a whole trip to climb Mount Vinson in Antarctica for $200,000 last year,” he says. “It’s the latest trend: billionaires wanting their own private adventure with friends; they fly to Antarctica in a private jet. It’s next-level.”

Although his mountain expeditions are high-end, Madison says they come with minimum comfort. The greatest luxury he offers, he adds, is at Everest base camp: Warm showers, yoga sessions, and a dining tent with a movie screen are among the amenities on the $75,000 excursion. “The guys that come on my adventures ultimately want to suffer a little bit—that’s how they feel alive. Otherwise, they’d be staying at a Four Seasons five-star resort somewhere.”

However, a cottage industry of luxury extreme tourism also exists. White Desert Antarctica offers premium accommodation near the South Pole for $15,000 a night, replete with heated, opulently furnished pods and private chefs. Harding had also done that trip. “Hamish has been a true friend to White Desert for many years,” founder Patrick Woodhead said in a statement. “He has traveled with us to Antarctica a number of times, including with astronaut Buzz Aldrin when he visited.”

With these extreme tourism companies, safety generally comes with a high price tag. Madison says his service offers networks of expert guides and logistical know-how, as well as Western and Sherpa teams that coach, assist, and lead adventurers 8,000 meters above sea level. Extra oxygen, good food, and enhanced communications are also provided. “But you can do Everest cheaply and climb with your own tent and without a guide,” says Mountain. “There are plenty of operators that offer a rudimentary service—and that’s when it can get really dangerous. You’re left on your own.”

OceanGate appears to have had its feet in both camps. As the sole tourist operator providing trips to see the Titanic —and Titan one of only a handful of manned submersibles capable of reaching 12,500-foot depths—tickets weren’t cheap. At the same time, conditions inside the sub were far from luxurious, and the dive carried considerable risks. OceanGate’s waiver not only mentions death three times on page one , Titan was bolted from the outside—leaving those inside to survive on a finite amount of oxygen and rely on external support to get out of the sub, even after surfacing. The vessel was also controlled by a modified video game controller. “No one going on board would have been under any illusions that it was safe,” says Mountain. “That’s part of the appeal: The wreck is incredibly inaccessible, dangerous to visit, and steeped in mythology. And very few people have done it.”

Grace Lordan, associate professor in behavioral science at the London School of Economics, says these dangerous expeditions have superseded luxury items for thrill-seeking entrepreneurs. “Pleasure and purpose tend to determine happiness, and it used to be about material purchases and philanthropy. Over time, redistributing wealth still provides purpose, but pleasure is harder to attain.”

Ego is also a factor, says Lordan. “Luxury products are more available to the masses now. And we all want better dinner party anecdotes. So entrepreneurs, who tend to have a higher tolerance for risk, are increasingly desiring experiences that very few others have done.” They’ve already achieved the extraordinary feat of establishing major companies, Lordan explains, so now they want to push themselves in their personal lives.

These throwback explorations—climbing a mountain or crossing the ocean—are also a way for billionaires, many of whom have accumulated their wealth through digital transactions, to experience their physical limits in the face of mortal danger.

“The demographic is mostly men in their fifties and sixties, looking to feel alive,” says Madison. “They want to traverse the Khumbu Icefall or the northern ridge of Everest’s death zone, rather than just sitting behind a desk and watching their net worth accumulate on a screen. The closer you perceive death, the more alive you feel.”

Mountain completed his transatlantic helicopter flight in July 2020. It was a self-organized trip, during the height of the pandemic, arranged through the Canadian, Danish, and Icelandic authorities. As a pilot, he was exempt from Covid-19 restrictions. “It was a bonkers idea, but being an entrepreneur means being very driven: You want to push boundaries and prove you’re in a different capacity to others. And it was such a rush—when I reached Scotland I knew it was the home straight, I was celebrating.”

The Titan tragedy underlines the reality that, by their nature, these kinds of extreme adventures mean dicing with death. But therein lies the appeal. “These challenges will always come with risk,” says Mountain. “Otherwise, everyone would be doing them.”

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  • Even After the ‘Titan’ Submarine Disaster, Demand for Extreme Travel Has Never Been Higher

The tragedy threatened to derail one of the tourism industry's fastest growing sectors. Instead, experts say demand has never been higher.

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Scaling the highest peaks, diving to the depths of the ocean, taking a flight to space—these trips are not for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, so-called “extreme tourism” is booming.

“During the pandemic, people were sitting at home, examining their lives, which created a pent-up demand for making travel a priority,” says Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) President Shannon Stowell. “Now, adventure travel is exploding. The concept of small group travel in remote locations is way more appealing, compared to visiting over-touristed locations.”

Scuba divers encounter with large Oceanic Blacktip Shark , Aliwal Shoal, South Africa

“It hit the core for so many people, in terms of fascination and anxiety about the risks that people are willing to take to experience something so extreme, “says Matt Berna, Intrepid Travel president for the Americas. “We were hoping for the best result, which didn’t come. Innately, that’s going to ripple through our industry. It has shed light on the fact that there’s a lot that goes into running a qualified, highly safe, inspected and reputable trip.”

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Remarkably, mere months on, experts says that the OceanGate disaster hasn’t put off travelers who were already eager to push their limits—especially wealthy travelers who have the means and time to accumulate unique experiences that come with bragging rights.

In 2021, the global adventure tourism market was valued at $282.1 billion, according to a report by Grand View Research. It’s now projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 15.2 percent from 2022 to 2030, with the hard adventure segment representing a significant revenue share of more than 20 percent. This is credited to a gradual increase in the number of travelers that are willing to take high-risk activities and are open to adventures.

“A little bit of risk is good because it makes you feel like you’re accomplishing something,” says Massimo Prioreschi, president and CEO of Mt. Sobek, an adventure tour operator offering trips such as polar region adventure cruises. He says he’s personally seen an uptick in year-over-year bookings. “But the more extreme the activity, the higher the chance of death. It’s good to know what you’re getting into—and the tour company should qualify you, as well.”

Nepal, Solo Khumbu, Everest, Sagamartha National Park, Roped team ascending, wearing oxygen masks

Tim Tuiqali, guest experiences manager at VOMO, adds that “no line has been drawn between adventure sports and the Titan implosion.”

“It hasn’t affected our business,” he says. “We are actually seeing a steady increase in interest. At a luxury level, we understand that safety is paramount. Our guests put a lot of trust in us. We’ve been offering the shark dives for more than 15 years and haven’t had any incidents.”

Lifelong explorer Milbry Polk, co-author of “Women of Discovery,” emphasizes that travelers need to choose companies that have very good track records.

Others even argue that would be adventurers should not be put off by the Titan catastrophe. While OceanGate did blur the lines between scientific expedition and tourist attraction for the uber-wealthy, the research being generated was genuine and in the true spirit of exploration. Their goal was to research the ecosystem of the deep North Atlantic Ocean, and to gain a better understanding of how and why some communities of organisms develop in geographic isolation, while others range broadly across the ocean floor.

In the Wall Street Journal , Explorer’s Club President Richard Garriott de Cayeux wrote, “Harding and Nargeolet [Titan crew members[ were individuals who relentlessly pushed boundaries for the betterment of science. Critics may label their expedition as ‘extreme tourism,’ and perhaps it was, but it was their spirit of exploration that propelled them to seek, experience and learn…we will not stop exploring.”

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From Titanic tours to tornado chasing: Explore the World's most extreme and thrilling tourism experiences

From death-defying cliff dives in acapulco to scaling the world's highest peak on mount everest, check out the world's most extreme tourism experiences..

Embarking on a journey beyond the ordinary, a growing breed of travellers seeks experiences that defy conventions and ignite the thrill of adventure. These daring individuals find solace in the realm of extreme tourism , where adrenaline rushes and heart-pounding moments replace traditional sightseeing tours and tranquil vacations. The recent disappearance of a $250,000-per-person expedition en route to explore the deep-sea wreckage of the Titanic serves as a prominent example of the risks and allure associated with this extraordinary form of travel . This incident, while unfortunate, highlights the increasing popularity of extreme tourism among those who can afford its high costs.

From death-defying cliff dives in Acapulco to scaling the world's highest peak on Mount Everest, the world presents an array of pulse-pounding experiences for thrill-seekers.

According to Grand View Research, the global adventure tourism industry, which was valued at $322 billion in 2022, is projected to expand exponentially, surpassing $1 trillion in 2023. As more companies endeavour to cater to thrill-seeking tourists, the allure of thrilling destinations continues to captivate and entice an ever-growing number of travellers. (Also read: Titan: Earth's tallest peaks to suborbital space, extreme tourism exploits that tempt ultra-wealthy )

From exploring the depths of the ocean to scaling the highest peaks, extreme tourism unveils a world where boundaries are pushed, and limits are shattered. Let's step into a world of excitement as we delve into some of the most extreme tourism experiences that captivate the imagination and leave travellers breathless. Brace yourself for a wild ride through the extraordinary as we uncover the hidden gems of adrenaline-fueled exploration.

World's Most Extreme Tourism Experiences

1. death-defying cliff diving in acapulco, mexico.

Plunging from towering cliffs, Acapulco's death-defying cliff diving offers an adrenaline rush like no other.(Severin Demchuk on Unsplash)

Acapulco, known for its stunning beaches, offers more than just sun-soaked relaxation. Brave souls flock to La Quebrada, a towering cliff, to witness and participate in the heart-stopping tradition of cliff diving. Plunging 136 feet into a narrow ocean inlet, daredevil divers showcase their incredible skill and bravery as they narrowly avoid the rocks below.

2. Scaling the vertical limits: Mount Everest, Nepal

Scaling the vertical limits, Mount Everest in Nepal beckons as the ultimate challenge for thrill-seeking mountaineers.(Michael Clarke on Unsplash)

Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, lures climbers from around the globe seeking the ultimate mountaineering challenge. Tackling this formidable summit requires months of preparation, physical endurance, and mental fortitude. With treacherous weather conditions and oxygen-deprived altitudes, conquering Everest is the pinnacle of extreme tourism.

3. Titanic Tour: Reliving history's greatest maritime tragedy

Embark on a Titanic Tour, immersing yourself in the tragic history of the greatest maritime disaster as you explore the remnants of the sunken ship.(File photo)

For history enthusiasts and adventurers, the Titanic tour offers an exclusive eight-day journey to explore the depths of the North Atlantic where the Titanic sank. With a cost of $250,000 and open to passengers aged 17 and older, this immersive experience includes visits to the actual wreck site. It is a poignant reminder of the human tragedy, requiring utmost sensitivity and respect.

4. Cave diving in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Embark on a thrilling underwater adventure through the mesmerizing cave systems of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula(Neom on Unsplash)

For those who find traditional scuba diving mundane, cave diving in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula presents a spine-tingling alternative. Exploring the cenotes (natural sinkholes) and intricate underwater cave systems, divers navigate through narrow passages and crystal-clear waters, marvelling at awe-inspiring rock formations. It's a mesmerizing adventure that demands expert training and nerves of steel.

5. Chasing tornadoes in Tornado Alley, United States

Venture into the heart of Tornado Alley in the United States, chasing thrilling tornadoes and witnessing the raw power of nature up close.(Pinterest)

For storm-chasing enthusiasts, Tornado Alley, a region spanning from Texas to Nebraska in the United States, is a mecca of extreme weather experiences. Armed with meteorological knowledge and high-tech equipment, adventurers join guided tours to witness the awe-inspiring power of tornadoes. As they navigate the tumultuous landscapes and chase funnel clouds, they capture unparalleled footage and gain an unparalleled appreciation for nature's fury.

6. Ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies

Conquer the frozen heights of the Canadian Rockies through exhilarating ice climbing, pushing your limits amidst stunning icy landscapes.(Greg Rakozy on Unsplash)

Ice climbing takes mountaineering to another level. In the majestic Canadian Rockies, adventurers brave sub-zero temperatures and vertical ice formations to ascend frozen waterfalls and towering ice walls. With ice axes and crampons in hand, climbers push their physical limits while surrounded by stunning icy landscapes, offering a surreal and challenging experience like no other.

7. Space tourism on the horizon

As technology advances and boundaries are pushed further, space tourism emerges as the ultimate frontier in extreme travel. (File photo)

Space tourism is the next frontier in extreme travel. Companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are opening doors for civilians to experience suborbital flights, witnessing the Earth's curvature and weightlessness. While still exclusive and expensive, space travel holds immense potential for adventurous souls seeking the ultimate thrill beyond Earth's atmosphere. The future promises longer journeys and orbital trips, pushing the boundaries of extreme tourism to new heights.

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Extreme Tourism Is a Booming Industry for the Rich, But Is It Ethical?

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By Bethanie Hestermann

In June, the world was gripped by the disappearance of a deep-sea submersible that was taking paying customers—essentially, tourists—more than 2 miles deep into the ocean to visit the Titanic wreck site. The customers aboard the OceanGate vessel Titan were seeking the adventure of a lifetime, and they had paid handsomely for it. 

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What the passengers got instead was a real-life version of the terrors outlined in the waiver they’d signed before stepping foot on the submarine. After a frantic five-day search, the U.S. Coast Guard determined that the Titan had in fact imploded, killing everyone on board. The vessel couldn’t stand up to the pressures of the deep.

The debacle raises questions about this type of extreme tourism—the kind in which ordinary people (often ordinary rich people) do extraordinary things, like summiting Everest, going up into space, and diving into the deep sea. Is this ethical? Is it fair? Is it reckless?

Outdoors.com sought perspectives from three people who have interest in and experience with these areas of extreme tourism: high-altitude trekking and mountaineering, space flight, and deep-sea dives. Here’s what they had to say.

Everest, A Playground for the Rich

example of extreme tourism

It was a deadly spring climbing season on Mount Everest, which boasts the highest peak on Planet Earth. Reports suggest 17 people have died on these icy slopes in 2023. Already a sort of frozen graveyard, where doomed mountaineers like “Sleeping Beauty” and “Green Boots” serve as trail markers and somber warnings to those who shuffle past, Everest is certainly not for most. 

In recent years, though, it’s become more accessible to anyone who fancies themselves worthy of this hallowed peak—as long as they can pay the price, which can, in some cases, exceed $100,000. Nepal’s government issued a record number of permits in 2023 to people keen to summit. Is this exclusive adventure becoming a bit too accessible? 

Gelje Sherpa knows a thing or two about Everest and high-altitude trekking. He was the sherpa who, in May , helped rescue a Malaysian climber from Mount Everest’s “death zone.” Since he began his high-altitude career in 2017, 30-year-old Gelje has summited 13 of the 8,000-meter peaks and remains the youngest person to summit K2 in winter. He’s also led more than 25 successful expeditions to 8,000-meter peaks, including Everest, and he’s participated in more than 50 rescues across several peaks and trekking expeditions. 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gelje Sherpa (@gelje_sherpa_)

Gelje makes his living guiding gung-ho climbers to the highest places in the world, but he’s also seen how humbling these expeditions can be, even to those who arrive prepared. So what does he think about Everest’s growing popularity and accessibility?

“The world of high-altitude mountaineering has exploded in the past years, and as [a] guide I have seen firsthand the impacts this has had,” Gelje said in an interview with Outdoors.com . “More and more people are embracing this concept of ‘nothing is impossible,’ mostly because of documentaries that have been released. This, to some people, means turning up to an 8,000-meter peak with no training and no idea of the skills involved. This is deadly. More and more people are involved in accidents because they just don’t know how to look after themselves.”

He suggests that not every person with deep pockets should be able to show up and get a permit to climb Everest—that’s a recipe for disaster. If the number of permits continues to increase every year, it’s possible the number of deaths will increase, too (although, it’s worth noting that most people blame climate change for the high death toll this year).  

Another problem is that as demand increases, companies raise their prices, essentially making the trek too expensive for many who are qualified to attempt the climb.

“[The] way it’s looking, yes, it’s just becoming a playground for the rich,” Gelje said. “Everest for sure is getting more and more expensive each year and limiting to people who have had this dream to climb it but could never afford it. [. . .] It’s a huge shame because Everest is such a stunning mountain to climb, but it’s just too overcrowded now, it takes away the beauty of it all.” 

“We also have to control how we move forward, potentially being more selective with clients who can receive a permit to climb an 8,000-meter peak,” he added. “This could mean making sure they have already summited a 6,000er before or [passing] a basic test to see their knowledge, et cetera.”

Another way to keep the danger factor in check, Gelje said, would be to limit permits. He doesn’t think this solution would go over very well, though.

“I think the only way to do it is by restricting permits to people who have the proper experience before coming to an 8,000er,” he explained. “However, this is highly unlikely, as it would probably half the number of people coming to Everest, and both the companies and the government would probably not back that idea.”

Gelje believes it’s also important to keep the sport open to newcomers who deserve the opportunity to try to make their dreams come true. In fact, asked whether “ordinary” people should be climbing Everest, Gelje is all for it, as long as they have the right experience. 

“Adri, my climbing partner, was an ‘ordinary’ person five years ago, but she trained hard and it was obvious, and now she is a mountaineer,” Gelje said.

Gelje and Adriana Brownlee “Adri” own AGA Adventures , and they help people grow in the mountaineering space and prepare for their dream quests, whether that’s trekking Annapurna Circuit or climbing Everest itself. Between the two of them, Adri and Gelje have three Guinness World Records, 30+ 8,000-meter peak summits, and 40+ mountaineering expeditions under their belts.

Space, the Final Frontier, Conquered?

ethics-accessibility-and-cost-of-extreme-tourism

Earlier this summer, a Blue Origin rocket engine exploded during testing at a facility in Texas—a harsh reminder that spaceflight is a dangerous undertaking. Blue Origin is Amazon-founder Jeff Bezos’s private space company that has successfully taken paying customers up into space aboard the New Shepard rocket, which is named after American astronaut Alan Shepard. 

Dylan Taylor was aboard the New Shepard on December 11, 2021, when he became one of the relatively few humans who have traveled to space—and one of even fewer humans to have traveled to space as a commercial astronaut. 

Taylor is a business leader and philanthropist. He is the chairman and CEO of Voyager Space and founder of the nonprofit Space for Humanity . As a cherry on top, he’s also one of the very few who have descended into the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench—the deepest known place on Earth. 

As an extreme tourist himself, Taylor is a believer in democratizing the world’s most exclusive adventures. 

“I’m in the camp that says space is the next big thing for humanity, that it’s sort of the blank canvas that we have the ability to sort of reimagine what’s possible, treat each other better, have a better civilization, those kinds of concepts,” he said in an exclusive interview with Outdoors.com . 

For Taylor, going to space was nothing short of life-changing.

“It is a very profound and transformative experience to see the earth from space, [and] it is very apparent when you’re up there that this is really a miracle that we have here on Earth,” he explained. “The rest of the universe is not like this. So far as we know, it’s cold and dark and hostile, and we have this sort of amazing, beautiful paradise here on Earth that sometimes I think we take for granted. It is very apparent when you’re up there how fragile the ecosystem is.”

Taylor paid a lot of money for this experience (he couldn’t share just how much, because he signed an NDA saying he wouldn’t), but he wants more people to be able to experience what he experienced, and this is something Space for Humanity is actively doing. He believes those who go to space come back with a new perspective on Planet Earth—and a renewed drive to protect it.

“There’s this notion that going to space has this transformative power—the overview effect, if you will—and that’s really a gift that should be shared widely,” Taylor said. “It shouldn’t be just professional astronauts or very wealthy people that benefit from that.” 

Space for Humanity’s Citizen Astronaut program fields thousands of applications each year from people who want to become citizen astronauts. They apply in part by outlining how their trip will empower them to be a force for good here on Earth. The program sponsors a new citizen astronaut each year, with the caveat that he or she will work on the projects or initiatives outlined in his or her application upon return.

While Space for Humanity is working to democratize space travel, for the most part, it’s still the realm of billionaires. Is space travel, then, becoming a prestigious feather in a very rich person’s cap?

“I think people have different motivations,” Taylor said. “Some, I think, are legitimately trying to check boxes and go down the list of all the different things you can do. Other people are just, like, in my case, just being super passionate about a lifelong dream.”

“But I think that desire to look [at] what’s over the hill and explore and do things that are unique and challenging, I think that’s sort of been embedded in humanity since the beginning of time.”

While humans’ desire to explore and push themselves to the limits is not new, the technology to take them to new heights—or depths—is relatively new, and, as OceanGate recently proved, technology can fail. Asked whether it’s reckless to take regular people to space, Taylor says no.

“I think it’s risky, and it’s really important that people who do those trips really understand the risks involved,” he explained. “But I don’t think it’s reckless.”

“I think it’s risky . . . but I don’t think it’s reckless.” Dylan Taylor

In the case of space, Taylor says regulations have kept it a tier or more above, say, OceanGate, but for-profit companies in this realm, in his view, should be investing profits back into making these extreme journeys safer and more accessible.

“Are there operators who are taking undue risk for monetary gain? I’ll leave that to others to decide, [but] in the case of space flight, it’s very tightly regulated, so it’s pretty difficult to do a money grab without crossing some boundaries that regulators would not allow you to,” he explained. 

“But I think a lot of these experiences are for-profit, [and] as long as those profits are reinvested back into perfecting the technology and making it more accessible, that’s probably a good thing. I think where it’s not a good thing is if people take undue risks for financial benefit and they don’t disclose what those risks are,” Taylor added. “I think that’s where it crosses the line in my view.”

Into the Abyss

Whether you book a ticket to space, participate in extreme sports like skydiving or big-wave surfing , hike in a national park, or drive to the grocery store down the street, safety is never guaranteed. However, when talking about the extremes of high-altitude climbs, being rocketed into space, and descending to the depths of the ocean, danger is more front and center in the conversation because a lot can go wrong, and, if it does, help may not be available. 

For the passengers of OceanGate’s Titan this past June, the chance to see the Titanic with their own eyes was worth the expense and the risk. If the demand is there, can we fault the companies that deliver the supply to meet the demand? Is an occasional disaster just part of human exploration?

who-is-on-submarine

Joe Dituri is a deep-sea diver who spent 28 years in the Navy, serving part of that time as a Navy Diving Saturation Officer. He also has a PhD in biomedical engineering and is known as “ Dr. Deep Sea .” In June, Dr. Dituri surfaced after a 100-day jaunt living underwater. Dituri was his own test subject in Project NEPTUNE, in which he lived in the Jules’ Undersea Lodge, an underwater habitat in Key Largo, Florida, for 100 days straight, conducting daily experiments in human physiology.

Dituri is a huge proponent of pushing the envelope for human exploration. 

“My personal investment in this whole thing stems around the advancement of the human race,” he said in a video call with Outdoors.com from his Undersea Oxygen Clinic in Tampa, Florida. “So, we are advancing humans, we’re going down the road to that next thing that we’re doing. Once we solve this, we cure that. Once we do this, what’s left? Exploration of our galaxy, exploration of other galaxies. Exploration of all the world, right, to find everything that there is to be found. It’s the whole Star Trek thing. It’s to ‘boldly go where no man has gone before.’ But what is this about? It really is about exploration. It’s the only thing that will be left in the end.”

Dituri has traveled nearly 2,000 feet deep in the ocean, but not as a tourist. It was part of his training as a deep-sea emergency rescue unit in the U.S. military. Even still, he says democratizing adventure and exploration is critical, and it’s only reckless if participants aren’t trained and prepared.

“It is important to push the boundaries; nay, it is required to push the boundaries. We go boldly. This is what we do. This is, as a society, what we need to do,” Dituri said. “But, we need to perform risk mitigation. [. . .] When I jump out of an airplane, I have two parachutes on my back. It’s not just one. I always have a backup, and I’m well trained in what could go wrong. So . . . that’s the overall goal. You mitigate the risk down to an acceptable level, with training and education, and that’s what we’re looking to do. That’s the only way to pursue and go forward and basically make meaningful contributions.”

“When I jump out of an airplane, I have two parachutes on my back. It’s not just one. I always have a backup, and I’m well trained in what could go wrong.” – Joe Dituri, Dr. Deep Sea

Therefore, Dituri does not see the democratization of deep-sea exploration as a money grab. 

“The quote from President Kennedy comes up,” he added. “ We choose to do these things. We choose to go to the moon and these other things in this century. Not because they’re easy, but because they’re hard .” 

“This is the whole spirit of exploration,” Dituri concludes. “We need to gain and gather that knowledge and information . . . so that we can give it to the rest of humanity.”

If viewed through a glass-half-full lens, then, every implosion and explosion equates to some massive lessons learned—it’s one small step for man, one giant leap for humankind , so to speak. Not all extreme adventures that end badly offer up some consolation prize of knowledge or experience, though. Some just rip away a person’s life. Whether that person signed a waiver, handed over a fat check, or simply lived for the thrill, it nonetheless begs the question: Is there such a thing as an adventure too extreme, or are today’s most extreme adventures the proving ground for the next era in human exploration?

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What Is Extreme Tourism?

Extreme tourism, also sometimes referred to as shock tourism, is travel that is strongly characterized by a sense of adventure or even physical danger. The “extreme” aspect of this type of tourism may derive from a destination itself or from one or more activities which are engaged in during one’s trip. Extreme tourism may be arranged by the traveler herself or may be coordinated by an adventure travel company. Critics of this type of tourism argue that it may lead to environmental damage.

In some cases, extreme tourism draws its sense of thrill or risk from a destination. Some extreme tourists travel to places that are considered moderately or even extremely unsafe for physical or political reasons. For instance, they may travel to regions that have been affected by nuclear disasters, like the area surrounding the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine, or to countries that are at war.

Another form of extreme tourism involves traveling to a destination in order to participate in one or more adventurous or potentially dangerous activities. While there are many different extreme activities in which one can participate, most of these activities are physical in nature. For example, an extreme tourist may take a trip which involves cage diving with great white sharks, BASE jumping, or parachuting from a static point such as a skyscraper or cliff, trekking across a desert, or exploring underwater caves.

Some travelers plan their own extreme tourism trips, while others work with an adventure travel agency. As extreme activities and destinations can pose a number of risks to the traveler, many travel experts advise booking one’s trip through an agency. Working with experienced extreme travel professionals can help ensure that the traveler is provided with accommodation and proper supplies during her trip and that she receives adequate medical attention if she is hurt. An extreme travel company may also be able to connect the traveler with local guides or translators when necessary.

Opponents of extreme tourism hold that this form of travel may put certain areas of the planet at a heightened risk of destruction. For instance, extreme travel to the Antarctic rose significantly from the late 20th century to the early 21st century. Many environmentalists and scientific researchers contend that continued Antarctic tourism may lead to the pollution of the continent as well as the introduction of invasive foreign organisms, which could threaten the existing purity of its ecosystems.

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  • A group of trekkers.
  • A person skydiving.
  • By: Bryan Busovicki The Inca Trail, which overlooks the ruins of Machu Picchu, is a popular choice for guided treks.
  • By: VILevi Whitewater rafting trips are a popular extreme tourism activity.
  • By: Xof711 Extreme tourism activities may include base jumping.
  • By: Richard Carey Extreme tourism may involve cave diving.
  • By: bptu Extreme tourists may visit sites of natural disasters, such as the Chernobyl accident.
  • By: ueuaphoto Extreme tourism activities may include paragliding.
  • By: rupbilder Trekking through the Alps might be considered an example of extreme tourism.
  • By: Kevin Browne Cage diving with great white sharks is extreme tourism.

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The 9 Most Extreme Adventures in the World

From mountain biking to caving, here's a list of the hardest, the highest, the most challenging pursuits that athletes around the world aim to tame.

When extreme athletes want to test their mettle, they don’t go for a Sunday stroll. They embark on the world’s most extreme adventures, tackling the highest climbs, deepest dives, and roughest rapids on the planet. These adventures require advanced athletic achievement and a mastery of highly specialized skills—and they are not for the faint of heart.

The Most Epic Technical Mountain Bike Trail: Portal Trail, Utah

Shipstern Bluff draws top surfers to ride unpredictable waves that look like stairsteps, all while avoiding great white sharks that troll the waters.

South Pole storms from the “furious 50s” maximize the waves in this remote stretch of southeastern Tasmania. Surfers flock here to catch sets of 20-foot waves, but access isn’t easy; either a long hike or a lengthy boat ride is required. And in 2017, one of the nearby cliffs partially collapsed from the harsh weather and erosion, making the hike even more treacherous.

The Southern Ocean swell leads to unpredictable waves producing “stairsteps,” which surfers have to drop down as they surf—all while keeping an eye out for great white sharks.

Kristen Pope is a Wyoming based outdoor, adventure, and conservation writer. Follow her on Twitter @Kristen_E_Pope .

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LuxuryTravelDiva

What Are Examples of Extreme Tourism?

By Anna Duncan

Extreme tourism, also known as adventure tourism, is a type of travel that involves high-risk activities and experiences. This form of tourism is popular among thrill-seekers who are looking for an adrenaline rush and seeking to step outside their comfort zone. In this article, we will explore some examples of extreme tourism.

1. Mountain Climbing

One of the most popular forms of extreme tourism is mountain climbing. Climbing mountains such as Mount Everest in Nepal or K2 in Pakistan requires a significant amount of physical fitness and technical skills.

The journey can be dangerous due to unpredictable weather conditions, altitude sickness, and the risk of avalanches. However, the sense of accomplishment upon reaching the summit is unparalleled.

2. Bungee Jumping

Bungee jumping involves jumping off a high structure while attached to a large elastic cord. This activity can be done from bridges, tall buildings or cranes. The thrill comes from free-falling before being snapped back up by the cord, often accompanied by screams and shouts of excitement.

3. White Water Rafting

White water rafting involves navigating through rapids in a river with an inflatable raft. The intensity varies based on the difficulty level chosen, ranging from Class I (easy) to Class V (extremely difficult). This activity requires teamwork to navigate through rocks and currents while avoiding capsizing.

4. Skydiving

Skydiving involves jumping out of an airplane at high altitudes and free-falling before opening a parachute to slow down descent for landing on the ground safely. While skydiving is considered safe when done with proper equipment and trained professionals, it still carries risks such as parachute malfunction or collisions with other jumpers.

5. Volcano Trekking

Volcano trekking involves hiking up active or dormant volcanoes, often with steep inclines and rugged terrain. This activity can be dangerous due to the unpredictability of volcanic eruptions and poisonous gases that some volcanoes emit.

6. Shark Cage Diving

Shark cage diving involves descending into an underwater cage to observe sharks in their natural habitat. The cage provides protection while allowing tourists to get up close and personal with these massive predators.

7. Ice Diving

Ice diving involves descending beneath the surface of frozen lakes or oceans, often in sub-zero temperatures, to explore the underwater world beneath the ice. This activity requires specialized equipment and training due to the hazards associated with freezing temperatures and limited visibility.

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Danger, prestige and authenticity draw thrill-seekers to adventure tourism

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The tragic news of the destruction of the Titan submersible has brought attention to the thrilling, dangerous and expensive world of extreme tourism.

As a researcher who studies hospitality and tourism management , I pay attention to the trends in tourism and study ways in which organizations like theme parks and resorts operate and change over time.

Tourists are generally seeking more authentic experiences that occur without prescribed paths or known endpoints. Technology can often make the extreme environments of adventure tourism more safe, but at the bottom of the ocean, the vacuum of space or the cold of a mountain summit the consequences of failure can be high.

A group of people sitting in an open jeep near a lion.

Adventure tourism as authentic tourism

In recent years, there has been a trend in the tourism industry toward authentic experiences . More and more, people want to experience something unique and not in a preprogrammed or controlled setting.

An example of the difference between authentic and inauthentic tourism is the difference between a zoo and a safari. Zoos are built to allow large crowds of people to easily view unique and often dangerous animals. Zoos are typically a spectator experience and are very safe, but they offer little opportunity for visitors to interact with the animals.

A safari in Africa, by comparison, provides a much more authentic experience by removing a lot of the safety barriers between you and the animals. Most safaris bring a limited number of tourists, with guides who can provide closer interaction with the animals in their real environment. This, of course, also increases the risk for tourists, as the barriers and safety features found in a zoo don’t exist in the wild. The sense of danger that comes from authentic tourism often adds to the adventurous traveler’s experience .

The final appeal of adventure tourism is the status or prestige of a dangerous, expensive trip . Almost everyone can afford to visit a local zoo, whereas an African safari requires a level of spending that is a display of your status and income.

The same authenticity, danger and prestige apply to many types of adventure tourism, whether it is mountaineering, space tourism or trips to the bottom of the ocean.

A submersible on the surface of the water.

Technology doesn’t always mean safety

As technologies have improved, companies and tourists have been able to push the limits of safety for many activities. For example, over the past 30 years, roller coasters have gotten progressively taller, faster and more extreme to capture the attention of thrill-seekers . These rides are able to maintain high levels of safety thanks to better engineering and technology.

The narrative that advanced technology provides safety in extreme situations typically helps to reassure tourists the activity they choose to engage in is safe. The reality is that any activity – whether it’s crossing the street or visiting the wreck of the Titanic – will always carry some level of risk. The problem is that many of these extreme activities take place in very dangerous environments and have incredibly small margins for error. When something does go wrong, the consequences can be catastrophic or, as with the case of the Titan submarine, fatal.

A rocket launching from the desert.

Prevalence and legal limits

It is hard to get exact numbers on extreme tourism deaths per year, but when these sad events do occur, they typically receive a lot of attention from the press . As a tourism researcher, I follow these types of stories and feel comfortable saying that very few occur in the U.S.

In the U.S., there are federal , state and local tourism boards and agencies. More often than not, specialized agencies regulate activities most relevant to their areas of expertise – for example, the Federal Aviation Administration regulates space tourism , and national park and state park agencies permit mountaineering in many places. These organizations generally promote tourism and safe practices, but no amount of regulation and oversight can absolutely guarantee anyone’s safety. And for many activities, like deep-water tours, there is no mandatory certification process.

Perhaps the best advice for people seeking authentic, thrilling experiences would be to use the idea of “buyer beware.” If you are choosing to engage in extreme tourism, ask questions about what safety procedures are in place for whatever activity you are choosing to do. And if you are not comfortable with the answers you get, move on to another company or activity.

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28 Adventures to Travel For, From Glacier Chasing in Greenland to Sand Surfing in the Sahara

By Caitlin Morton

Adventure travel Cappadocia

As much as we love lounging on a faraway beach or revisiting our favorite city for the tenth time, sometimes our passports need some adventure travel—we’re talking about those once-in-a-lifetime trips that push us way outside our comfort zones. Adventure travel is a great way to see more of the world, while also testing your physical limits, and coming home with a lifetime's worth of stories to tell at parties.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the most incredible outdoor adventures for intrepid travelers, ranging from climbing Machu Picchu to skydiving in Dubai . Even if you don’t consider yourself a daredevil, you’ll still find activities that feel exciting (hello, camping under the northern lights) without too much physical—or emotional—exertion required. So fasten your seatbelts, grab your best pair of hiking boots , and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

Iguazu Falls Iguazu National Park

Boat under the Iguazú Falls

South America’s Iguazú Falls, located on the border of Brazil and Argentina, make all other waterfalls look like mere trickles in comparison. The system of more than 200 cascades (reaching heights of around 270 feet) can be viewed from surrounding walkways and catwalks, but we’re fans of the more adventurous vantage-point—hopping on an Iguazú Jungle inflatable raft and sailing directly under the exhilarating, high-pressure falls.

Machu Picchu

Climb to Machu Picchu

No adventurer’s must-visit list is complete without Machu Picchu , the famous Incan citadel located in the Andes. While the site can be accessed via train and bus, more active travelers can take the five-day trek along the entire 26-mile-long Inca Trail. Or, thanks to local tour operator Sam Travel Peru , you can get dropped at kilometer marker 104 and do the whole experience in 24 hours .

Sahara

Sand surf in the Sahara

The dunes of the Sahara are colossal, untouched, and tailor-made for extreme sports. The desert’s rows of barchans (meaning “crescent-shaped dunes” in Turkic) have ideal shapes for sand surfing (descending the slopes on a surfboard) and sandboarding (descending the slopes on a snowboard)—and those views don’t hurt, either. Stay at Erg Chigaga Luxury Camp in Morocco, which offers sandboarding in addition to other desert activities like camel rides and quad biking.

Landscape of Rocky Mountains

Heli-hike in British Columbia

With CMH Heli + Skiing , you can helicopter to the steepest and deepest powder in Canada for backcountry skiing. However, come summer , the company’s guides take guests on multi-day hiking trips to terrain otherwise inaccessible, along ridgelines, through alpine meadows, and to stunning viewpoints. While these high-altitude adventures are not for the faint at heart, the accommodations are quite comfortable, with log-hewn lodges complete with full-service restaurants, spa treatments, and a rooftop hot tub to relax in before another day on the trail.

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Cappadocia

Hot air balloon over Cappadocia

A hot air balloon ride over central Turkey’s Cappadocia region provides 360-degree views of the famous limestone spires and “fairy chimneys”—something you can't get at the ground level. We recommend booking with Kapadokya Balloons , the first company that introduced hot air balloon tourism in Cappadocia. Services include transfers to and from your hotel, snacks, full insurance, and a champagne party after the flight.

Greenland

Hunt for glaciers in Greenland

Greenland is relatively expensive and tricky to get to, but well worth the effort—especially since it’s one of the most untouched landscapes on the planet. Exhibit A: the hundreds-year-old icebergs and glaciers floating off the mainland, which you can get up close and personal with during a cruise excursion. ( Hurtigruten and Cruise Norway offer these sailings.)

Okavango Delta Botswana

Hop across Botswana on a mobile safari

While most safari camps stay in one place like a traditional hotel, the private canvas safaris by  Barclay Stenner Safaris are totally mobile, meaning you can pick up and move locations based on weather conditions and wildlife movements. The outfitter’s Botswana itinerary moves across the country to fauna-rich areas like the Okavango Delta and Makgadikgadi Salt Pans—get ready to follow groups of lions, hippos, elephants, and more.

Oludeniz

Paraglide over Turkey’s Blue Lagoon

Oludeniz has one of the most beautiful beaches in Turkey, with pebble shores and a “blue lagoon” of aquamarine hues. The beach also happens to be one of the world's best places to paraglide, thanks to stable weather and gorgeous panoramic views. The launch site for most companies is from Babadağ mountain, with jumping-off points reaching 6,000 feet above sea level.

Great Barrier Reef

Explore the Great Barrier Reef

Divers and snorkelers everywhere need to experience the Great Barrier Reef at least once in their lifetime. Not only does the site have more than 400 different types of coral and 1,500 species of fish, but the natural wonder has been rapidly eroding due to coral bleaching and global warming . That means it’s more urgent than ever to see this sight in all its glory—and to understand what we are losing.

Mexico cenote

Swim through Mexico’s cenotes

Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula features a wealth of unique natural beauty, particularly when it comes to its cavernous cenotes. Floating in one of these natural sinkholes is an incredible experience, as is diving through the underground cave systems . When in Tulum , visit Dos Ojos (“Two Eyes”) to view one of the planet’s most beautiful underwater sites or Gran Cenote for rock formations that resemble Gothic architecture.

Dubai skydiving

Free-fall over Dubai at 120 miles per hour

Dubai is one of the most over-the-top cities in the world, so are you really surprised that skydiving is one of its most popular activities?  Skydive Dubai is a company located near Jumeirah Beach, offering tandem skydiving for beginners and solo jumps for licensed divers. If you thought Dubai’s skyline was impressive already, just wait until you see it while falling from 13,000 feet in the air.

Yosemite Half Dome

Scale Half Dome at Yosemite National Park

The Half Dome trail through Yosemite may be one of the most intense hikes you’ll ever take, stretching for 16 miles and ascending more than 5,500 feet. The final 400 feet are the trickiest—hikers must climb up the steep slope with two steel cables as their only support—but the breathtaking views from the top make the effort (and terror) worth it. Afterwards, stay at The Ahwahnee, one of the most beautiful national park hotels in the country.

Great white shark cage diving

Swim with great white sharks in South Africa

The fishing town of Gansbaai is often considered to be the birthplace of great white shark cage diving, an activity that would make most adrenaline junkies drool. Cage diving is totally safe (despite what some low-budget shark movies might lead you to believe), but we dare you to keep your heart rate in check as you come face-to-face with an apex predator.  Marine Dynamics is one of the most popular cage diving operators in town, with a marine biologist and videographer joining every tour.

New Zealand practically invented adventure sports when the Kawarau Bridge Bungy opened in 1988. Here you join around...

Bungee jump in New Zealand

New Zealand practically invented adventure sports when the Kawarau Bridge Bungy opened in 1988. Here you join around 38,000 annual visitors to take the 140-foot jump from the South Island's historic, steel-framed Kawarau Bridge—an activity in which the views are almost as thrilling as the fall itself.

Mt Fuji

Climb Mount Fuji

Solitary Mount Fuji is probably Japan’s most iconic natural wonder , rising 12,388 feet above villages and reflecting on lakes’ surfaces. You can get views of the landmark from many places, like Lake Kawaguchi in Fujikawaguchiko and even the Park Hyatt Tokyo , but it’s the views from the mountain that will give you the most bragging rights. Visit from early July to mid-September to take advantage of the official climbing season, when the designated trails and paved roads are free of snow.

Volcano Boarding Cerro Negro

Go volcano boarding on Cerro Negro in Nicaragua

If you’re looking for action sports and adventure, we recommend booking a flight to Nicaragua right now. There you can kayak, surf, zipline through the jungle, and even sled down the side of an active volcano. Intrepid travelers love to climb up the 2,388-foot Cerro Negro and then “volcano board” back down (an activity where you sit or stand on a piece of plywood and slide your way down the slopes). You'll want to go with a guided group tour with this one. Bigfoot Hostels is one of many operators for excursions—for $25, you get transportation to the volcano, boards, safety equipment, snacks, and your speed clocked by a radar gun.

Trollstigen Norwau

Take a white-knuckle drive in Norway

Who says your adrenaline can’t pump from the comfort of your car? Trollstigen is one of the world’s most popular (and  terrifying ) highways, known for its steep gradient and hairpin turns. The one-lane road passes such impressive wonders as the 1,050-foot Stigfossen waterfall, but be sure to pull over before you gawk and snap photos. There are several viewing platforms along the road that will let you take in the sites without risking a crash.

Belize

Dive Belize’s Great Blue Hole

Known for its circular shape and strikingly deep blue color , the Great Blue Hole is a 1,000-foot-wide sinkhole in the middle of Belize’s Lighthouse Reef. While an aerial shot is enough to convince anyone of its beauty, scuba divers are the ones who get to experience the wonders that lie beneath: massive, 40-foot limestone stalactites and stalagmites that formed during the last glacial period.

The Azores Portugal

Go canyoning in the Azores

Portugal’s Azores Islands are equal parts adventurous and beautiful, inviting travelers to get up close and personal with nature while hiking, biking, and swimming. If you want to really push the envelope, try canyoning—an activity that has you rappel down a waterfall while navigating slippery rocks and fast-flowing water. Azores Getaways offers a comprehensive and easy-to-book experience. Training, equipment, on-site instructors, and snacks are all included in the excursion, which will no doubt become one of the most memorable of your life.

Patagonia kayaking

Kayak through Torres del Paine National Park

Chile’s Patagonia region is one of the most beautiful spots on the planet, and there are plenty of ways to explore the area. But while most people experience the sights while hiking, you can get a slightly different view from the water via a kayaking trip.  Kayak en Patagonia offers several tour options ranging in duration and difficulty levels, but all let you paddle past towering mountains, rugged glaciers, and other incredible vistas.

Northern Lights

Sleep under the northern lights

Ah, the elusive northern lights . So many factors are at play when it comes to seeing the technicolor phenomenon—location, time of year, weather conditions—but it’s hard to lose with an excursion to Finnish Lapland. The Arctic area is one of the planet’s best for aurora viewing, especially if you get to sleep in an igloo hotel at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort or mobile Aurora Bubble Sled . Up your viewing chances by planning a trip between December and March.

Heliskiing

Go heli-skiing in Alaska

If you’re a seasoned traveler who’s conquered every black diamond slope in North America, there’s still one snowy adventure left to vanquish: heli-skiing. There’s nothing quite like hopping in a helicopter and being dropped onto untouched snow at the top of a mountain—especially in a setting as formidable as Alaska’s Chugach Mountains. The experienced guides at  Valdez Heli Ski Guides (VHSG) will help make this dream a reality, taking you to some of the best runs of your life and then letting you unwind (hot tub and massages included) at the cozy  Tsaina Lodge .

This image may contain Water Outdoors Nature Diving Sports Diver Sport Aqua Scuba and Scuba Diving

Snorkel between continents in Iceland

Iceland is one of the best countries in the world for adventure travel , with opportunities for everything from glacier hiking to snorkeling and diving. For the latter, head straight to Thingvellir National Park along the country’s Golden Circle route , where two tectonic plates slowly pull apart at the rate of about two centimeters (0.8 inches) per year. The phenomenon results in the Silfra fissure, a stunning rift valley where travelers can snorkel or dive in impossibly clear (and cold) waters. Tour company DIVE.IS offers tours for divers and every level of snorkeler—including those with no prior experience—and will snap an underwater photo of you touching two continents at the same time.

Some remote destinations are best seen from the deck of a boat and that includes the upper Amazon River. Aqua...

Float along the Amazon

Some remote destinations are best seen from the deck of a boat, and that includes the upper Amazon River. Aqua Expeditions ’ luxury cruises through the Peruvian stretch of the river tour the area’s wildlife and culture at a delightful, leisurely pace. You'll even have chef-prepared gourmet meals and five-star suites with floor-to-ceiling windows. Looking for something a little less luxe? Amazon Adventures offers kayaking trips along some Amazon tributaries, where you can fish for piranhas and camp out in the rainforest.

The Pipeline Oahu

Surf ‘The Pipeline’ in Oahu

Oahu’s Banzai Pipeline (commonly referred to as The Pipeline) is easily one of the most sought-after surfing spots in the world. Located off the coast of the island’s north shore in Ehukai Beach Park, the surf reef break averages waves measuring nine feet high. This activity is definitely not for beginners, but even non-surfers will get a thrill out of watching the many surf competitions that take place at The Pipeline—all from the safety of a sunny beach.

Great Bear Rainforest Canada

Spot elusive wildlife in the Great Bear Rainforest

Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest is the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world—and one of the most magical, with elusive species like sea wolves and Kermode bears roaming its 21 million acres. Outer Shores Expeditions will take you on a nine-day excursion aboard a schooner, departing from British Columbia’s First Nations community of Bella Bella and stopping for sea kayaking along the way.

Victoria Falls

Soak in the planet’s most extreme infinity pool

Located on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, Victoria Falls attracts thousands of tourists each year. One of the biggest draws here is the Devil’s Pool , a naturally formed eddy sitting at the very edge of the falls, where daring swimmers can splash around between August and January (depending on water levels, that is). Given that a slippery rock barrier is the only thing separating you from going over the edge, this site is easily the planet’s most extreme infinity pool .

Antarctica is truly the final frontier when it comes to adventure travel providing untouched landscapes unique wildlife...

Camp in Antarctica

Antarctica is truly the final frontier when it comes to adventure travel, providing untouched landscapes, unique wildlife, and more activities than you’ll know what to do with (like cruising, caving, and thermal spring soaking , to name a few). If you can get yourself to Punta Arenas, Chile, Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions will fly you to Antarctica for three days of skiing and hiking before setting you up for a South Pole sleepover.

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Why billionaires are drawn to 'extreme tourism' - and does money change our relationship with risk?

The super wealthy get others to mitigate the risks of extreme pursuits for them, which can create a "buffer" between them and the dangers, experts tell Sky News.

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News reporter @LaraKeay

Thursday 10 August 2023 11:50, UK

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic spaceflight will today fly the first ever paying customers to the edge of space.

Taking off from New Mexico, Galactic 02 will take three passengers - an 80-year-old former Olympian with Parkinson's disease and a mother and daughter duo who won their tickets in a sweepstake - 50 miles (80km) above Earth.

On board the VSS Unity, which boasts more windows than any other spacecraft in history to "optimise zero-G viewing", they will experience around five minutes of weightlessness before returning to their loved ones staying at Galactic's all-inclusive luxury desert accommodation.

For octogenarian Jon Goodwin, from Newcastle, it will have been an 18-year wait since he signed up - at a total cost of ($450,000) £356,000.

He, Keisha Schahaff, 46, and her 18-year-old daughter Anastatia Mayers, will join the likes of Branson and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in the group of just 700 people who have ever left the Earth's atmosphere.

But after the death of five men on a submersible destined for the wreckage of the Titanic weeks before, many have questioned why we're drawn to such extreme environments - and how extreme wealth impacts the decision to take the risk.

VSS Unity spaceplane. Pic: Virgin Galactic

The overview effect, flow state and self-esteem

The so-called ' overview effect ' - a cognitive shift reported by astronauts when they go into space - has been well documented since the days of the final frontier.

Branson, who eventually hopes to operate 600 tourist spaceflights a year, includes it in Galactic's marketing, defining it as a "shift in awareness and perspective brought about by viewing the Earth from space".

Flow state - being completely focused on a single thing - is another key experience people crave from extreme environments, says Professor Emma Barrett, an expert in the psychology of performance and wellbeing in extreme environments at the University of Manchester.

"You're in a tight margin between safety and mortal danger," she tells Sky News.

"There's something about being in a place where you have to focus on what's immediately in front of you, because the risks are so immediate."

That level of focus can be addictive, she says, as it creates a "detachment from everyday life".

"It's a very rewarding place to be because any chaos, unpleasantness or stress at home melts into nothing."

The Virgin Galactic rocket ship made it to the fringe of space

Read more: Branson, Bezos, Musk: What you need to know about the billionaire space race Virgin Galactic - what happens and how much are tickets? Analysis: For Branson - this is more than just a publicity stunt

This is something the super-wealthy may find particularly appealing - away from the high-powered decision-making of big businesses.

Jessica Love, a PhD candidate in sports psychology at the University of Portsmouth and paraglider pilot, points to other psychological benefits of being in extreme environments highlighted in recent research.

These include an increase in self-esteem, sense of identity and emotional diversity, as well as a connection to the natural environment.

Examples of activities that can achieve these range from heli-skiing and mountain climbing to base jumping.

Extreme tourists are 'control freaks - not thrill seekers'

Historically, people interested in adventure tourism have been associated with "deviant personality characteristics", Ms Love says. But she adds: "No one I've ever met in this field has any desire to die."

And according to Professor Barrett the stereotype of "adrenaline junkies" isn't backed up by research.

"The environments I look at are where people aren't really evolved to exist. They're inherently risky. Climbers have told me, for example: 'We're not thrill seekers, we're control freaks'. They seek to control as much as they can to reduce those risks right down."

A sherpa rescues a climber from Mount Everest's 'death zone' in May. File pic: Reuters

This level of risk perception can vary according to gender, says Dr Adele Doran, principal lecturer in tourism management at Sheffield Hallam University.

Dr Doran, who looks specifically at diversity within adventure tourism, says men tend to have "larger comfort zones" and "more flex with their perceptions of risk".

"Men are focused on the risk - and that sense of achievement afterwards," she tells Sky News. "Whereas women are more focused on the journey - what they can learn about themselves and others, the relationships they form, and the skills they develop."

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As well as its pre-flight readiness programme of medical, psychological checks and training, Virgin Galactic offers ticketholders "lifetime access to our global community of pioneers", which it says are "bound by a passion for adventure and positive change".

They also have the chance to bring three guests with them to "share in the love, awe and wonder" of the spaceflight.

This language around legacy and sharing a unique experience few on Earth have had plays into those classic motivations, according to the experts.

Spaceport America, New Mexico. Pic: Virgin Galactic

Infinite resources can lead to 'dulling of risk perception'

Although Virgin Galactic tickets are several hundred thousand pounds, they're little compared to the billions the likes of Branson, Bezos and Elon Musk have invested in the space market.

While Musk is rumoured to have secured one of the later trips on Galactic, he is the only one of the billionaire space race candidates not to have entered orbit himself.

Sources close to him say he doesn't see the appeal of lower-level spaceflights, when his real goal is to send people to Mars on SpaceX by 2025.

Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Galactic, is interviewed on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, Oct. 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Lee Chambers is a business psychologist who works primarily with senior leaders and has looked specifically at how extreme wealth and privilege affect health behaviours.

He says that infinite resources often mean the super rich have less concern for the financial consequences if things go wrong, which leads to an "erosion of perspective" and "dulled risk perception".

"So much of their life is facilitated by others around them and the structures they create. They still look to mitigate risks, but they're passed onto someone else who's paid to control every variable for them," he tells Sky News.

This "sense of entitlement" can lead to a psychological adaptation that sees the extreme become normal by constantly viewing situations through a "wider strategic lens" where the mundane details are disregarded, he says.

"That entitlement buffers against risk and you begin looking for something above normal - something not normal even at that 'rich list' level", he says - like going to Mars, for example.

This is what the Blue Origin space capsule would look like. Pic: AP

This can often be exacerbated by wealthy people's tendency to surround themselves with others of a similar status, he adds.

And in the context of the billionaire space race, Dr Doran says that these off-the-beaten-track, extreme travel pursuits "tend to be dominated by white, heterosexual, able-bodied men".

This can result in "hyper-masculine behaviours", which Mr Chambers says are often part of a feedback loop, whereby risk-taking is championed because high-risk business decisions have got them to where they are now.

example of extreme tourism

Test flight pilot death heightens safety protocols

Branson's team has spent 17 years designing, building and safety checking VSS Unity and its first three private space tourists began their training programme a year ago with High-G and Zero-G preparation courses.

Since a test flight of the original SpaceShipTwo crashed over California's Mojave Desert in October 2014 , killing one of the pilots, they have introduced several new safety measures.

These include an improved spacecraft design for VSS Unity, safety management systems that detect and avoid space debris, and emergency evacuation protocols for pilots and passengers.

They also complied fully with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) when a probe into another test flight in October 2021 found the "strength of margins" of materials used for the rocket plane had caused it to veer off course on its descent to the runway.

According to Virgin, VSS Unity now has an advanced flight control system capable of automatically controlling its ascent and descent and its team of pilots have 236 years of collective flight experience, including with NASA, the RAF and US Marine Corps.

With all this in place, it now has all the relevant permissions and prides itself on being the first vehicle of its kind to receive a full licence to fly customers to space from the FAA.

SpaceShipTwo landed about 10 after detaching from its carrier aircraft

Competing to go the furthest can 'become quite dangerous'

OceanGate, the company that operated the ill-fated Titanic submersible has suspended all commercial operations , with widespread concerns safety was not an important enough priority.

Karl Stanley, a friend of the OceanGate chief executive Stockton Rush, who was one of the five who died on board, said in one interview he had created a "mousetrap for billionaires" .

Titan submersible in June 2021. File pic: OceanGate Expeditions via AP.

OceanGate co-founder Guillermo Söhnlein has since said he wants to send 1,000 humans to Venus, the warmest planet in the solar system where atmospheric pressure is 90 times stronger than on Earth, by 2050.

Mr Chambers says that although it is too soon to know what happened with the submersible, with criminal investigations pending, extreme wealth and the ego that goes with it can "leave you blind" to potential risks when competing to go the furthest.

"When it comes to a single individual who believes they've created something unique - and they are the sole conveyor of that experience, that's when it can become quite dangerous," he adds.

Stockton Rush in 2021 YouTube video

When people climb a mountain - whether it be Everest or Ben Nevis - hikers always agree a turnaround time at which point they will come back to avoid poor conditions or over-exhaustion.

But Professor Barrett says that with the level of money involved in this type of extreme tourism, the pressure to deliver for customers could see that ignored.

"Some people do push themselves over the limit and die that way," she says.

"And if you've got paying clients who are really excited to see the Titanic, maybe that's harder to resist. That idea that I've invested so much and come so far and I'm nearly there. Sometimes that's what pushes people over that threshold."

Related Topics

  • Virgin Galactic

Editorial: Cause of terrifying Latam incident needs to be found quickly

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The mid-air plunge that terrified passengers on a Latam Airlines flight and the subsequent shabby treatment of passengers is an extreme example of the new reality of flying.

Airlines celebrate the launch of new products, food and uniforms with great fanfare, but when it comes to fronting up on safety issues, most are much less forthcoming.

Latam’s Australian PR agency released a brief statement about the incident on the Sydney to Auckland flight , saying it had a technical problem during the flight which “caused a strong movement. Latam regrets the inconvenience and injury this situation may have caused its passengers”.

One passenger described the terrifying experience more graphically, saying the sight of people flying through the air and hitting the cabin ceiling was like a scene from The Exorcist. About 50 people were hurt and 12 needed hospital treatment, some with serious injuries.

The same passenger reported a shocked pilot telling him control of the packed aircraft had been lost after instruments went dark.

Traumatised passengers were offered accommodation and food, including a voucher for a burger, but little other support. Many had to reboard the onward flight to Santiago the following day while likely still in shock.

Latam doesn’t have a presence in New Zealand, so the lack of support is understandable but no less acceptable. It touches down to pick up more Chile-bound passengers exercising its fifth-freedom rights to top up planes on which fares are notoriously high and yields strong. That’s because it has the route to itself.

Since the pandemic, most airlines have enjoyed a strong rebound in profit built on high fares, especially on routes they dominate. This at a time when service levels have slipped in many cases.

The Latam incident happened about two-thirds of the way into the transtasman flight, in international airspace.

Under the International Convention on Aviation, the Direccion General de Aeronautica Civil (DGAC) - the Chilean accident investigation authority - is responsible for investigating the accident and has requested help from New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission.

The commission has seized the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from the 8-year-old plane.

The National Transportation Safety Board in the United States could become involved as that’s the base of Boeing, which is facing other safety investigations into its troubled 737 Max. A former head of that agency has warned the apparent instrument blackout on LA800 could become a “major issue” for the 1100 Dreamliners flying around the world now.

Air New Zealand has 14 of them and another eight on order.

Speculation is mounting a Dreamliner glitch identified nine years ago could be responsible for the Latam incident. Airlines operating the planes were then advised to shut down and then restart the planes every three months after tests by Boeing exposed a problem that could cause them to lose all electrical power and a loss of control.

Boeing is saying little about Monday’s incident. A spokesman said it was in contact with Latam, and “Boeing stands ready to support investigation-related activities as requested”.

The pressure is on investigators to find the cause of the problem quickly and communicate their findings clearly.

example of extreme tourism

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COMMENTS

  1. Extreme tourism

    Extreme tourism (also often referred to as danger tourism or shock tourism, although these concepts do not appear strictly similar) is a niche in the tourism industry involving travel to dangerous places ( mountains, jungles, deserts, caves, canyons, etc.) or participation in dangerous events. Extreme tourism overlaps with extreme sport.

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    7 Mount Hua - China. Climbing up this mountain has been regarded as one of the most dangerous hikes in the world, so of course, that's the perfect bait for extreme tourists. Many opt to go on the "Plank Trail," which is rumored to cause 100 deaths per year. The "Plank Road" bridge sees hikers climbing to the next peak by walking across a 0.3 meter (0.98 ft.) wide plank path that's built along ...

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    The steepest peak on Earth: Mount Thor, Nunavut, Canada. At 5,495 feet tall, Mount Thor is not the world's highest peak, but it is the steepest. The most famous summit in Canada and made of pure ...

  5. From Titanic tours to space exploration: extreme tourism is ...

    The $250,000-a-head expedition that vanished this week en route to the deep-sea wreck of the Titanic ocean liner is just one example of extreme tourism that is becoming more commonplace for those ...

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    Extreme travel isn't for the faint-hearted. Kari-Matti Valtari would know. ... Within the "UK region", for example, there are 30 different regions, including: England - Yorkshire and the Humber ...

  7. The Wild World of Extreme Tourism for Billionaires

    The extreme tourism industry is niche, but growing. A swelling number of companies have emerged to facilitate dangerous adventures for the super-rich. OceanGate began offering trips aboard Titan ...

  8. Why Extreme Tourism is Booming Despite the Dangers

    In 2021, the global adventure tourism market was valued at $282.1 billion, according to a report by Grand View Research. It's now projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 15.2 ...

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    Space tourism is the next frontier in extreme travel. Companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are opening doors for civilians to experience suborbital flights, witnessing the Earth's curvature and ...

  10. The rise of extreme tourism

    The big picture: Several factors, including new technologies and post-pandemic demand, are driving a surge in extreme tourism. ... The expedition to the wreckage of the Titanic that went missing this week is just the latest example. Each of the five passengers paid $250,000 to travel nearly 2.5 miles deep into a remote part of the Atlantic ...

  11. We Know The Risks

    Frontier tourism is an exclusive and extreme form of adventure travel. The trips are very expensive, aim to overstimulate senses and go to the outer limits of our planet — the deep oceans, high mountains, polar areas and even space. Frontier tourism is not new. Humans have explored remote locations for millennia.

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    09/15/2023. In June, the world was gripped by the disappearance of a deep-sea submersible that was taking paying customers—essentially, tourists—more than 2 miles deep into the ocean to visit the Titanic wreck site. The customers aboard the OceanGate vessel Titan were seeking the adventure of a lifetime, and they had paid handsomely for it.

  13. Exploring Extreme Tourism: Thrilling Adventures in Dangerous Locations

    The thrill of extreme tourism can be dangerously addictive, even in the face of potential danger. 🌍. Visiting Kabul on holiday, one of the most dangerous cities in the world, is unheard of due to the risk of terrorist attacks and the Taliban's potential control. 💰. The agency charging $2,600 for 10 days of war tourism highlights the ...

  14. What Is Extreme Tourism? (with pictures)

    Extreme tourism, also sometimes referred to as shock tourism, is travel that is strongly characterized by a sense of adventure or even physical danger. The "extreme" aspect of this type of tourism may derive from a destination itself or from one or more activities which are engaged in during one's trip. Extreme tourism may be arranged by ...

  15. What Is Hyper Tourism?

    Extreme tourism, also known as adventure tourism, is a type of travel that involves high-risk activities and experiences. This form of tourism is popular among thrill-seekers who are looking for an adrenaline rush and seeking to step outside their comfort zone. In this article, we will explore some examples of extreme tourism. 1.

  16. The 9 Most Extreme Adventures in the World

    The 9 Most Extreme Adventures in the World. 1 of 9. A biker charges down Portal Trail in Utah. The exposed trail sits 200 feet above the Colorado River and demands advanced technical bike skills ...

  17. What Are Examples of Extreme Tourism?

    Extreme tourism, also known as adventure tourism, is a type of travel that involves high-risk activities and experiences. This form of tourism is popular among thrill-seekers who are looking for an adrenaline rush and seeking to step outside their comfort zone. In this article, we will explore some examples of extreme tourism. 1. Mountain Climbing

  18. A Complete Guide to Extreme Tourism by Dr Prem

    Why extreme tourism matters. Extreme tourism is an interesting tourism niche. It is actually a significant source of life blood that sustains the tourism industry. It brings about several billions of tourist dollars boosting a country's annual gross national product. Mountaineering is a burning example of extreme tourism. It requires grit ...

  19. Is extreme tourism worth it?

    The rise in extreme tourism has emerged as a lucrative sector for those in the travel industry. The newest extremes in extreme travel stretch beyond the ends of the earth, with space travel joining what's already estimated to be a $300 billion industry, Those who help in arranging such adventures predict continued growth in the sector.

  20. Danger, prestige and authenticity draw thrill-seekers to adventure tourism

    An example of the difference between authentic and inauthentic tourism is the difference between a zoo and a safari. Zoos are built to allow large crowds of people to easily view unique and often ...

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    The dunes of the Sahara are colossal, untouched, and tailor-made for extreme sports. The desert's rows of barchans (meaning "crescent-shaped dunes" in Turkic) have ideal shapes for sand ...

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    Examples of activities that can achieve these range from heli-skiing and mountain climbing to base jumping. ... But Professor Barrett says that with the level of money involved in this type of ...

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    The mid-air plunge that terrified passengers on a Latam Airlines flight and the subsequent shabby treatment of passengers is an extreme example of the new reality of flying.. Airlines celebrate ...