Tools for the Trailblazer

The stuff you’d want in your back pocket, whether you’re hiking the Andes or bobsledding in the Arctic Circle.

- RICHARD NG

The hastily-planned revenge trips to popular destinations are done. Kaput! This is the year of intentional travel – stepping outside one’s comfort zone, exploring the far-flung or lesser-known, and ticking off one’s bucket list. Now that everyone has seen how quickly the world can change, they are planning accordingly.

Compared to three years ago, bespoke luxury travel company Scott Dunn has seen a massive 80 per cent increase in demand for long-haul adventures in 2023.

Additionally, it observed a strong interest in immersive, nature-related experiences that bring people closer to wildlife, such as penguin spotting by helicopter in Antarctica or big game safaris in Africa.

The continued desire for responsible travel contributes to the growth of adventure tourism. According to travel agency Virtuoso’s year-end insights, millennials and Gen-Zs prefer destinations that embrace environmentally-friendly practices and philosophies while also conserving natural and cultural heritage. A prime example, the TransBhutan Trail, an ancient 403km trek, recently reopened after almost 60 years of closure.

Couple this with the allure of an almost-guaranteed digital detox — the less extreme sibling of the silent retreat — and it is no wonder that once-in-a-lifetime adventure trips are seeing surging interest.

The global adventure tourism market is expected to reach a value of US$1 trillion (S$1.35 trillion) by 2030, says a report by US-based business consulting firm Grand View Research.

Now there’s just the matter of what to bring along for your next adventure trip — and whom.

01 LIQUID COMFORT