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Group trips with friends and family, particularly during quieter travel periods, are among the trends defining multi-day adventure itineraries this year.

Selene Brophy

Operators of adventure travel tours expect 2024 to bring more demand for private group trips and more bookings during shoulder seasons.

Many active adventure travelers will seek personal enrichment beyond physical endurance challenges. Tour operators will also address a growing appetite for itineraries that take guests off the beaten track in more personalized ways.

Here are seven trends to watch in adventure travel during 2024, according to leading players in the sector.

1. More Shoulder Season Demand

September and October, the Northern Hemisphere's traditional shoulder season, became the most popular months for adventure travel in 2023. Expect that trend to continue this year.

Booking data detailed in TourRadar's 2023 organized adventure travel report showed these months replaced 2019's peak departure period of June, July, and August.

Leisure travelers are continuing to shift the timing of their trips to coincide with cooler weather and better rates of the shoulder season, according to TourRadar's booking data based on 50,000 active itineraries in over 160 countries.

Adventure travel to Northern Europe is rising, especially during the shoulder season. Source: Backroads. 2. Private Group Tours

Backroads founder and CEO Tom Hale said the company was seeing a rise in popularity for private active adventure group travel during the shoulder season.

"Travelers are looking to avoid peak crowds and