Adventure Travel Research Articles

Locating Self in Place During a Study Abroad Experience: Emerging Adults, Global Awareness, and the Andes

Background: College students generally participate in study abroad experiences (SAE) at times of identity and value development as emerging adults. SAE has been criticized as perpetuating colonial acts through the project of globalization. Purpose: This research examined how participants construct meaning about place(s) and how this meaning relates to their sense of self during a 3-week expedition-style SAE in the Bolivian Andes. Methodology/Approach: SAE included place-based learning activities, cultural immersion, service projects, adventure travel, and two concurrent academic courses. Data were gathered from eight participants through written journal assignments, researcher observations, and field notes. Findings/Conclusions: Five themes emerged: personal growth, a multiplicity of meaning, privilege and global perspective, an urban-rural effect, and a taste for more. The social context and comfort–discomfort continuum are discussed as influencing factors. Implications: Findings suggest a place-based SAE can influence value formation and reflective practice of emerging adults. While findings echo SAE as a privileged experience, the question of latent effects of SAE on emerging adult social justice perspectives is raised.

Introduction

In the nineteenth century, transmitting knowledge of the world became one of the most important tasks for education. As the last blank spots on the map were filled in, geographical knowledge assumed particular importance. In order to do business, assess political situations, and make travel plans, young adults had to learn more than etiquette, manners, religion and history. This knowledge of the world was conveyed to minors primarily via pedagogical instruction (for example, by way of geography textbooks), but also via adventure stories and travel novels.

Australia's Northern Safari

[Extract] Filmed during a 1955 family trip from Perth to the Gulf of Carpentaria, Keith Adams’s Northern Safari showed to packed houses across Australia, and in some overseas locations, across three decades. Essentially a home movie, initially accompanied by live commentary and subsequently by a homemade sound track, it tapped into audiences’ sense of Australia’s north as a place of adventure. In the film Adams interacts with the animals of northern Australia (often by killing them), and while by 1971 the violence apparent in the film was attracting criticism in letters to newspapers, the film remained popular through to the mid-1980s, and was later shown on television in Australia and the United States (Cowan 2; Adams, Crocodile Safari Man 261). A DVD is at present available for purchase from the website of the same name (Northern Safari). Adams and his supporters credited the film’s success to the rugged and adventurous landscape of northern Australia (Northeast vii), characterised by dangerous animals, including venomous spiders, sharks and crocodiles (see Adams, “Aussie”; “Crocodile”). The notion of Australia’s north as a place of rugged adventure was not born with Adams’s film, and that film was certainly not the last production to exploit the region and its wildlife as a source of excitement. Rather, Northern Safari belongs to a long list of adventure narratives whose hunting exploits have helped define the north of Australian as a distinct region and contrast it with the temperate south where most Australians make their lives. This article explores the connection between adventure in Australia’s north and the large animals of the region. Adams’s film capitalised on popular interest in natural history, but his film is only one link in a chain of representations of the Australian north as a place of dangerous and charismatic megafauna. While over time interest shifted from being largely concentrated on the presence of buffalo in the Northern Territory to a fascination with the saltwater crocodiles found more widely in northern Australia that interest in dangerous prey animals is significant to Australia’s northern imaginary.

Travel and Insight on the Limen: A Content Analysis of Adventure Travel Narratives

Travel narratives, both historical and modern, depict a hero's quest for insight and self-discovery where the outward journey is a literal and metaphorical search for one's authentic self, spirituality, and life's meaning. This article reports the results of a study that examined the association between travel's liminal experience and insight. Using content analysis of 50 published adventure travel narratives, a significant association between insight and liminality was identified, and the tentative conclusion that liminal experience may be a stimulus for insight was made. Variables (solo/group travel, travel motivation, gender, and cultural novelty) hypothesized to moderate the association between liminality and insight were also explored. Hierarchical log linear modeling identified only one significant three-way association: travel motive. Travelers who sought to escape negative associations with home were less likely to experience liminality and insight than those who were motivated to travel for other reasons.

Human factors: Predictors of avoidable wilderness accidents?

A common misconception is that wilderness adventure travel is risky owing to the nature of the objective dangers that are encountered, such as avalanches, rock falls, flash floods, failure of technical equipment and so forth. However, when one critically examines the proximal causes of wilderness accidents, even those caused by such ‘objective dangers’, it is apparent that many are due to ‘human factors’ or non-technical skills. These are broadly defined as the continuous process of identifying and avoiding the activities, interactions and decisions that may jeopardise safe and effective response to adverse events. Objective dangers and adverse events are unavoidable, but the response to them is governed by how team dynamics, leadership and followership modes, situational awareness and experience may mitigate these risks or manage their consequences effectively. On the other hand, ignoring human factors during wilderness travel is predictive of wilderness accidents. This article outlines how an awareness of human factors may be used to reduce the risks of adventure travel significantly.

A technical diving-related burns case: treatment in a remote location

Injuries suffered as a result of a rebreather oxygen explosion and fire occurred to a diver on vacation in the island state of Chuuk, Micronesia. The medical and logistical management of the diver in a remote location are described. The mechanism of both the fire and the subsequent blast and burn injuries are discussed. Prevention of and preparation for such incidents are discussed in the context of the increasing frequency of dive and adventure travel to remote areas.

Determining the benefits of adventure tourism from a providers’ perspective in Fethiye

There has been a significant growth in adventure tourism globally in recent years including Turkey. Fethiye is a good example of this trend as the resort has great potential for adventure tourism. Adventure tourism helps holiday destinations to attract sustainable tourism management in comparison with the traditional sea, sun and sand form of tourism. The specific aim of this study is to reveal the benefits of adventure tourism for the adventure traveler and for the providing organization too. Questionnaire technique was used to gather data. The questionnaire was directed and employed towards the service providers. Data was collated between May and October 2014 and 161 questionnaires were completed via face to face survey methodology. Adventure travel/ traveler benefits were ascertained from enquiries appertaining to: experience, activity, environment and other miscellaneous factors. Findings of the survey identified that the greatest benefits of adventure tourism for the providing organizations were 'self actualization' and 'supporting culture and environment' both of which, from statistical analysis, appeared to have a direct impact on increased business opportunity and growth market potential. As a result of this study, it is surmised that the provision of serving such destinations with adventure tourism should be of significant benefit to travelers and service providers alike. Keywords: adventure tourism, benefits of adventure tourism, adventure-based leisure/recreation, service providers

Practical Tips for Working as an Expedition Doctor on High-Altitude Expeditions.

Brants, Anne, and Tracee Metcalfe. Practical tips for working as an expedition doctor on high-altitude expeditions. High Alt Med Biol. 18:193-198, 2017.-With the explosion of adventure travel over the past decade, there has been a concurrent increase in mountaineering expeditions to extreme elevations, including many of the 8000-m peaks. This trend has created an increased demand for qualified expedition doctors to provide specialized medical advice and care to climbers and expedition staff. This review is intended to help physicians prepare for work on such expeditions. The authors rely heavily on their own experience and discuss the types of work available on high-altitude expeditions; how to identify a safe and reputable guiding company; personal and medical preparation; priorities in selecting or building an appropriate medical kit; and medical conditions commonly encountered on expeditions. The review concludes by considering ethical dilemmas and other difficult issues unique to this work.

Alan Hirsch, MD

Quite unexpectedly, Alan T. Hirsch died suddenly Friday, April 14, 2017. Those of us in the vascular medicine community, his family, professional colleagues, friends, and patients are devastated. But the light of Alan Hirsch cannot be quenched, and his light will shine in the darkness of our loss. I have been a close friend and professional colleague of Alan for the past 25 years, primarily regarding his work in vascular medicine but extending to our personal lives as we journeyed through the challenges and joys of life. He loved the wilderness in the Rocky Mountains, Minnesota, and abroad. Adventure travel and his family occupied his time outside his profession. Looking back at his academic beginnings, Alan graduated from Harvard University Magna Cum Laude and Summa with Highest Honors in 1976—something that most of us growing up in Colorado could only dream about. His early career development spanned the country, with medical school at University of California, San Francisco, residency at the University of California and Cardiology fellowship at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. Alan then joined the faculty of the recently formed Vascular Medicine Division at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where his passion for vascular medicine was kindled. This was followed by his recruitment to join the faculty at the University of Minnesota, where he ultimately created his own program in Vascular Medicine. Early in his career, Alan became a dominant voice in Vascular Medicine. He was …

Understanding the Opportunities of Adventure Tourism

Adventure tourism is a quickly growing field in the industry, but is not commonly applying special marketing methods by the management. The prominent growth of travel industry has mounted into new directions within the tourist market. The whole concept of traveling has changed and consequently the applications of marketing need revision and adaptation. Adventure traveling is one of the young and growing sectors in tourism industry. The growing number of adventure travel providers has increased competition; however, the applied marketing methods are merely following the principles of regular travel marketing. Ultimately, the possibilities are so abundant, that the adventure travel market itself is developing even newer dimensions. Experimenting by an escapade is no longer a matter of back bagger spirited travelers, but varieties of new segments are consuming adventure journeys. This transformation entitles for a systematic analysis on effective marketing strategies, adapted from traditional service marketing concepts.

Determining the benefits of adventure tourism from a providers’ perspective in Fethiye

There has been a significant growth in adventure tourism globally in recent years including Turkey. Fethiye is a good example of this trend as the resort has great potential for adventure tourism. Adventure tourism helps holiday destinations to attract sustainable tourism management in comparison with the traditional sea, sun and sand form of tourism. The specific aim of this study is to reveal the benefits of adventure tourism for the adventure traveller and for the providing organization too. Questionnaire technique was used to gather data. The questionnaire was directed and employed towards the service providers. Data was collated between May and October 2014 and 161 questionnaires were completed via face to face survey methodology. Adventure travel/ traveller benefits were ascertained from enquiries appertaining to: experience, activity, environment and other miscellaneous factors. Findings of the survey identified that the greatest benefits of adventure tourism for the providing organisations were 'self actualization' and 'supporting culture and environment' both of which, from statistical analysis, appeared to have a direct impact on increased business opportunity and growth market potential. As a result of this study, it is surmised that the provision of serving such destinations with adventure tourism should be of significant benefit to travellers and service providers alike.Keywords: Adventure tourism, benefits of adventure tourism, adventure-based leisure/recreation, service providers.

Adventure programming and travel for the 21st century

Adventure programming and travel for the 21st century

Infections associated with adventure travel: A systematic review.

AimTo review infections associated with adventure travel.MethodsThe PubMed, Embase and Scopus databases were searched combining the words infection with the following keywords: rafting, whitewater, surfing, (surfer* or windsurf*), (caves or caving or spelunking), (triathlon or trekking) or (hiking or adventure race), bicycling, backpacking, (mountain climb* or bouldering), horseback riding, orienteering, trekking, and skiing.ResultsAdventure travel is becoming much more common among travelers and it is associated with a subset of infectious diseases including: leptospirosis, schistosomiasis, viral hemorrhagic fevers, rickettsial diseases and endemic mycosis. Caving and whitewater rafting places individuals at particular risk of leptospirosis, schistosomiasis and endemic mycosis, while adventure races also place individuals at high risk of a variety of infections including campylobacter, norovirus and leptospirosis.ConclusionTravel practitioners need to be aware of the risks associated with adventure travel and should educate individuals about the risks associated with various activities. Doxycycline prophylaxis should be considered for travelers who are susceptible to leptospirosis due to participation in high-risk sports such as whitewater rafting, caving or adventure races.

Sand fly fever: an important vector-borne diseases for travelers?

Context: Sand fly fever is a vector-borne viral infection and is endemic in many parts of the world, particularly in areas that are infected with different types of leishmaniasis. Clinical spectrum ranges from asymptomatic infection to very high fever and photophobia in patients. During the last decades, an increase in imported sand fly fever cases in developed and nonendemic countries have been pointed out from an international literature review. Among the possible causes are increasing international travelers, travel of immigrants from endemic area, and army operations. It has been noted that the main region for the diseases are west of Asia and east of Europe, and perhaps imported cases may be seen clinically in different parts of the world, either in developed or in developing countries. Materials and Methods: Two methods were used to gather the information for this article. First, PubMed was searched for English language references to published relevant articles. Second, the term sand fly fever was searched on Google Scholar too. Results: In PubMed , 156 articles and in Google Scholar, 70,400 articles mentioned the term sand fly fever. The most searched items in PubMed were epidemiology, treatment, prevention, and life cycle with incidences of 41.66, 20.51, 13.46, and 1.92%, respectively, and in terms of geographical distribution of the study, the maximum number of articles in PubMed were published from Europe, Asia, Australia, and America, with percentages being 26.92, 17.30, 17.0, 1.28, and 1.28%, respectively. Conclusion: Different countries have reported the disease either as an endemic or as an imported one. co-infection. Sand fly fever must be considered in the diagnostic assessment of patients presenting with a similar clinical syndrome and a history of travel to an endemic area, which are mentioned above. Adventure travelers, researchers, military personnel, and other groups of travelers likely to be exposed to sand flies in endemic areas; these travelers should receive counseling regarding sand fly fever appropriate protective health measures. In this review article sand fly fever situation will be studied.

Ten-minute chat.

During her first degree, Jess French founded a programme in which university students taught primary school children about environmental issues. She recently qualified as a vet and, when not studying, teaching, writing or looking for bugs, she enjoys adventure sports and travel, learning new languages and playing the saxophone and drums. She is also a presenter on CBeebies.

The GoPro gaze

During 2014–2015, we produced a short video documentary, titled The Art of Wild, which focused on the audiovisual practices of outdoor adventurers. This short written report reflects on an idea inspired by the video: the GoPro gaze. Enacted by increasingly sophisticated, portable and affordable recording audiovisual technologies such as the GoPro Hero camera, the ‘GoPro gaze’ entails not just the pursuit of pleasures derived from adventure and nature-based travel, but also the production and distribution of professional-quality independent videos for Internet audiences. Based on a series of ‘go-along’ interviews with adventure travelers/athletes/artists, this article and the accompanying video prompt us to reflect on how the affective pleasures and technological affordances of the ‘GoPro gaze’ trouble the established idea of the ‘tourist gaze’.

Uncorrected Insight: From Confusion to Clarity on the Green Tortoise

In this paper, I seek to demonstrate — through an account of a process of “boundary-breaking” enlightenment in my research on a Green Tortoise adventure travel tour — the manner in which a definition of truth “after modernism” can provide the foundation for a coherent, value-oriented, transformational (Harman, 1996) model of social inquiry.

Parasitic infections: overlooked, under-diagnosed and under-researched

Professor George Nelson (1924–2009) once stated that, ‘Parasitology is the preserve of the diagnostically destitute’. Little has changed to this day, with potentially relevant parasitic causes of illnesses often not being considered early in the differential diagnoses of clinical presentations. Parasitic infections are sometimes overlooked as causes of morbidity and (in some cases) mortality in both the medical and veterinary fields. In Australia there remain significant problems associated with giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, strongyloidiasis and other parasitic diseases, particularly in remote, underserved and tropical regions of the country and also in the immuno-compromised individuals (HIV, immunosuppressive drugs etc.). The burden of many parasitic diseases is greater in tropical and sub-tropical areas of non-industrialised countries. With increasingly adventurous travel and dining, increasing numbers of Australians returning from travel overseas with added souvenirs of common or exotic parasitoses every year and refugees and migrants arriving in Australia, these infections are becoming increasingly important.

English

Travelling to cities has long traditions, but in recent years tourists more frequently decide to visit places which are not typical tourist attractions. One of the new, alternative methods of spending free time in cities is urban exploration. It is a kind of quasi-tourism consisting in rediscovering forgotten and abandoned places. In the countries of Central and Eastern Europe which were the part of the former Eastern Bloc, this phenomenon can be observed particularly in post-communist cities and districts, such as NowaHuta in Krakow, Poland. The aim of the article was to identify places visited by urban explorers in NowaHuta and to indicate the main problems of managing city tourism in the context of this type of adventure travel development. Urban exploration is considered controversial but is constantly gaining more and more popularity. The main tourism products are not the specific monuments and museums but emotions and experiences of tourists. This requires proper management of tourism according to the rules of sustainable development and the concept of experience economy. The explorers in NowaHuta act on the edge of law, which causes their activity to be seen in a negative way. In the wider perspective, however, they contribute to reviving the local activity for protecting, restoring and rendering the buildings of the communist heritage available. Key words: Urban exploration, communist heritage, tourism management, city tourism, experience economy, Krakow, NowaHuta.

Infections Associated with Exotic Cuisine: The Dangers of Delicacies.

"Exotic" food dishes are an expression of regional culture, religion, and ethnicity worldwide. With the increase in international travel to remote areas of the world, globalization of the food supply, and changes in food habits, more people are consuming dishes once considered exotic. Such behavioral changes require awareness by consumers and clinicians about the risks of food-borne infections. This chapter addresses pathogens associated with consumption of raw or undercooked seafood including anisakidosis, Diphyllobothrium latum infection, flukes, and other infectious and toxin-mediated diseases. We discuss the geographic distribution of the pathogens, symptomatology, and basic principles of treatment. Food products derived from turtles, snakes, and other reptiles are reviewed, and we address the risk of gnathostomiasis, sparganosis, trichinellosis, and other pathogens. In discussing infections associated with undercooked beef, pork, and bush meat, we address dysentery, amebiasis, toxoplasmosis, Taenia infections, and risks of novel viral infections, among others. We also review infectious risks from poultry, dairy, and other food items, focusing on those organisms encountered less frequently by clinicians in developed countries. The wide range of infectious organisms related to exotic cuisine underscores the importance of educating the adventurous traveler and warrants continued vigilance on the part of the clinician.