Abstract
The increased growth and commercialization of adventure tourism led
to a number of changes in the profile of the individuals who now engage in adventure
activities. As a result, previous understandings of adventure tourism motivations
may no longer be valid. This study seeks to investigate the influence of
these changes by analyzing the motivations of tourists who have engaged in adventure
tourism across a range of commercial adventure activities. This is done
through data collected from participants in adventure tourism, throughout South
Africa, using a push and pull factor approach to motivations. The results show
the increasing influence of the experiences with nature in motivations, particularly
in the context of pull factors. The role of risk and thrill in motivations,
which has been emphasized in previous literature, is found to be relatively minimal
among these respondents. Furthermore, adventure tourism experiences are
found to be dynamic, with an increasing number of significant factors influencing
decision-making. It also demonstrates notable differences in the motivations
of participants, based on the type of activity in which they engage.