The role of risk and safety in shaping the experiences of guided adventure tourists: a case study of sea-kayak and multi-day walking participants

Abstract

How guided outdoor activity participants perceive hazards and risks, and what attitudes they bring to the guided experience regarding safety and responsibility, has not been widely investigated in the academic literature to date. This report documents research which seeks to address this gap, conducted over the summer of 2006-2007 in the South Island of New Zealand. The study developed a two-stage questionnaire to investigate participants' levels of experience in two soft-adventure activities (sea-kayaking and walking), their reasons for undertaking a guided trip and their awareness of hazards they expected to encounter. Their opinions and attitudes towards safety and responsibility were also explored through a series of 7-point Likert-type questions both pre- and post-experience. The researchers worked in cooperation with an adventure tourism company that offered guided walking (hiking) and sea-kayaking experiences. Consequently, the sampling method employed was one of convenience, and resulted in 103 guided kayaking and multi-day walking participants completing the questionnaires. Results indicate that considerations of risk and safety play an important, but complex, role in the decision making of soft-adventure tourists. Furthermore the guided experience makes significant difference to participants' perceptions of safety and risk, their attitudes toward shared responsibility, and the acceptance of hazards as part of the outdoor experience. The research finds limited evidence that these nature-based tours have unrealistic expectations about management of their safety during the activities. Results are discussed within the context of challenges faced by commercial, nature-based tourism operators, and the apparent social preoccupation with risk reduction in outdoor and adventure settings.