NZ ranked 2nd in Adventure Tourism Development Index

The fourth annual Adventure Travel Development Index (ATDI) has ranked New Zealand the second most sustainable market in Adventure Tourism.

Published by The George Washington University, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and Vital Wave Consulting, the ATDI offers a ranking of countries around the world based on principles of sustainable adventure tourism and is calculated through a combination of expert survey data and quantitative data gathered from international indices.

The 2011 report saw Switzerland and New Zealand topping the rankings on sustainable adventure tourism for developed nations while Chile ranked first in the category among developing nations for the first time.

"Adventure Tourism plays a significant role in the 100% Pure New Zealand experience - and to be ranked as the second most sustainable in the developed markets is a great success for New Zealand and the tourism industry," says Chris Roberts, General Manager Corporate Affairs Tourism New Zealand.

Overall, New Zealand rose from third to second place. New Zealand ranked first in the Safety pillar of the ATDI, based on its impeccable reputation as a safe destination and low levels of corruption. It also ranked second among developed countries in the Entrepreneurship pillar, and scored an 82.1 on the Index of Economic Freedom (The Heritage Foundation, 2012)

With the goal of promoting and informing sustainable development of tourism, the ATDI was created to support entrepreneurs and governments who want to create and market sustainable adventure tourism products and services for the benefit of communities and the environment.

"Countries like Switzerland, New Zealand and Canada can provide models for developing countries as well as continue to innovate and push the boundaries further. Their stable economy, wealth of adventure activities and dedication from their tourism boards on nature-based travel, indicate an understanding of the long-term value of well-managed adventure travel," said Shannon Stowell, president of the ATTA.

ADTI The study is available online. The top 10 developed and developing countries in 2011 are as follows:

Developed Countries: Switzerland, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Austria, Sweden, Japan
Developing Countries: Chile, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Israel, Estonia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Poland, South Korea, Hungary

About Adventure Travel Trade Association

Established in 1990, the Seattle-based Adventure Travel Trade Association, serving more than 800 members worldwide, serves as the hub for tour operators, tourism boards, media, specialty agents, adventure accommodations and industry partners with a vested interest in adventure tourism development.