2. DEFINITION
• Niche tourism refers to the numerous specialty forms of tourism that have
emerged over the years, each with its own adjective. Many of these terms
have come into common use by the tourism industry and academics.
Others are emerging concepts that may or may not gain popular usage.
• Niche tourism refers to a type of specialty tourism that focuses on a
specific concept or topic. This can be food, sports, sex, war or wildlife
tourism. Each of these tours will focus on their individual concepts.
• Some of the most prevalent tourism niches today are adventure travel,
agritourism, geo/ecotourism, heritage/cultural tourism, and volunteer
tourism.
3. Adventure
travel
• Adventure travel refers mostly to
outdoor sporting activities, and can
include everything from whitewater
rafting, cycling tours, ranch vacations,
and African safaris, to hiking, mountain
climbing, fishing, camping, boating,
skiing, hot-air ballooning, and whale-
watching.
• A major boost for this niche has come
from the national obsession with health
and physical fitness. A subset of this
niches is “soft adventure”, which
connotes less strenuous activities that
are tailored for many travelling seniors
and those who are less physically fit.
4. Agritourism
• Agritourism is centered primarily on
experiencing life on working farms
through activities such as collecting
eggs, feeding livestock, picking fruit,
planting crops, etc. One prominent
example of these offerings is the
Pennsylvania Dutch country.
• Another good example is the Hudson
River Valley of New York, where tourists
can enjoy a farm-to-table experience at
the Stone Barns Center for food and
agriculture in Pocantico Hills. Another
Hudson Valley attraction is the campus
of the culinary Institute of America in
Hyde Park.
5. Geotourism &
ecotourism
• Geotourism and ecotourism are closely
related and refer to travel that enhances
the geographical character of a place or
explores the ecological beauty if flora
and fauna in a particular area.
• Prominent examples include all the US
national parks. The proliferation of
expansive new aquariums across the
country is another example of this
special interest.
6. Heritage/
Cultural tourism
• Heritage/ Cultural tourism concentrates
on the historical and cultural sites that
abound throughout the nation,
including theaters, museums, and
science centres.
• Prime examples in Virginia include
Colonial Williamsburg, George
Washington’s home at Mount Vernon,
and Thomas Jefferson’s home,
Monticello, near Charlottesville.
7. Volunteer
Tourism
• More and more people are traveling
today to participate in volunteer
community service and humanitarian
projects. These include programs to
include programs to improve natural,
historic, and cultural resources,
archeological excavations, and national
park improvements.
• The Habitat for Humanity program that
builds new homes for needy families is a
typical example of this volunteerism
movement.
