Whether it’s climbing ice mountains, paddle-boarding through the Virgin Islands, or learning to surf, Kim-Marie Evans is always up for an adventure, but doesn’t always have a lot of time.
Evans explains a recent trip where, “I was standing and surfing in the warm waters of Nicaragua, next day I was flying back home driving carpool.”
That’s not uncommon for Evans, who is used to being super mom one day and jumping on a deal for a quick adventure the next. She’s a massive fan of the microadventure.
What’s a microadventure? Gabe Saglie of Travelzoo.com explains, “It’s basically a burst of a vacation or an experience. The kinds of things the previous generation thought we needed seven, 10, 15 days to experience. Those of us today who are busier are looking for the same experience in just maybe a nugget -- two, three, four nights instead.”
Saglie says the travel trend is popular, especially among millennials.
And forget lying on the beach. There’s no rest for the weary here. It’s more about experiencing life. “It’s the two-night dude ranch experience. It’s the three-day river rafting experience. It’s the zip-line and bungee-jumping experience,” Saglie says.
He goes on to explain that people used to save for long periods for a vacation. Flash sales changed that. “Consumers are conditioned to be on the lookout for these sales, to jump on them as quickly as possible. There’s an incentive now to be ready to experience a vacation,” Saglie explains.
And, with work taking over so many people’s lives, a quick trip may be the only option.
Evans explains, “I can’t devote a week to everything I want to do and you can fit a lot in in three days. If I do 10 three-day trips instead of three 10-day trips, think of the amount of things you can pack into that amount of time.”
Evans says for her, it’s all about getting the max adventure in a micro amount of time, and is looking forward to more adventures. “I want to heli-ski. That’s next on my list and also a three-day trip to Napa Valley,” she says.
Some people line up their own microadventures, but the travel industry is also getting in the game... offering exclusive savings, experiences and vetting various options.
TravelZoo says another reason for the growing popularity is social media. When one person posts that they found an airfare deal to Paris for say $87, or someone posts amazing travel photos, others want to jump in on the action.
