Dr Jason King

Adventure tourism is a growing industry that relies on skilled professionals to provide diverse and challenging experiences. While activities vary across the sector, experiences typically involve novel situations, unique experiences, and carefully considered risks balanced with individual and group capability. Importantly, using leadership approaches to facilitate quality participant experiences is key. This role is not straightforward and requires leaders to concurrently manage multiple and competing priorities for success. Typically, safety, risk, enjoyment, and learning are all in the mix. To date, little consideration has been devoted to adventure tourism leadership and how this affects adventure tourism experiences. Adventure tourism leaders are constantly aiming to optimise individual client experiences. The draw of risk and adventure is the very essence of adventure tourism. SELLS provides a framework reminding adventure tourism leaders of the importance of perspective over the lure of adventure. It offers an easily recalled tool for leaders operating in dynamic environments where decisions are made quickly. Five components are outlined for the adventure tourism leader to consider, ensuring memorable client outcomes. The framework builds on established foundations of safety for leaders and participants. Focus also occurs on creating enjoyable experiences and cultivating learning opportunities. Legacy recognises the power of adventure tourism to create lasting memories and the importance of this for the adventure tourism leader. The last section refers to self and the need for continual involvement in professional development. Self is the very essence of the framework bringing the adventure tourism leader back to the importance of safe practice for all concerned.

In this critical commentary we propose that ‘the outdoors’ is a contested leisure terrain that is both a space for freedom, relaxation and enjoyment, and, at the same time, a site of exclusion, hierarchy and discrimination. We review some of the well-established benefits of outdoor leisure in relation to physical and mental health, well-being and personal development. However, these benefits are not equally accessible to all, with many groups and individuals reporting feeling excluded from leisure in the outdoors. Drawing on the context of the UK, we argue that the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating these divisions, as outdoor leisure takes on added significance during times of lockdown. Nevertheless, we suggest that the pandemic may also offer an opportunity to rethink outdoor leisure and ‘the outdoors’ as a leisure space in more inclusive and accessible ways.

Two decades ago, McKenzie’s meta-analysis of literature provided six fundamental elements of adventure education programme design still used to guide research and practice today. While the value of McKenzie’s early work should not be underestimated, adventure education has undergone considerable changes. Adventurous activities are now available in urban and indoor contexts and used to facilitate a growing health and wellbeing agenda. The use of risk as part of adventure education programming has also been critiqued. This paper reflects on contemporary notions of adventure, risk and the emergent narratives emphasising the associated psychological benefits. The Ecological Dynamics framework, along with representative design delivery, are presented as a viable way of building on McKenzie’s work. Both consider how effective outcomes in adventure education programmes are achieved through designs that focus on the unique relationship between the individual and their environment. While McKenzie’s six elements recognise the importance of human relationships, Ecological Dynamics forefronts relational elements, not just between participants but, importantly, the task and the environment. Individual participant needs in relation to their everyday life therefore become the focus of adventure education expanding beyond the traditional long-standing narratives of risk and danger. Through these two important concepts, this paper advocates an approach to the design of adventure representative of a participant’s everyday environment. In this way, adventure education outcomes translate beyond the adventure-specific context and align more holistically with the needs of individual participants while also assuring emphasis on individual health and wellbeing.