niche on tour

What is niche tourism and why is it so popular?

Disclaimer: Some posts on Tourism Teacher may contain affiliate links. If you appreciate this content, you can show your support by making a purchase through these links or by buying me a coffee . Thank you for your support!

Niche tourism is a term that I hear a lot these days. But what is niche tourism? Well, the truth is that it isn’t any one tourism type, rather it is a collective term used to group a number of types of tourism. It is an umbrella term .

Confused? Don’t be! It’s actually very simple, and in this article I will explain why….

What does the term ‘niche’ mean?

What is niche tourism, macro and micro niche tourism, niche tourism definitions, why has niche tourism become popular, advantages of niche tourism, disadvantages of niche tourism, examples of niche tourism, further reading.

Before we can understand what niche tourism is, we first need to understand what is meant by the word ‘niche’.

Niche (pronounced NEE-SH in the UK and NITCH in the US), refers to an area or position that is suitable for a small group of people.

As an adjective, niche can refer to a number of things, including:

In the context of tourism, niche is referring to products, services or interests that are shared by a small group of people.

Niche tourism is the umbrella term covering a range of types of tourism . Niche tourism products and services serve a specialised segment of the tourism industry.

Niche tourism is the antithesis of mass tourism . It is the opposite of large group tours, all-inclusive holiday resorts and overtourism .

Other terms that identify similar, small market segments include alternative tourism and special interest tourism .

Essentially, niche tourism identifies forms of micro (small) tourism.

As demonstrated in the diagram below, niche tourism itself can be categorised as a macro (i.e. big) type of tourism. Within this, a number of smaller tourism types can be identified. These are micro forms of tourism.

The list of micro tourism forms listed here is not exhaustive. For a more comprehensive list, take a look at my article on the different types of tourism .

The term niche tourism hasn’t been around that long. In fact, before the 1990s niche was most commonly used to describe marketing (Robinson & Novelli, 2005).

Definitions have evolved from the concept of niche marketing, so I think that it is useful to look first at how the term niche marketing is defined.

According to Toften and Hammervoll (2009), niche marketing can be understood as a focus on a limited market, which is generally considered to be appropriate for small or specialised businesses.

Stanton, Etzel, and Walker (1991) define niche marketing as ‘a method that meets customer needs by developing products and services especially suited to small markets’.

And Kotler (2003) describes niche marketing as a focus on clients who demonstrate a specific set of needs, available to pay a higher price to companies best suited to supply their demand for goods and services.

The most comprehensive text on the niche tourism phenomena was published in 2007 by Robinson and Novelli (2007). This book introduced us to the concept, outlining the notions of macro and micro tourism that I outlined earlier. In their book Robinson and Novelli outline a variety of different examples of niche tourism. Whilst, more than twenty years have passed since this publication, it still remains largely valid and useful, although there are now a wider range of tourism forms than there were at the time of writing.

More recently, in 2005, Novelli described niche tourists as independent travellers choose specialised activities to engage with social life and to become cosmopolitans.

Taking all of this into consideration, niche tourism can be defined as ‘an umbrella tourism form, which identifies macro and micro tourism segments appealing to a specific group of travellers’.

Niche tourism has grown in popularity a lot in recent years.

This growth is owed to the way that we have changed as consumers. People have become more sophisticated in their wants and needs. We know what we want and that’s what we want. The ‘one size fits all’ traditional package tourism model no longer suits.

Around the globe people have become more globalised and more educated. We want more than a nice pool and some evening cocktails from our holidays.

People want education and culture and adventure. And we can access these things through niche tourism provision….

I would love to share some figures with you to demonstrate this, but studies tend to focus on the macro or micro tourism forms, as opposed to niche tourism as a group. But hopefully you’ll take my word on that one!

Niche tourism is often viewed as being a more positive form of tourism than mass tourism. This is because it generally involves smaller numbers of tourists who (usually) leave less of a footprint. In fact, it is often associated by sustainable tourism and responsible tourism (rightly or wrongly).

Some of the advantages of niche tourism are:

• It is less damaging on the environment
• Tourists come in smaller numbers
• Tourists tend to be more courteous and respectful
• Niche tourists often pay more than mass tourists
• There is a genuine interest in the local area and people

Of course, these advantages are not a given. It is impossible to generalise such a broad group of tourism types!

There are also disadvantages of niche tourism. The main issue is the small size of businesses and an inherent over reliance on tourism.

Some of the main problems commonly noted are:

• A lack of alternative revenue streams
• Too many visitors are attracted
• Niche businesses take business away from elsewhere
• Some niches are not environmentally friendly, such as golf tourism.
• Small visitor numbers means that the economic benefits are limited
• Niche tourism activities can come in and out of ‘fashion’ and popularity

Ultimately, it is careful tourism planning and sustainable tourism management that will reduce any negative impacts of tourism. Therefore, it is actually a misconception that niche tourism is better than mass tourism. This statement is unfounded and is totally depends on the type of tourism that is in question.

There are many examples of niche tourism around the world.

Below I have listed some of the most common types of niche tourism. I’ve written in depth articles about many of these- click on the links to learn more!

• Adventure tourism
• Ancestry tourism
• Couchsurfing
• Cruise tourism
• Cultural tourism
• Dark tourism
• Disaster tourism
• Educational tourism
• Enclave tourism
• Food tourism
• Health tourism
• Homestay tourism
• Insta tourism
• Pro-poor tourism
• Rural tourism
• Sex tourism
• Slow tourism
• Smart tourism
• Space tourism
• Sustainable tourism
• Volunteer tourism
• Virtual tourism
• Bike-packing

If you are interested in learning more about this important industry, I recommend the two texts outlined below.

Niche Tourism: Contemporary Issues, Trends and Cases- provides an integrated picture of speciality/niche tourism as a whole looking at both the ‘macro’ and ‘micro’ niche area. It has a comprehensive theoretical framework, and discusses initiatives, policies and strategies adopted internationally. With an emphasis on linking theory to practice, it is underpinned by up-to-date international case studies from around the world.

The Long Tail of Tourism: Holiday Niches and their Impact on Mainstream – The ‘long tail’ of holiday offerings implies dramatic shifts in the sector’s concentration levels and its competitive dynamics. In order to examine the applicability and validity of this scenario, a number of key holiday niches are examined in terms of their demand development, supplier landscapes, operational challenges and future potential.

Liked this article? Click to share!

107 Travel Sub Niche Ideas (Beginners Have to Try)

You wake up in a bamboo hut and hear monkeys swinging through the trees.

You stretch, get out of bed, and find breakfast already waiting for you.

Your job today? To explore and document this trip in paradise.

If this sounds like a dream, the travel niche ideas below will show you exactly how to turn it into a reality.

Why should you trust me?

I run a YouTube channel with over 180,000 subscribers and an Instagram account with over 100,000 followers.

I know what works when it comes to content people love.

What Are The Best Travel Niche Ideas?

Here are the best travel niche ideas divided into the most popular categories.

Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Travel

Share with your audience the best ideas about traveling without harming the planet.

By providing green travel tips, you can help people positively impact the environment.

Here are the best ideas for this sub niche:

• Green City Tours : Inform your audience how these green city tours are at the heart of sustainable urban living.
• Eco-Friendly Safari Lodges : Explore lodges that don’t just look good but do good too. You can go into how solar power lights them up, recycled water flows through them and they play a part in safeguarding nature around them.
• Conservation Volunteer Holidays : Encourage your followers to join conservation volunteer holidays where they can participate in wildlife monitoring.
• Plastic-Free Island Getaways : Some islands actively support ocean-saving projects by saying goodbye to any form of plastics. Travel to these destinations and show what happens in these places.
• Sustainable Farm Stays : You can write about how farm stays offer a taste of organic farming. You can also get into farm-to-table dining while having interactions with local farmers.
• Bicycle Tours : Pedaling through foreign landscapes, each turn on a bicycle tour offers something new to discover. Hop on a bike tour and show your audience.
• Eco-Village Retreats : Imagine calling a low-impact home your own. You can get hands-on with permaculture practices and contribute to initiatives driven by local communities.
• Responsible Fishing Trips : Why not feature fishing trips on your channel? Show how catch-and-release policies are keeping things sustainable in foreign lands.
• Eco-Friendly Ski Resorts : Share how these resorts use renewable energy, focus on snow conservation, and offer eco-certified accommodations.
• Wildlife Photography Expeditions : Go into the wild with your camera, ready for adventure. Joining one of these excursions means directly supporting animal welfare initiatives.
• National Park Conservation Programs : Caring for Our National Parks supports national treasures. This takes many forms, including maintaining pathways, controlling unwanted plant guests, and sharing knowledge on natural marvels. This idea is great for reaching an international audience.
• Zero-Waste Cooking Classes : Reduce kitchen waste where every little bit helps. Share tips about international cuisines where this is a priority.
• Sustainable Winery Tours : Imagine tours diving into the heart of vineyards practicing eco-friendly growing, where caring for nature means everything from soil to bottle.
• Renewable Energy Tours : Visit the local wind and solar farms to learn how renewable energy technologies work.
• Eco-Friendly Fashion Shopping Tours : Start the journey towards more responsible choices by picking out brands with strong ethics at their core.
• Coral Reef Restoration Projects : Imagine yourself helping to plant corals, soaking in all there is to know about life under the sea, and backing the hardworking folks doing marine research right here at home.
• Eco-Adventure Parks : Merge adventure with ecology and show what eco-adventure parks do best.
• Sustainable Architecture Tours : On these tours, you’ll show firsthand the cleverness of eco-friendly designs in action – where every material has been chosen for sustainability and energy efficiency.
• Green Spa Retreats : Encourage your readers to relax in spas that use organic and natural products, conserve water, and provide a natural setting.
• Upcycled Art Workshops : Have you ever considered making something beautiful from discarded materials? That’s where you share your work in the form of Upcycled Art Workshops.
• Electric Vehicle Road Trips : Taking your electric car for a spin around picturesque settings has never been more straightforward. It’s also a great way to create travel content for your channel.
• Eco-Cultural Festivals : Rally your community to join in the fun at eco-friendly festivals that give a nod to homegrown customs.

Adventure and Extreme Sports Travel

Ready to create content that caters to thrill-seekers and adventure enthusiasts?

With plenty of sports travel adventure ideas, you’ll never run out of content to create.

Here are the best niche ideas for adventure and extreme sports travel:

• Mountain Climbing Adventures : Scale the peaks with mountain climbing adventures. Create content as you discover tracks designed to challenge anyone, from beginners to pros.
• Whitewater Rafting Adventure : Imagine navigating the wild rapids on a whitewater rafting adventure. Now share the thrill with your followers.
• Hang Gliding Over Scenic Landscapes : Encourage your audience to try hang gliding for breathtaking aerial views, with no experience necessary and tandem flights available.
• Deep Sea Fishing Adventure : Head out on a deep sea fishing adventure and reel in the excitement. With professional-grade tackle on board and guides who know these waters like the back of their hand, you and your followers will be in for an adventure.
• Sandboarding in Desert Dunes : Imagine gliding down a desert dune instead of a snowy mountain. That’s sandboarding for you – an exciting alternative to snowboarding offered with rental gear in renowned deserts everywhere.
• Jungle Survival Training : You can create content about immersive jungle survival training. Participants learn essential skills in rainforest settings.
• Volcano Hiking Tours : Tell your readers about the thrill of hiking active volcanoes with guides, safety measures, and the chance to explore geothermal features.
• Ice Climbing Adventures : Immerse yourself climbing up icy waterfalls and glaciers, kitted out with the best gear and guided by pros in some of the coldest spots on earth. Then share the thrill with others.
• Bungee Jumping from Bridges : Encourage your followers to experience the thrill of bungee jumping from scenic bridges – while adhering to strict safety protocols.
• Kitesurfing on Tropical Coasts : Explain how kitesurfing combines surfing and kite flying, with lessons for all levels available.
• Paragliding off Mountain Peaks : Record your adventures and share them with your audience so they can also enjoy paragliding.
• Cave Diving in Cenotes : Plunge into cenotes for a dive adventure led by seasoned pros. Just remember to switch on your camera before diving!
• Skiing Off-Piste : Encourage skiers to explore off-piste skiing, with avalanche safety gear and guides often being freeride professionals.
• Hot Air Balloon Safaris : Describe the magical experience of hot air balloon safaris with wildlife viewing and champagne breakfasts.
• Windsurfing at Renowned Beaches : Tell your readers about windsurfing, which is suitable for all levels with equipment rental and lessons and is popular at windy beaches.
• Zipline through Forest Canopies : Experience the thrill of ziplining through forest canopies, complete with high-speed descents and all necessary safety gear.
• Horseback Riding in Remote Areas : Explain how horseback riding lets people explore less accessible trails.
• Scuba Diving with Sharks : Encourage your audience to dive with sharks and experience the thrill while being safe in cages.
• Desert Rally Driving : Imagine hitting challenging trails in an off-road vehicle with pro tips from seasoned instructors.
• Arctic Dog Sledding : Try basic or advanced moves in frosty weather. Enjoy the experience of wind and soft pawprints on fresh snow.
• Rock Climbing in National Parks : Help your audience imagine themselves climbing up the rugged faces of mountains in one of the many National Parks.
• Extreme Mountain Biking : Share how extreme biking offers downhill and cross-country trails with bike rentals and protective gear.
• Skydiving Over Islands : Encourage your readers to try tandem skydiving for stunning aerial views.
• Surfing Big Waves : Tell your audience about the thrill of surfing big waves at famous spots like Hawaii or Australia. This is great during seasons of waves so you can also combine multiple sports adventures.
• BASE Jumping for Thrill Seekers : Describe the adrenaline rush of BASE jumping for those with parachuting experience.

Culinary and Wine Tourism

Do you consider yourself a foodie and a wine connoisseur?

Do you love exploring global cuisines and vineyards?

Here are the best niche ideas when creating content on these topics:

• Wine Tasting in Bordeaux : Imagine swirling a glass in Bordeaux, where every sip tells a story of centuries-old vineyards. What if you could share the story with other like-minded people? You can!
• Street Food Tours in Bangkok : Share with your audience the experience of exploring diverse street eats guided by local foodies in Bangkok.
• Cooking Classes in Tuscany : Tell your readers about traditional Italian cooking through hands-on preparation with chefs and enjoy the meals they cook in Tuscany.
• Cheese Tasting in Switzerland : Encourage your readers to sample artisan cheeses, visit local dairies, and learn about the cheese-making processes in Switzerland.
• Chocolate Making Workshops in Belgium : Suggest your audience craft their own chocolates and take their creations home from Belgium.
• Journey into the Heart of Scotch-Making in Scotland : Dive into the heart of Scotland and wander through age-old distilleries. There, you can savor a variety of aged whiskeys straight from the cask. So many stories to share.
• Vegan Food Tours in Los Angeles : Check out the vegan food tours available in Los Angeles. You can scout out the best in plant-based cuisine and taste culinary masterpieces.
• Seafood Safaris in Norway : Did you know people catch and cook their own seafood on boat trips in Norway? How about sharing this knowledge with others?
• Pastry Baking in Paris : Encourage your followers to learn from French pastry chefs, bake delights like croissants and macaroons, and enjoy freshly made desserts in Paris.
• Barbecue Trail in Texas : Suggest your readers explore famous joints, learn about different BBQ styles, and enjoy tastings and pitmaster talks in Texas.
• Olive Oil Tasting in Greece : Tell your readers they can visit olive groves, learn about oil production, and taste different olive oil varieties in Greece.
• Farm-to-Table Experiences : Share with your audience the experience of dining at farms, meeting the farmers, and touring the farms where ingredients are grown.
• Beer Brewery Tours in Belgium : Let your readers know they can visit renowned breweries while sampling various Belgian beers.
• Sushi Making in Tokyo : Encourage your readers to learn from sushi masters, prepare their sushi, and visit markets for fresh ingredients in Tokyo.
• Coffee Plantation Tours in Colombia : Suggest your readers walk through coffee plantations, learn about coffee production, and sample freshly brewed coffee in Colombia.
• Exploring Spice Markets in India : Tell your readers they can explore vibrant spice markets, learn about the benefits and uses of spices, and enjoy cooking demonstrations in India.
• Gourmet Food Truck Crawls : Share with your audience the fun of discovering innovative street food, often accompanied by live music events.
• Tapas Tasting in Barcelona : Suggest your readers sample a variety of tapas while learning about the rich Catalan cuisine.
• Herb Gardening Workshops : Let your readers know they can learn to grow culinary herbs. You can dive deep into planting and care tips.
• Fusion Cuisine Workshops : Encourage your followers to blend various culinary traditions and create and taste unique dishes.
• Truffle Hunting in Italy : Share truffle hunting adventures with your audience. Hunters use dogs to find truffles. You can go along for the ride (along with your audience).
• Sea Salt Harvesting Experience : Suggest your readers learn about traditional salt harvesting and enjoy a salt-tasting session.
• Time-traveling Tavern Tours : Imagine wandering through ancient taverns while experiencing brewery artistry.
• Artisan Bread Baking : Learn the secrets of crafting perfect loaves from true artisans. Then share the knowledge and help your audience prepare a basketful to take home.
• Culinary Cruises : Share with your audience the focus on gourmet dining experiences across multiple culinary destinations.

Wellness and Spiritual Retreats

Wellness and spiritual retreats are great for individuals seeking therapeutic experiences.

Here are the best niche ideas for this category:

• Yoga Retreat in Bali : Imagine unwinding every day with yoga, letting mindfulness and meditation in the tranquil Bali settings breathe new life into you. I almost feel at peace just writing this. Imagine your viewers as they come across this content.
• Ayurvedic Spa in India : Share traditional Ayurvedic treatments with your audience while also providing customized wellness plans.
• Silent Meditation Retreats : Suggest to your followers that structured meditation sessions, digital detox, and a supportive environment are key benefits of silent retreats.
• Tai Chi Workshops in China : Explain that learning from Tai Chi masters and focusing on balance and calm are the essentials of these types of workshops in China.
• Destination Weddings: Want to share a great adventure travel experience? Create travel content about a destination wedding in an exotic country. This micro niche is quickly gaining popularity as couples seek unique and memorable ways to tie the knot.
• Detox Resorts in Thailand : Imagine rejuvenating at one of Thailand’s serene detox resorts. If rebooting your health sounds appealing, consider jet-setting to Thailand and sharing the trip with your audience.
• Holistic Health Retreats : Treatments like Reiki promise an invigorating journey through self-care. Aimed at rejuvenating your physical form and enriching your mental and spiritual awareness, there’s lots to say about this sub niche.
• Spiritual Pilgrimages : Guide your audience to sacred sites that help bring out personal reflection.
• Forest Therapy Sessions : Invite your readers to explore guided walks based on Japanese Shinrin-yoku. This practice focuses on healing and connecting with nature.
• Spa Vacation with Natural Hot Springs : Imagine unwinding on a spa vacation centered around the soothing embrace of natural hot springs.
• Wellness Cruises : Create a travel piece that helps people picture themselves on a wellness cruise. There’s so much you could do from diving into fitness classes or absorbing wisdom from seminars.
• Fitness Boot Camps : Inform your followers about intensive fitness programs complementing nutrition and lifestyle coaching.
• Chakra Balancing Retreats : By focusing on the special spots of energy within their bodies during yoga or while meditating, people unlock doors to personal growth and happiness. Would you like to gift this to others? Create content around it.
• Sound Healing Workshops : Discuss the healing effects of sound using tools like gongs and singing bowls to promote deep relaxation.
• Desert Healing Retreats : Describe the unique benefits of serene desert landscape, focusing on mindfulness and creative workshops like painting or writing.
• Aromatherapy Retreats : Essential oils pack a punch when it comes to healing. Maybe it’s time to start blending your very own?
• Vegan Wellness Retreats : Advocate for the health benefits of an entirely plant-based menu, including cooking classes and nutrition talks.
• Qigong Retreats : Suggest learning Qigong for health and vitality, practiced in peaceful settings.
• Healing Art Retreats : Highlight emotional healing through various art forms. No artistic experience required.
• Shamanic Healing Experiences : Inform people about the deep spiritual connection available through learning from indigenous shamans.
• Mindfulness and Writing Retreats : Consider fusing thoughtful reflection activities into your daily journals – and sharing your findings.
• Ocean Therapy Retreats : Encourage exploring ocean therapy through surfing and sea kayaking, complemented by beach meditation sessions.
• Biohacking Conference : If you’re curious about pushing the limits of human performance, there’s no better place than a biohacking conference. Why not organize one and get curated experts to share their thoughts with your audience?
• Rejuvenation Retreats in Nature : Imagine finding peace away from the hustle – trekking up quiet mountainsides or cooling off with a swim in sparkling waters, focusing entirely on feeling good inside out.
• Trekking Adventures with a Side of Zen : Imagine merging the peacefulness of meditation with your love for trekking across breathtaking landscapes.

Cultural and Historical Tours

Those fascinated by history, cultures, and traditions can also make the most of traveling.

Whether it’s getting to see what castles exist worldwide or visiting famous landmarks through your content, there’s so much value you can bring to your audience.

Here are the best niche ideas for cultural and historical tours:

• Archaeological Digs : Help your audience learn from archaeologists and discover what ancient artifacts lie in foreign lands
• Renaissance Art Tours in Italy : Show your readers what it’s like to experience Renaissance art firsthand. Visit famous museums with expert guides and learn about the masters.
• Samurai Culture Tours in Japan : Push your audience to really dive into the world of samurais by visiting old castles and experiencing martial arts shows live.
• Ancient Egyptian Monuments : Step back thousands of years and roam among giants—the great Pyramids and Sphinx—with guides who live and breathe ancient Egyptian history.
• Medieval Castle Tours in Europe : Stop at majestic historical fortresses and unlock tales from long ago. Then immerse yourself fully as you join the crowd cheering at vibrant live performances recreating those epic days. Just be sure to film everything you experience!
• Imperial Cities of Morocco : To taste Morocco’s heritage, ensure you hit up places like Marrakech or Fes.
• Viking History Tours in Scandinavia : Dive into the past with Viking History Tours across Scandinavia. Imagine walking where Vikings once did. Get lost in tales from centuries ago.
• Colonial Era Tours in Latin America : Step onto the cobblestones where history was made during a deep dive into Latin America’s colonial era.
• Silk Road Expeditions : Imagine tracing back through time along the legendary paths of the Silk Road. You’d witness firsthand how different worlds collided culturally.
• Byzantine Heritage in Istanbul : Immerse yourself in the echoes of yesteryears at must-see Byzantine spots. Help your audience discover the lives of emperors that once were.
• Civil Rights Movement Tours in the USA : Trace back through critical sites of the civil rights era and immerse yourself in tales of courage found at every corner.
• Indigenous Art Tours in Australia : Advise your readers to explore Aboriginal art sites, learn about art traditions, and experience guided tours by Aboriginal artists.
• Genghis Khan and Mongol Empire Tours : Learn about the mighty Mongols’ impact. Travel around their homeland and visit key landmarks.
• Ottoman Empire Tours in Turkey : Get ready to discover what made the Ottomans tick by touring legendary spots.
• Roman Empire Tours in Italy : Show your followers what it’s like to visit iconic Roman sites like the Colosseum and learn about Roman engineering and society from historians.
• World War II History Tours : Suggest your readers visit WWII battlefields and memorials.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine Tours : Take a journey through the past of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
• Renaissance Festival Visits : Encourage experiencing a Renaissance festival’s interactive history with jousting, crafts, and period food.
• Dutch Golden Age Tours : Visit museums and historical homes to explore the art and culture of 17th-century Netherlands and learn about famous Dutch artists.
• Scottish Clan History Tours : For an authentic slice of Scotland’s heart and soul – learning about its clan customs is a must!
• Historic Railroad Journeys : Hop on a classic train, dive into the rich tapestry of railroad lore, and let those scenic journeys charm you.
• Greek Mythology Tours : Visit mythological sites like Olympus, learn about gods and heroes, and benefit from expert guidance.

Wildlife and Nature Reserves Explorations

Creating content that appeals to nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts?

Here are the best ideas for this travel niche:

• Birdwatching in Costa Rica : Let your readers know they can explore hundreds of bird species in Costa Rica’s jungle and coastal settings.
• Bear Watching in Canada : Share with your audience that observing bears in their natural Canadian habitats is safest and most spectacular in the spring and early summer.
• Coral Reef Diving in the Great Barrier Reef : Push those who follow you to jump feet first into exploring The Great Barrier Reef’s vibrant life below water.
• Elephant Conservation in Thailand : Imagine being part of the movement that ensures Thailand’s majestic elephants are preserved for generations.
• Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda : Let your audience know they can track mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
• Whale Watching in Alaska : Explain to your readers that they can witness whales in Alaska’s majestic settings.
• Tiger Safaris in India : Let people know the best ways to explore Indian national parks while spotting wild tigers.
• Butterfly Sanctuaries in Mexico : Imagine getting lost in clouds of orange and black wings. That can be your (and your follower’s) reality if you visit Mexico when it gets cooler!
• Amazon Rainforest Expeditions : Have you ever dreamed about an expedition in the lush, vibrant Amazon? Get up close with nature’s wonders in a trek across the Amazon Rainforest.
• Arctic Wildlife Tours : Share your experience of the unique wildlife of the Arctic.
• Kangaroo Encounters in Australia : Encourage your audience to observe kangaroos in their natural Australian environments.
• Reptile Watching in the Galapagos : Let your readers know they can see unique species like marine iguanas in the Galapagos.
• Bison Chasing in America : Start your bison-chasing adventure across sweeping prairies.
• Red Panda Trekking in Nepal : Share with your audience your trip of searching for the elusive red panda in Nepal.
• Puffin Watching in Iceland : Tell your followers they can visit puffin colonies in Iceland, learn about their life cycles, and find the best viewing times in late spring and summer.
• Sea Turtle Conservation Projects : How about becoming a hero for sea turtles during their nesting season? Patrol beaches at night and learn how each step helps conserve marine life.
• Penguin Colonies in Antarctica : Share your visit to remote penguin habitats in Antarctica. To enhance the experience, you can also include educational lectures on polar ecosystems with expedition cruises.
• Cheetah Conservation in Namibia : Explain to your audience how they can learn about cheetah behavior and threats in Namibia.
• Manatee Encounters in Florida : Tell your followers they can observe manatees in Florida’s clear springs, learn about their ecology, and explore everything by guided kayak tours.
• Wildlife Photography Workshops : Get ready to snap breathtaking shots of wildlife photography. Join a workshop under the guidance of professional snappers and share the memories with the people who follow you.

How to Choose a Travel Niche

The travel niche offers a wide array of content opportunities to explore.

Ensuring you get into the right category is crucial for long-term success.

Here’s how to pick the best travel niche from the ideas above.

Combine Your Expertise And Interests

Consider these questions:

• What are the “travel niches” you can never stop talking about?
• What do you consider yourself an expert at?

Experience and expertise are always key factors when choosing your niche.

If you can also combine your passions and interests, that’s even better.

When you’re genuinely passionate about what you do, you’ll enjoy your work much more.

However, don’t be fooled into thinking you must be passionate about your chosen area before starting.

I think passion helps; however, it’s not as important in the list of priorities as it’s made out to be.

Also, unless you start, you probably won’t know what you’re passionate about anyways.

Think of your Target Audience

You want to work with people that share your values and are interested in what you have to say.

This choice starts by understanding your people’s:

• Demographics (who they are)
• Psychographics (lifestyle and values)
• Interests (what they like)

Consider what their main interests are.

Ask yourself:

• What do they like reading about?
• Talking about?
• What do they do when they travel?

I love going around and exploring new places in a new country.

If I were involved in the travel niche and my target audience was someone who chose to stay by the pool all holiday long, I don’t think we’d get along too well.

In other words, that wouldn’t be the best target persona to create content for.

Profitability

There’s a lot more money in a luxury travel blog compared to a budget travel blog.

Everyone understands this concept. Yet many choose the wrong niche when they want to make the most money.

If you make the wrong choice, the numbers won’t add up.

• your audience
• how much money they typically spend and
• whether this aligns with your financial goals.

Finding profitable niches is about striking a balance between profitability and passion.

Competition

Competition is a good thing.

It shows people are spending money on competitors who have already found a way to sell their products and services.

You can model what works and follow what someone’s already doing.

However, you must also consider how your products and services differ.

What can you offer that’s currently missing in the market?

A unique approach to your niche ensures you stand out in a crowded marketplace.

How To Research Your Travel Niche

Here are a few ideas for finding the best travel niche:

• Review travel blogs : See what type of content they post. Go through the helpful posts and ask yourself, “Why”? What makes this information stand out? Checking out your favorite niche travel blog will help you prioritize what’s important.
• Join social media groups : Travel bloggers love to share their opinions, ask questions, and provide feedback to others with the same areas of interest. They’ll ask questions about theme parks, money saving tips, romantic destinations, and much more. You’ll be able to find “your people” in these groups. You’ll also notice the language people use when they talk. When you use this language, you’ll become “one of the insiders.” And that makes it much easier to create resonating content.
• Read travel industry reports and data : Stay ahead of the trends by knowing what’s happening in the industry. Even one small insight can help you choose the right niche and create better content.

Exploring your favorite ideas from the above list opens up lots of travel opportunities.

These ideas also make it easier to turn your dreams into reality.

Now, it’s just about you putting them into action.

Safe travels and enjoy the journey!

Further reading on AdamEnfroy.com: Want even more travel ideas? These 155 best travel video ideas are perfect for travel vloggers.

It pays to have a great YouTube channel name if you’re still in your early days as a content creator.

Why not use my article on YouTube channel names to guide you? Then, consider this list of YouTube video ideas to help you get started on your next video.

Affiliate marketing can also be a lucrative path when traveling.

Learn about the best niches for affiliate marketing to maximize your earnings – potentially even during your travels.

Editorial Process:

Our reviews are made by a team of experts before being written and come from real-world experience. Read our editorial process here .

Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to us at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan. These are products we’ve personally used and stand behind. This site is not intended to provide financial advice. You can read our affiliate disclosure in our privacy policy .

Adam Enfroy

We test and review software products based on an independent, multi-point methodology. If you use our links to purchase something, we earn a commission. Read our editorial process and disclosures .

#ezw_tco-3 .ez-toc-title{ font-size: 120%; ; ; } #ezw_tco-3 .ez-toc-widget-container ul.ez-toc-list li.active{ background-color: #ededed; } Table of Contents Toggle Table of Content Toggle

Related Articles

257+ Best Drawing YouTube Channel Name Ideas (2024 List)

How To Cite A Blog In Various Styles Using Correct Citations

Blog Income Report for March 2021: How I Made $101,814 This Month

The 247+ BEST Instagram Bios for Girls (Stylish & Attitude 2024)

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Niche Tourism: Exploring Unique and Specialized Travel Experiences

Niche tourism is a growing trend in the travel industry, catering to specialized segments of the market. It is the antithesis of mass tourism, focusing on the needs and interests of a smaller group of travellers rather than targeting mainstream attractions and amenities. As the global middle class expands and becomes better educated, especially in developing and densely populated regions, the demand for niche tourism experiences has increased.

This type of tourism can be characterized more by the activities and experiences sought by the tourists than by their numbers in a particular destination. Examples of niche tourism include eco-tourism, culinary tourism, adventure travel, and wellness retreats. These specialized experiences allow travellers to delve deeper into a region’s culture, natural environment, or unique attractions while benefiting local communities and economies more sustainably.

The rise of niche tourism has also spurred innovation and adaptations within the industry. As a result, destinations, tour operators , and travel service providers need to rethink their approach to cater to these discerning travellers’ specific needs and interests, ensuring that their offerings resonate with the niche market and enhance their customers’ overall travel experiences.

Table of Contents

What is niche tourism.

Niche tourism refers to specialized travel experiences catering to specific interests, activities, or demographic groups . Unlike mass tourism, which targets a broad audience with generalized interests such as sightseeing, beach vacations, or cultural exploration, niche tourism focuses on delivering highly personalized experiences that meet the particular needs or desires of a smaller segment of travellers.

Whether it’s adventure tourism for thrill-seekers, ecotourism for environmentally conscious individuals, or medical tourism for those seeking affordable healthcare options abroad, niche tourism aims to offer something unique that appeals to a specific type of traveller. It often provides more in-depth, specialized, and meaningful experiences, as it takes into account the specific preferences and expectations of its target audience.

Types of Niche Tourism

Indeed, niche tourism focuses on specialized and personalized travel experiences that cater to specific interests, hobbies, or needs. The following are the various types of niche tourism:

Adventure Tourism

Adventure tourism is focused on travellers seeking an adrenaline rush. This can include activities like skydiving, paragliding, scuba diving, or mountaineering. The key here is the thrill and the experience of something challenging. The destinations are often exotic or difficult to get to, and there might be a focus on natural landscapes.

Ecotourism aims to be as non-intrusive and beneficial as possible for the environment and local communities. This type of tourism might involve trips to natural reserves, rainforests, or other important ecological sites. It often includes educational components to inform travellers about the environment, local communities, and ways to protect natural resources.

Culinary Tourism

Culinary tourism revolves around food and drink experiences. This could range from high-end dining in major cities to foraging expeditions in the countryside. Food festivals, cooking classes, visits to farms, or exploring local markets could also be part of the package. Wine, beer, and spirits tasting tours are also popular.

Wellness Tourism

Wellness tourism focuses on mental and physical well-being. This could involve travel to spas, holistic health centres, or places known for natural beauty and tranquillity. Activities may include yoga retreats, detox programs, or spiritual teachings.

Dark Tourism

Dark tourism involves travel to places historically associated with tragedy, death, or disaster. Examples include concentration camps, battlefields, memorials, and sites of natural or industrial disasters. The aim is often educational and memorial rather than voyeuristic, although this can be a matter of debate and ethical consideration.

Medical Tourism

Medical tourism travels abroad to receive medical, dental, or surgical care. The reasons can vary but generally involve cost efficiency, quality of care, or availability of specialized treatments. Countries like Thailand, India, and Mexico often attract medical tourists due to the cost-effectiveness and quality of medical services.

Cultural or Heritage Tourism

This type of tourism is aimed at experiencing the culture and history of a destination. This can involve anything from visiting museums and historical sites to attending local festivals and ceremonies. Some tourists may even seek out locations that explore their ancestry.

Wildlife Tourism

Focused on wildlife and its natural habitats, this can range from safaris in Africa to bird-watching in South America. Ethical considerations are essential to ensure that wildlife and their habitats are respected and preserved.

Sport Tourism

Sports tourism encompasses a variety of activities, including participating in a sports camp, attending a major sporting event like the Olympics or World Cup, or simply touring a famous stadium. Golf tourism is a subset that deserves mention, as many travellers organize trips centred around playing at renowned golf courses.

Religious Tourism

Religious tourism involves visits to sacred sites for pilgrimage, missionary, or leisure purposes. Mecca, Vatican City, and the Ganges River are destinations that draw massive numbers of religious tourists each year.

LGBTQ Tourism

LGBTQ tourism caters to the needs and interests of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning community. This can range from gay-friendly hotels and beaches to events like Pride parades and LGBTQ film festivals.

Educational Tourism

Educational tourism focuses on learning experiences. This could involve studying a language abroad, participating in an archaeological dig, or taking a master’s class in photography while visiting iconic sites.

Film or TV Tourism

Some destinations attract visitors solely based on their appearance in movies or TV shows. For example, New Zealand has seen a tourism boom due to its portrayal as Middle-earth in the “Lord of the Rings” series, and fans of Korean dramas often visit filming locations in South Korea.

Wine Tourism

Wine tourism involves visiting vineyards and wineries to taste and purchase products directly from the source. It often includes guided tours explaining the wine-making process.

Activity-Based Tourism

Activity-based tourism is tailored around specific activities the tourist is interested in, such as scuba diving, fishing, or skiing.

Space Tourism

A very new and emerging type, space tourism aims to offer commercial trips outside of Earth. This is still mainly in the experimental stage but is becoming increasingly feasible.

Agri-Tourism

Agri-tourism involves participating in farm-based activities and gaining a closer look at the rural lifestyle. This can include activities like milking cows, picking fruits, and tractor rides.

Each niche tourism type has unique appeal, challenges, and ethical considerations. Understanding these can help travellers and providers create a more enriching and responsible experience.

Advantages of Niche Tourism

Niche tourism serves specialized segments within the tourism industry, catering to specific interests, demographics, or travel styles. There are several advantages that make niche tourism increasingly popular among travellers.

Firstly, niche tourism allows for a deeper, more authentic experience for travellers . Visitors can engage in activities and explore destinations that align with their passions or hobbies, such as culinary experiences, eco-tourism, or adventure sports. This personal connection can lead to a more satisfying and memorable travel experience.

Secondly, niche tourism benefits local communities by providing sustainable economic opportunities. Specialized markets often rely on small businesses and skilled artisans, which can spur job creation and economic growth.

Additionally, niche tourism helps to preserve local cultures and traditions as visitors seek to experience the authentic life and customs of the places they visit. This, in turn, encourages communities to maintain and promote their unique offerings.

Moreover, niche tourism can contribute to developing and promoting less explored destinations. By focusing on specific experiences and attractions, these destinations can differentiate their offerings from more mainstream tourist hotspots. This can lead to increased tourism revenue and economic development for lesser-known regions.

Niche tourism can also demonstrate a commitment to environmental and social responsibility. For example, eco-tourism and volunteer travel promote sustainable practices, such as resource conservation, wildlife protection, and community development initiatives. These tourism segments attract responsible, conscious travellers, reflect positively on the destinations they visit.

In summary, niche tourism offers significant advantages for travellers, local communities, and destinations. By catering to specialized markets, niche tourism enhances the overall travel experience, bolsters economies, encourages cultural preservation, fosters sustainable practices, and helps to promote lesser-known regions.

Disadvantages of Niche Tourism

Niche tourism, despite its advantages, does have certain drawbacks as well. One of the primary disadvantages of niche tourism is the  lack of economies of scale . This means that an operation with a lower production volume may face higher unit costs. Niche tourism activities tend to cater to smaller groups of tourists, leading to limited capacity for revenue generation.

Another challenge faced in niche tourism is the  lack of alternative revenue streams . Since these specialized tourism services cater to specific needs and interests, they may not easily adapt to market changes or diversify their offerings. This inflexibility can make niche tourism operations more vulnerable to economic fluctuations and industry trends.

Niche tourism can also lead to  over-reliance on a specific target market . Businesses focusing solely on niche markets may struggle to attract other types of tourists outside their specialization. This dependence on a limited market segment increases the risk of reduced revenues if the niche market experiences a downturn.

Additionally, because niche tourism focuses on specialized activities and experiences, there may be  limited access to resources, infrastructure, and expertise . This can make it challenging for niche tourism operators to maintain high levels of quality and safety, fulfil regulatory requirements, or stay up-to-date with advancements in technology and industry best practices.

Lastly, niche tourism can sometimes be at odds with  environmental sustainability . While many niche tourism products promote sustainable practices and experiences, some can have negative impacts on fragile ecosystems and local communities. For instance, certain adventure tourism activities may contribute to the degradation of natural environments by encouraging tourists to visit remote and pristine locations that may not be equipped to handle an influx of visitors.

In summary, disadvantages of niche tourism may include higher unit costs, lack of alternative revenue streams, over-reliance on a specific market, limited resources and expertise, and potential environmental impacts. While these challenges can make niche tourism less attractive for some businesses, it is essential to acknowledge these potential issues when pursuing specialized tourism operations.

Characteristics of Niche Tourism

Niche tourism is a fascinating facet of the travel industry, addressing individual tourists’ specific interests and needs rather than a generalized mass market. The defining characteristics of niche tourism include:

• Specialized Focus : Niche tourism concentrates on specific areas of interest or activities, whether wine tasting, bird watching, yoga retreats, or historical battlefield tours.
• Tailored Experiences : Unlike the one-size-fits-all approach of mass tourism, niche tourism is about providing tailored experiences that cater to its target audience’s specific desires and needs.
• Smaller Scale : Generally, niche tourism attracts fewer numbers compared to mass tourism. However, the emphasis is on depth and quality of experience rather than volume.
• Engaged Audience : Tourists drawn to niche activities are usually highly engaged and passionate about their chosen area of interest. They are often willing to invest time, effort, and money into gaining a deeper understanding or more enriching experience.
• Sustainable and Responsible Practices : Many niche tourism sectors prioritize sustainability and responsibility, particularly eco-tourism, agri-tourism, or community-based tourism. They often strive for a balance that benefits the local environment, economy, and society.
• Higher Per-capita Spending : Since niche tourism offers specialized experiences, travellers are often willing to pay a premium. This can lead to higher per-capita spending compared to traditional mass tourism.
• Deep Interaction : Niche tourism often promotes a deeper interaction between the traveller and the destination. For instance, cultural tourism might involve staying with local families, attending traditional ceremonies, or learning a local craft.
• Authenticity : One of the draws of niche tourism is the pursuit of authentic experiences. Travelers seek genuine interactions and experiences that are true to the locale, culture, or activity.
• Dynamic and Evolving : As societal interests change and evolve, so do the niches within tourism. For instance, wellness tourism has surged with the growing global focus on health and well-being.
• Less Seasonal Dependence : While mass tourism might concentrate on peak seasons (like summer vacations or winter holidays), niche tourism can often transcend seasonality. For example, bird-watching might attract tourists during migration seasons, while wellness retreats can be year-round attractions.

Niche tourism is characterized by its focus on specialization, depth of experience, and often a commitment to sustainability and authenticity. It offers unique opportunities for destinations to diversify their tourist offerings and for travellers to pursue their passions in depth.

Why is Niche Tourism Growing?

Niche tourism is experiencing significant growth due to a variety of interconnected factors. One key driver is the modern traveller’s increasing desire for personalized, tailored experiences that align with specific interests- adventure, culture, or wellness. Gone are the days when one-size-fits-all vacation packages appealed to the masses. Today, travellers seek unique, specialized experiences that cater to their tastes and preferences.

The rise of the internet and social media platforms has also played a crucial role in niche tourism’s growth. These platforms have democratized information, making it easier for travellers to discover and access specialized experiences. For niche tourism operators, digital platforms offer a cost-effective way to market unique offerings to a global audience, enlarging their customer base.

The quest for authenticity is another contributing factor. Today’s travellers are increasingly seeking “real,” meaningful experiences that allow for a deeper engagement with a destination’s culture, history, or natural environment. Niche tourism typically offers these kinds of in-depth, authentic experiences, whether participating in a traditional tea ceremony in Japan or trekking through a rainforest in Costa Rica.

Sustainability concerns have also given niche tourism a significant boost. With a growing global awareness of environmental issues, many travellers are seeking sustainable forms of tourism . Types of niche tourism like ecotourism, which focuses on environmental conservation and responsible travel, have seen a surge in popularity as a result.

Changes in demographics and lifestyle are also playing a role. As populations in many parts of the world age, and as people become more health-conscious, sectors like wellness and medical tourism are booming. Moreover, the economic benefits of niche tourism make it attractive for destinations. Specialized tourism often attracts a type of traveller willing to spend more on specialized experiences, helping to diversify a destination’s tourist income and making it less dependent on mass tourism.

Word-of-mouth recommendations and social media sharing of unique and specialized experiences effectively serve as free marketing for niche tourism. These shared experiences inspire and encourage more people to opt for specialized, off-the-beaten-path experiences.

The growth in niche tourism can be attributed to a combination of technological, social, and economic factors that have converged to make specialized travel more desirable and accessible.

The Impacts of Niche Tourism

Niche tourism can positively and negatively impact local communities, economies, and environments. Understanding these effects is crucial for sustainable development and responsible travel. Here’s a look at both sides of the coin:

Positive Impacts

• Economic Diversification : Unlike mass tourism, niche tourism allows destinations to diversify their sources of income. Tourists with specialized interests are often willing to spend more for specific experiences.
• Community Engagement : Like cultural and rural tourism , Niche tourism often involves deeper interaction with local communities, fostering mutual respect and cultural exchange.
• Conservation and Awareness : Ecotourism and wildlife tourism often funnel funds directly into conservation efforts, and they can also heighten awareness of environmental issues among travellers.
• Educational Value : Many niche tourism sectors have a strong educational component. Whether learning about a unique culture, ecosystem, or historical period, the educational aspect can enrich the traveller’s experience and broaden their horizons.
• Job Creation : Specialized types of tourism can lead to the creation of specialized jobs, potentially offering higher wages and skill development for local communities.
• Psychological Benefits : Wellness and medical tourism can provide direct psychological and health benefits to participants, offering therapies, treatments, or experiences that may not be available in their home country.

Negative Impacts

• Environmental Stress : Even ecotourism, if not managed properly, can put undue stress on local ecosystems. The influx of tourists can disturb wildlife, lead to pollution, and degrade natural habitats.
• Cultural Commodification : Specialized interest in local cultures can sometimes lead to the commodification of traditions and practices, where elements of culture are altered or staged for tourist consumption.
• Economic Dependence : Over-reliance on a particular form of niche tourism can make a destination vulnerable to economic fluctuations in that market.
• Accessibility Issues : Because niche tourism often caters to more affluent travellers willing to pay for specialized experiences, it could exclude less affluent local people from certain activities or areas.
• Resource Strain : Niche tourists often seek untouched or less-explored destinations, which might not have the infrastructure to support increased tourist activity. This can lead to resource strains on small communities.
• Exclusivity : Some types of niche tourism can inadvertently create an atmosphere of exclusivity, alienating local populations who may not be part of the target demographic (e.g., LGBTQ tourism, luxury tourism).

Understanding these impacts can help in the development of policies and strategies to maximize the benefits and minimize the downsides of niche tourism. This makes it crucial for stakeholders, from government bodies to tour operators , to engage in responsible planning and management.

Niche Tourism vs. Mass Tourism

Niche and mass tourism are two distinct approaches to travel and tourism, each with unique characteristics, benefits, and challenges. Here’s a breakdown comparing the two:

Niche Tourism:

Definition : Niche tourism focuses on specialized and targeted travel experiences that cater to specific interests, activities, or demographic groups.

Characteristics :

• Tailored Experiences : Offers specialized experiences for a select group of travellers with particular interests, such as ecotourism, medical tourism , or culinary tourism.
• Smaller Scale : Typically attracts fewer numbers than mass tourism, aiming for depth of experience over volume.
• Higher Per-capita Spending : Travelers are often willing to spend more for personalized experiences.
• Sustainable Practices : Many niche tourism sectors emphasize sustainable and responsible practices, especially ecotourism or community-based tourism.
• Economic Diversification : Allows regions to diversify their tourism revenue sources.
• Less Environmental Impact : With fewer visitors, there’s generally less strain on resources and infrastructure.
• Cultural Exchange : Promotes deeper interaction and understanding between tourists and local communities.

Challenges :

• Dependence : Over-reliance on a single niche market can be risky.
• Management : Requires specific strategies and policies to ensure authentic and sustainable experiences.

Mass Tourism:

Definition : Mass tourism caters to large numbers of tourists who typically visit popular destinations and attractions.

• Broad Appeal : Focuses on universally appealing destinations or attractions, like famous landmarks, beach resorts, or popular cities.
• High Volume : Attracts a large number of visitors, especially during peak seasons.
• Standardized Offerings : Packages and experiences are often standardized to cater to the majority.
• Economic Boost : This can provide significant cash injection into a region due to the sheer number of visitors.
• Job Creation : Creates numerous jobs in the service, transportation, and hospitality sectors.
• Environmental Strain : The large influx can strain local resources, lead to pollution, and degrade natural and cultural sites.
• Overcrowding : Popular destinations can become over-touristed, diminishing the experience for visitors and locals.
• Economic Dependence : If a destination relies too heavily on mass tourism , it can become vulnerable to economic fluctuations.

Key Differences:

• Scale and Focus : Niche tourism is about depth and specificity, while mass tourism is about volume and breadth.
• Impact on Destination : Niche tourism often has a smaller footprint and may invest more in sustainable practices, while mass tourism can bring economic benefits but also significant strains on a destination.
• Target Audience : Niche tourism targets specific segments or interest groups, while mass tourism aims for the broadest appeal.
• Economic Model : Niche tourism often results in higher per-capita spending but on a smaller scale, while mass tourism focuses on high volumes, often with lower per-capita spending.

In conclusion, while both forms of tourism have their merits and challenges, the choice between them often hinges on travellers’ individual preferences, as well as the goals and resources of the destination.

Niche tourism offers more personalized, focused experiences at the cost of potential exclusivity and specialized demands, while mass tourism generates significant revenue and accessibility but may lead to cultural and environmental degradation. Both forms have their merits and drawbacks, and destinations often aim for a balanced portfolio that includes both types.

Popular Niche Tourism Destinations

Niche tourism destinations are tailored to specific interests, from the serenity of wellness retreats to the thrill of adventure sports. Here are some popular niche tourism destinations that cater to various specialized interests:

• Costa Rica : Known for its rich biodiversity, Costa Rica is a hotspot for ecotourism, offering a variety of activities such as bird-watching, jungle treks, and conservation programs.
• Galápagos Islands, Ecuador : Famous for its unique wildlife and natural beauty, the Galápagos offer a quintessential ecotourism experience.
• Queenstown, New Zealand : Often dubbed the “Adventure Capital of the World,” it offers bungee jumping, skydiving, and whitewater rafting.
• Swiss Alps : Popular for skiing, snowboarding, and mountaineering.

Cultural Tourism

• Kyoto, Japan : With its ancient temples, traditional tea ceremonies, and geisha culture, Kyoto is a haven for cultural tourism .
• Rome, Italy : A paradise for lovers of history and architecture, offering ancient ruins like the Colosseum and Roman Forum.
• Bali, Indonesia : Known for its wellness retreats that offer yoga, meditation, and natural health remedies.
• Switzerland : Home to some of the world’s most luxurious wellness retreats, often set in stunning alpine locations.
• Bangkok, Thailand : Known for high-quality healthcare at affordable prices.
• India : Particularly popular for specialized surgeries and alternative treatments like Ayurveda.
• San Francisco, USA : Known for its vibrant LGBTQ community and events like the Pride Parade.
• Amsterdam, Netherlands : One of the most LGBTQ-friendly cities in the world, home to the first-ever gay marriage.

Rural Tourism

• Tuscany, Italy : Offers rustic experiences like vineyard tours and cooking classes.
• Himalayan Villages, India : Provides an escape from city life amidst snow-capped mountains and lush green valleys.

Activity-based Tourism

• Safari in Maasai Mara, Kenya : Offers wildlife spotting opportunities, including the Great Migration.
• Scuba Diving in the Maldives : Known for its stunning underwater life and coral reefs.
• Napa Valley, USA : Famous for its world-class wineries and vineyard tours.
• Bordeaux, France : Renowned globally for its wine culture.
• Spaceport America, New Mexico, USA : Virgin Galactic aims to offer sub-orbital trips to space tourists.
• Kazakhstan : The Baikonur Cosmodrome offers orbital space tourism, though at a very high price tag and less frequently.

Whether it’s the quest for adventure, relaxation, or deeper cultural experiences, these destinations offer something special for every niche traveller.

How to choose a travel niche: Exploring niche tourism in the travel Industry

• June 2, 2023

Niche markets in the travel industry are specialised segments that cater to specific interests, demographics, or travel styles. They help businesses in the industry target their offerings and better cater to their customers’ needs.

This article aims to explore the concept of these niche markets. It seeks to illustrate how they function, their increasing popularity, and their role in shaping the future of tourism. 

What is niche tourism?

Niche travel and niche tourism refer to specialised travel experiences catering to a specific interest, activity, or demographic group. Rather than offering broad, one-size-fits-all travel experiences, niche tourism providers deliver tailored services and packages to accommodate their target market’s unique preferences and needs. This can encompass numerous specialisations, from adventure or eco-tourism to wellness, cultural, and food tourism.

Importance of choosing a travel niche

Choosing a travel niche is important for both travel providers and travellers for several reasons:

• Customer satisfaction: Tailored services and packages increase the likelihood of customer satisfaction as they align more closely with individual interests and expectations
• Market differentiation: In a highly competitive industry, carving out a niche allows businesses to distinguish themselves from competitors, positioning them as experts in a particular area
• Increased loyalty: Niche travel experiences can foster increased customer loyalty, as customers who have had their specific needs and interests met are more likely to return
• Sustainable business growth: Focusing on a niche can help travel providers achieve sustainable business growth. They can better understand their market, streamline their offerings, and refine their marketing strategies, leading to more efficient operations and stronger customer relationships
• Enhanced experiences for travellers: Choosing a niche allows them to have more personalised and enriching experiences. They can immerse themselves more deeply in their interests and activities, resulting in more fulfilling journeys

Understanding niche travel

Niche travel is hugely significant for both travellers and travel industry providers for several reasons:

• Personalisation: Niche travel allows for customised experiences that cater to specific interests, creating a more personalised and enjoyable travel experience
• Expertise: Niche travel companies often have a high level of expertise in their particular area, enabling them to provide  in-depth experiences and knowledge
• Community: Travellers with shared interests can form a sense of community, enhancing their overall travel experience

Differentiating niche travel from mainstream tourism

Niche travel and mainstream tourism differ in several key aspects:

• Broad vs Specialised: Mainstream tourism caters to a wide audience and typically includes popular destinations, attractions and experiences. Niche travel, on the other hand, is specialised, targeting a specific demographic, interest, activity or offbeat destination
• Mass market vs Personalised: Mainstream tourism is often mass-market-oriented with broad appeal, whereas niche travel focuses on delivering personalised experiences
• Generic vs Unique: Mainstream tourism often offers generic, one-size-fits-all experiences. In contrast, niche travel focuses on unique experiences tailored to the specific interests or needs of the traveller

Exploring the concept of experiential and specialised travel

Experiential and specialised travel, often considered a subset of niche travel, prioritises unique, immersive experiences:

Experiential travel

This form of travel prioritises personal and unique experiences over sightseeing. The goal is to immerse oneself in the local culture, meet the locals, and engage in activities characteristic of the destination.

Specialised travel

Specialised travel focuses on a specific interest or activity, such as wine tasting, skiing, horse riding, cooking, yoga, dancing, wildlife photography, or yoga retreats. These tours are typically led by experts in the field and offer a deep dive into the particular interest.

In both experiential and specialised travel, the emphasis is on creating meaningful, personal experiences rather than just visiting a destination.

Benefits of choosing a travel niche

There are many benefits to be gained from choosing a travel niche to focus on. 

Personal fulfilment and passion-driven travel experiences

Choosing a travel niche allows for deeply personal, fulfilling experiences that cater to one’s passions and interests. A culinary enthusiast may opt for food tourism, for example, immersing themselves in the local cuisine of different regions, thereby enriching their gastronomic knowledge and skills. The connection between personal passion and travel provides a unique, deeply satisfying experience that extends beyond typical sightseeing.

Building expertise and becoming an authority in a specific area

When individuals or businesses focus on a travel niche, they can develop in-depth knowledge and understanding of that area, becoming experts in that field and enhancing their reputation and credibility. For instance, a travel agency specialising in eco-tourism can accumulate a wealth of knowledge about sustainable travel practices and destinations, setting them apart from generalist competitors.

Targeting a specific audience and creating unique travel offerings

Choosing a travel niche allows businesses to target a specific audience with unique travel offerings. This specificity can aid in designing marketing campaigns and packages that speak directly to a defined group’s interests, needs, and expectations, thereby improving the effectiveness of marketing efforts. For example, a company with a niche in adventure tourism can tailor its offerings to thrill-seekers and outdoor enthusiasts, providing experiences that general travel agencies might not offer.

Opportunities for collaboration and networking

Focusing on a travel niche opens opportunities for collaboration and networking. Businesses can collaborate with other organisations, cross-promote each other, and engage with influencers or thought leaders to enhance their visibility and credibility. For example, a travel agency focusing on wellness tourism might partner with yoga studios or wellness coaches to offer retreats or workshops, enhancing their services and strengthening their network.

Identifying niche markets in the travel industry

Adventure and outdoor travel.

Adventure and outdoor travel cater to individuals who crave physical activity, exploration, and nature-based experiences. It’s a broad category that can include anything from mountain climbing and hiking to off-the-beaten-path tours and camping in remote locations. Adventure travel can also involve paragliding, rock climbing, or white-water rafting, appealing to thrill-seekers and those hunting an adrenaline rush.

Culinary and food tourism

Culinary and food tourism is all about exploring a region’s culinary traditions and food culture. This type of travel involves food tours, cooking classes, wine tastings, and farm-to-table experiences. Culinary tourism allows travellers to dive deep into local food scenes, taste authentic dishes, and learn about the history and tradition behind regional cuisines.

Wellness and spa retreats

Wellness and spa retreats focus on relaxation, self-care, and holistic experiences. This market includes yoga retreats, meditation workshops, spa treatments, and other health-oriented activities that aim to rejuvenate the body, mind, and spirit. Wellness retreats often occur in serene environments such as beach resorts or mountain lodges, offering travellers an escape from their daily routine and stress.

Cruise travel

Cruises are a popular niche market that offers unique sea experiences and can vary greatly in destinations, sizes, and themes, from luxurious world cruises to river cruises, from family-friendly cruises to expedition cruises for adventure seekers. Cruises often offer comprehensive packages that include accommodation, food, entertainment, and excursions, providing an all-in-one travel solution for many tourists.

Ski tourism

Ski tourism targets winter sports enthusiasts. Travellers might head to mountainous regions for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter activities. Ski resorts often provide comprehensive services, including equipment rental, ski lessons, accommodation, and après-ski entertainment, making it a popular choice for winter holidaymakers.

Scuba diving holidays

Scuba diving breaks cater to those who are interested in underwater exploration. Travellers often visit exotic locations known for their coral reefs, marine wildlife, and clear waters. This niche market includes the diving experience itself and often offers diving instruction, equipment rental, and other related services.

Sustainable, environmental and eco-tourism

Sustainable and eco-tourism is a rapidly growing niche in the travel industry, focusing on responsible travel practices. This niche promotes travelling in a way that respects local culture and environment, minimises impact on nature, and contributes to conserving natural and cultural heritage. Eco-tourism often involves visiting pristine, fragile, and relatively undisturbed natural areas, contributing to their preservation. Sometimes it also incorporates volunteer holidays where people spend their time helping conserve the environment.

Sports and sporting events tourism

Sports and sporting events tourism is a niche market that attracts sports enthusiasts and fans. This can involve travelling to participate in sporting activities like golf, cycling, or swimming or attending major sporting events such as the Olympics, the World Cup, or the Super Bowl. This niche often provides related services such as ticket booking, transportation, and accommodation.

Medical and wellness tourism

Medical and wellness tourism combines medical treatments with leisure travel. This niche caters to individuals who travel to receive medical treatments such as surgeries, dental procedures, or wellness therapies that may not be easily accessible or affordable in their home country. After receiving medical treatment, these travellers often take the opportunity to recuperate and relax at their destination.

Factors to consider when choosing a travel niche

When deciding which travel niche to specialise in, there are several considerations. 

Personal interests, passions, and expertise

When choosing a travel niche, it’s essential to consider one’s interests, passions, and areas of expertise. If you deeply understand and love a particular area, this can enhance your services, make your work more enjoyable, and resonate strongly with your target audience.

Market research and demand analysis

Conducting thorough market research and demand analysis is essential. Travel agents must understand the trends in the travel industry, identify which niches are growing, and assess the demand for different travel experiences. It’s also essential to consider your potential customers’ demographics, preferences, and behaviours.

Competition analysis and identifying gaps in the market

It’s important to research what other providers in your potential niche offer and identify market gaps. If there is an underserved area that aligns with your interests and expertise, this could present a unique business opportunity.

Accessibility and feasibility of the niche

Accessibility and feasibility are other crucial factors to consider. Some niches may require more resources or specific expertise to execute successfully. For instance, arranging adventure travel experiences might require extensive knowledge of safety protocols and outdoor survival skills. Assessing the feasibility of your potential niche ensures you can provide high-quality, reliable services.

Potential profitability and sustainability

While a niche might be personally fulfilling and have a good demand, it must also be financially viable for it to be a good business choice. It’s also important to consider the sustainability of the niche. Some niches may be trendy but have little long-term potential, while others, such as eco-tourism, align with long-term trends towards more sustainable and responsible travel.

Steps to choosing your travel niche

So, how do you choose your particular travel niche? 

1. Research and explore different niche markets

Your journey to choose a travel niche should start with broad research to explore different niche markets in the travel industry. This step involves learning about various travel niches, understanding what they entail, and identifying the ones that resonate with you.

2. Evaluate your personal interests, skills, and experiences

Next, evaluate your interests, skills, and experiences. Reflect on the types of travel that excite you, and consider your strengths and experiences that might contribute to success in a particular niche. This step is about identifying where your interests align with potential niche markets.

3. Analyse market trends and demand for specific niches

After identifying potential niches, you’ll want to analyse market trends and demand. Examine current trends in the travel industry, understand consumer behaviours and preferences, and determine which specialisations have strong growth potential. Market research can provide valuable insights into the demand for specific travel experiences.

4. Consider the potential challenges and opportunities within each niche

Assess the competition within the niche, identify potential entry barriers, and explore possible partnerships or collaborations. Considering challenges and opportunities can help you gauge your chosen niche’s feasibility and potential profitability.

5. Seek advice from industry experts 

Contact people already operating within your potential niche, attend industry events, or join relevant online communities. Experienced industry professionals can provide valuable insights and practical advice, helping you to avoid potential pitfalls and make informed decisions.

6. Make an informed decision based on your information

Review your research, reflect on your interests and skills, and consider the advice you’ve received. Choose the travel niche that best aligns with your passion, skills, and market demand. Remember, your chosen niche should be a viable business opportunity and something you’re excited about pursuing.

Embrace the power of niche tourism

Choosing a travel niche holds immense potential for success in the ever-evolving tourism industry. Embracing a niche that aligns with your interests and passions, and has a robust market demand, can lead to gratifying experiences and a thriving business.

The power of niche tourism lies in its ability to provide personalised, in-depth, and unique experiences beyond conventional tourism. As a franchisee with The Travel Franchise , you have the opportunity to harness this potential and can offer travel options that cater to specific interests, from adventure and outdoor activities, culinary explorations, and wellness retreats, to eco-tourism and more.

As you embark on this exciting journey in niche tourism, remember to continually monitor market trends, adapt to your customers’ evolving needs, and stay true to your passion. In doing so, you’re ready to create meaningful travel experiences that resonate with your audience and stand the test of time in this dynamic industry.

You might also like...

How a Discovery event led Ellie to ditch teaching to juggle a thriving travel business and a new baby

All aboard with Eamonn Holmes: 95 of our consultants and corporate team set sail on our celebrity-studded Seminar at Sea

Newsflash! TV broadcaster Eamonn Holmes OBE has joined The Travel Franchise – find out how he can help you if you launch a travel business with us

Useful links

• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions

Get in touch

Our friendly team are on live chat if you have any questions..

• [email protected]
• 0800 084 8128

© The Travel Franchise. We reserve right to change our packages at any time.

Learn how it works instantly!

Your instant access to all our presentations is one e-mail away!

• Privacy Overview
• 3rd Party Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

You can read our Privacy Policy here .

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

Navigating Niche Tourism: Insights from the 2024 Market Report

Tuesday, February 13, 2024 Favorite

The newly released “Specialized Tourism Insights – 2024” publication is now available on ResearchAndMarkets.com.

Delving into the specialized sector of niche tourism, this comprehensive study examines its influence on the travel and tourism sector. It scrutinizes the entities affected, highlights contributing and adverse trends, unveils unexpected opportunities, and observes the evolution prompted by niche tourism’s rise.

The exploration extends to an in-depth sector analysis, showcasing real-world examples of how various destinations and firms have adapted to niche tourism’s effects. Strategies for the travel industry are proposed, along with details on the companies discussed within. The spotlight of this study is squarely on Niche Tourism.

Principal Insights

Niche tourism has gained widespread acknowledgment in the industry, prompting numerous brands to seek distinctive identities. It closely aligns with the experience economy, with niche tourists on a quest for immersive, tailored experiences that resonate with their personal interests. This form of tourism offers a unique proposition for differentiation in today’s highly competitive travel market.

The supply chain in travel and tourism showcases instances where adopting a niche strategy enhances brand recognition and competitive stance. Industry pioneers have pinpointed specific markets, presenting alternatives to conventional vacation options that align with the preferences of niche travelers.

Niche tourism encompasses a range of ‘macro’ and ‘micro’ categories, representing a departure from the mass tourism model of straightforward travel bookings. Identified macro niches include environmental, cultural, urban, and innovative themes, each with a variety of micro-niches that today inspire travelers. Among these are adventure, dark, eco, gastronomic, agri, and rural tourism.

The report offers a comprehensive look at niche tourism’s impact on the travel sector, exploring contributing factors. It categorizes key trends into consumer, enterprise, and industry segments. Through various case studies, it examines how nations and companies are navigating and capitalizing on the growth of this theme.

Report Advantages

Gain insights into current and emerging niche tourism trends shaping the travel industry. Learn how entities like tour operators, online travel agencies (OTAs), and destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are leveraging niche tourism for revenue growth. Understand the potential drawbacks of niche tourism, including its social, cultural, and environmental impacts. Discover strategic recommendations for entities involved in niche tourism. This thematic research ecosystem stands as a unified, worldwide platform for seamless thematic analysis across all sectors, offering an intuitive framework for monitoring themes across all companies. It boasts a successful track record in identifying critical themes early, allowing for strategic investments and a competitive edge.

Niche tourism presents a lucrative opportunity for the entire travel and tourism value chain, with notable examples highlighting its potential.

Covered Topics:

• Executive Overview
• Key Players
• Thematic Briefing
• Trend Analysis
• Consumer Trends
• Enterprise Trends
• Industry Trends
• Sector Analysis
• Niche Tourism Impact and Challenges
• Strategic Recommendations
• Case Studies and Future Outlook
• Market Signals, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Social Media Dynamics
• Value Chain Analysis
• Detailed Company Profiles
• Public and Private Companies
• Sector Scorecards and Company Coverage

Including companies such as Accor, Airbnb, Alux Caverna Lounge, and many others across the travel and tourism industry.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5qlh2v

Tags: Market Analysis , Niche Tourism Report , Tourism Trends , Travel Insights , Travel research

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Related Posts

• Global Community Based Tourism Industry Poised for Remarkable Growth, Projected to Reach $2136.8 Billion by 2032
• Vietravel Airlines soars conducts series of flights to Japan in the first two months of 2024
• Aircraft Micro Turbine Engine market to hit $75.9M by 2030
• Allied Research: Aircraft Industry Poised For $476.4B Growth By 2031
• Tech innovations drive Slot Machines Market Growth: 6.7% CAGR forecast

Select Your Language

I want to receive travel news and trade event update from Travel And Tour World. I have read Travel And Tour World's Privacy Notice .

REGIONAL NEWS

Sellar Sounds Alarm On Gender Gap In Travel Tech During Revolutionary Bavel Trav

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

China Opens Its Doors to Georgian Travelers With New 30 Days of Visa-Free Travel

What Remarkable Factors Led To Thousands Of Flights Being Cancelled Including De

U.S. Prioritizes Authentic Experiences in 2024 Summer Travel, GGA Reports

Middle east.

SalamAir Introduces New Direct Route from Muscat to Cairo

New Dublin-Abu Dhabi flights from July will boost travel from Middle East market

Discover the Unmatched Diversity of Malaysia from Cities to Rainforests

UPCOMING SHOWS

May 27 ITB CHINA May 27 - May 29 May 27 RIYADH TRAVEL FAIR May 27 - May 29 May 29 ASTA:The Travel Advisor Conference May 29 - May 31 Jun 02 Global Travel Marketplace West 2024 June 2 - June 4

Privacy Overview

Grupo Niche Verified

Concerts and tour dates.

Fan Reviews

Fans Also Follow

About grupo niche.

• Host Agencies
• Accelerator Course
• Travel Jobs
• Travel Agent Chatter
• Etiquette & Rules
• Privacy Policy

Find a Travel Niche: A Step-by-Step Guide

I am a HUGE advocate of agents finding a travel niche. I push for it for multiple reasons—one of which is that having a niche makes it easier to find a host agency  that fits your needs (one of the main points of my site). If that didn't get your tail wagging in excitement, I'm sure the fact that having a travel niche makes it easier to grow your agency—allowing you to make more money—will do the trick. 😊

Repeat after Me: A Travel Niche Isn't Scary.

With internet competition, being an expert helps you differentiate.

Do me a favor. When you think niche, don't get all stressed and think it needs to be something off-the-wall like scholar tours to medieval battle sites.  Your travel niche doesn't need to be complicated or rare (but it can be). Niche travel can mean you're specializing in a certain demographic, a type of travel, a destination, or any other number of things.

Put simply, having a travel niche means you put boundaries on what you sell. It can be a broad niche (luxury travel) or a niche with a narrow focus (educational tours for ESL students). You can't be an expert on everything, so narrow it down and decide what you will be an expert on. With internet competition, being an expert helps you differentiate.

Passion. Passion. Passion!

Finding a piece in the niche travel pie isn't as hard as you might think. With the millions of hobbies, destinations, and types of travelers there are possibilities abound. The key to finding a successful niche for your agency is making sure it's not only a niche but that your heart is into it.

With the millions of hobbies, destinations, and types of travelers the possibilities are abound.

I started a side business earlier in my career. It had great potential, yet it flopped. There was demand, no competition, and I had relationships with my potential buyers. So why did it flop? In hindsight, it's obvious—I didn't have the passion for it. That was a big lesson for me.

When you choose a travel niche, look beyond if there is a market and how much competition you face. Don't forget to make sure you have an undying passion for that niche.

Need a little inspiration? Take a listen to our podcast ( listen to more episodes ) with Boutique Japan and how they found their niche:

Or hear about how a former WestJet employee changed his love of aviation into a travel agency that only sells air while charging a $60-500 CAD ticketing fee per ticket.

DeJuan Shorter, travel advisor and owner of The Timely Traveler, stumbled on his niche: sabbatical travel. Take a look at how that happened in the video below:

Or what about Molly Williams, CEO of The Optimists Travel, who, when she decided it was time to get off the road and settle down at home to start her family, started a travel agency focused on moving bands and their crews across the US and the world during their tours?

Examples of Travel Niches

We had a great idea come in from an advisor taking our 7 Day Set Up program ! Here we have this great article and even a freak'n brainstorming exercise for you... but we don't give examples of any of the common niches in the travel industry. #fail

So, I'm happy to announce, with the help of a 7DSer, we finally got smart. In fact, we took it a step further to create an entire pdf list of niche examples, under some umbrella categories. Is it exhaustive? No. But will it get your niche gears going? I sure hope so! Just click below on the image to download it!

Use these as a guide but don't feel like you have to be limited to these by any means. Remember, this is YOUR business and you get to design it the way you believe is best!

Finding a Travel Niche—A Brainstorming Guide

How in the world can you find your travel niche? Don't worry, I've got a little How to Find a Travel Niche Worksheet to help you. We're going to go over how to do the worksheet below but if you'd like an example, you can also download our completed sample worksheet to see how we did it.

Want to fill one out for yourself? You can download HAR's "Find a Travel Niche Worksheet" below! (If you're drawing a blank, don't worry. We go through the worksheet step by step to help get your brain revving with ideas.)

Below you can subscribe to get HAR's niche worksheet PDF! Just enter your info and it will land in your inbox in a jiffy (new subscribers will need to confirm their subscription, first!).

Below we chat through the worksheet's steps to help get your creativity flowing.

Step 1: Brainstorming Your Travel Niche

Here's a little fodder to help fuel ideas for each of the columns in the worksheet:

Hobbies Column

We already discussed that passion was key to a successful niche. This column helps identify what you love to do, your strengths, and where you're considered an expert already.

• What are you passionate about? (e.g. politics, gymnastics, stitching)
• What do you have in-depth knowledge of? (e.g. wines, gardening, fishing, maritime history)
• What are you good at? (e.g. cooking, stand-up comedy, building rockets) 
• What do you do in your free time? (e.g. genealogy, write, read wedding magazines)

Write down all answers that come to mind without passing judgment. That means adding underwater basket weaving without questioning if it's a passion or just a fad. (Though we really hope it's a fad.)

Network Column

You can be successful without a network but it's much harder since you have to build trust and establish your expertise. Utilizing the networks you already have in place—or ones you can easily break into—is going to save you a lot of time, energy, and money. The most successful agents have an existing network that they were immediately able to market to. This column helps you recognize your connections.

What business networks do you belong to? (e.g. BNI, union, boards)

• What events have you attended recently? (e.g. PTO meeting, tweetup, dog training class)
• What are the common hobbies of your friend groups? (e.g. Hiking, golfing, drinking, scuba diving)
• What groups do you belong to? (e.g. Cancer support group, ski club, bible study) 
• What groups/networks do your close family/friends belong to? (e.g. Your kids, partner, parents, neighbors)

Another one to check out is your FB network. And I've got sad news for you here. It used to be a lot easier to map connections but FB made a change to their API in early 2015 that doesn't allow APIs to pull data on your friends. 🙁 It was SO much easier before! But here's how you can do it manually: 

Manually go through FB friends:  

Tedious, I know. You can either look through your friend list on FB or you can download the data. How do you download your Facebook friends?

• Make sure you are logged in to your Facebook account.
• Click on the “Account” profile pic icon at the top right portion of your screen.
• Go to >>> “Settings & Privacy” then go to >>> "Settings"
• This will bring you to "General Account Settings." From here you click on >>>"Your Facebook Information" (this is below "General Account Settings" on the left)
• On this page, you'll go to >>>"Download Your Account Information ."
• Once you're on this page, you need to enter a date range at the top of the page. From here you can select what info you want to include in your download. For the purposes of this exercise, I recommend at the very least:
• Collaborations
• Friends & Followers
• Once you've made all the selections you want to download, click on the button at the very bottom of the screen >>> "Request Your Download." Once your file is ready, they will send you a notification (mine only took a minute to create).

There are a ton of options for what you can include in your download! It nothing else, it will refresh your memory on groups, hobbies, events, and individuals you've been connected to in the past that may not be top of might!

Destinations Column

Since a travel niche can be a certain destination, this will help uncover any themes in what type of destinations you like.

• Of the places you've been to, what are your favorites?
• What places are you dying to see?
• What do the destinations you listed above have in common? (e.g. castles, weather, good food)

Since we're all travel lovers, this one can get long. If it does, don't worry. Write them all down now and you can go back and group them into common themes later.

Type of Travel Column

This one is a bit harder to explain. I like to think of it as the icing on the cake. It's just another way to discover what type of travel you enjoy and add that as an element to your niche. Consider these questions:

• Is there a particular demographic you'd like to sell to? (e.g. families/groups, seniors, music lovers)
• What price tag would you feel comfortable selling? On this one, don't be afraid to push your comfort zone. Many agents make the mistake of pushing their spending habits on their clients. (e.g. luxury, bargain)
• What type of travel do you enjoy? (e.g. adventure, all-inclusive, tours, groups, independent)

Whew! You're done. Time to take a little break. Come back in 2 days with a fresh mind and run through it again—you'll be surprised what a few days of sitting on it can do for new ideas.

Step 2: Connecting the Dots to Find Your Travel Niche

Now that you've got your list you're going, it's time to take a look and circle the top 3 hobbies and top 3 destinations you're most passionate about.  Don't worry if you have more or less, you can always adjust this next step to work with your chosen hobbies/destinations.

On page 2 of the Finding Your Travel Niche Worksheet, we'll be focusing on actual niche possibilities. Typically, they will come from one of your hobbies and/or destinations. We've created a nice little template on page 2 for you to put your top hobbies and destinations. Each hobby and destination you circled gets its own box. You'll be filling in each box with relevant list items that you have on page 1.

I found it easiest (and more fun!) to cut out the boxes so I could easily move them around. Specifically, I would take one box at a time to work on, place it on page 1 and go down my lists to see which items fit with that box's hobby or destination. If you're working on a hobby, take a look at the Destinations column first. If your box is for a destination, start with the hobby column.

To start, you're looking for connections between your columns. The common factor between those columns is they're all driven by some sort of passion—a must to be successful. Write down the topics that fit together well in your Niche Possibilities boxes. 

Warning: Some of your topics may just never pan out. You can always come back if inspiration strikes on something you thought was a dead end. For me, I could not think of a way to incorporate my love of dogs into a travel niche I would enjoy. Finding dog-friendly hotels around the US or learning the rules of moving dogs around? No thanks.

Narrowing it Down Even Further

Once you've put together some possibilities from your hobbies and destinations columns, you're going to add your travel type column into the mix. This narrows the funnel even more. Does your current list of hobbies/destination groupings fit into the type of travel you want to sell? For instance, my ski hobby and cold weather destinations fit well with my love of adventure and group travel.

Don't feel that you can only pick one item from each column. You can mix and match with multiple topics from each column to create your travel niche.

If you can't find an obvious fit, look for a way to customize it to fit your passions or set it aside.

One last thing. Don't feel that you can only pick one item from each column. You can mix and match with multiple topics from each column to create your travel niche. You could have adventure travel for groups and singles to a certain destination. Or trips for women-only to multiple destinations. It's up to you.

The Final Test

The hope is that since your circles in life are usually based on common interests, you'll have some networks already in place—people who see you as the expert for your niche.

Your possibilities should be looking great. Mouth-watering, actually. Now the final test to see if this is a realistic possibility is to think about how easy it's going to be to find clients. You want to find out if you have an existing network to tap into. So let's take a look at your network column.

The hope is that since your circles in life are usually based on common interests, you'll have some networks already in place—people that see you as the expert for your niche or participate in your hobby with you.

If you do find some networks that work, write them in the box.

If you don't have a network, all is not lost. Having an existing network helps tremendously but not having one shouldn't deter you. Brainstorm ways you can break into that niche's target market. Don't forget to check the InMap and Facebook Map we discussed above to find people that may be able to open up doors for you.

Your Niche List

As I started filling in the boxes I would think of other ideas that weren't originally on my lists but I thought would really fit in well with that box. Don't be afraid to add them! That's the best part of brainstorming, you never know where it's going to lead!

This worksheet should leave you with a decent list of travel niche possibilities. And not just any travel niches, but well thought out niches that fit your personality and that you believe in. If you had a really hard time narrowing your list down to just 3 hobbies and 3 destinations, or maybe you had 5 destinations that most interested you, don't worry. Print off as many copies of page 2 as you need but remember, the point of this exercise is to narrow it down to those you are most passionate about!

Next up, you need to sit down and decide which travel niches are most feasible, work with your lifestyle, and start doing some competitive intelligence! Maybe it's time to choose a travel agency name ? Or learn more about starting a travel agency from home?

Need More Guidance Starting an Agency?

Finding a niche is just one piece of a very complex puzzle of starting an agency. If you're wanting more help nailing down a niche to help get your agency off the ground, check out HAR's new course on starting an agency, The 7 Day Set Up Accelerator Course .

The course is written and taught by yours truly and Bridget Lee, a professional educator with deep roots in the travel industry. Maybe you notice a last name similarity? We're sisters and we both came up in a family that is deeply rooted in the industry. Check it out !

Congrats—you made it through! I hope I encouraged you to find a travel niche for your travel agency and led you through how to find one you love. When starting up, it's easy to fall prey to the "I'll take any booking I can get" mentality and avoid a niche. Start strong and know exactly what your business is and where you want to go with it. Good luck and let me know what travel niche you end up with!  Find me on  Facebook ,  LinkedIn and Instagram .

Photo Credit:  Jniceliem

[Editor's note: This post was originally published Aug. 14th, 2012, and was updated on publish date listed.]

About the Author

Steph grew up in the travel industry, helping on and off with her mom's homebased travel agency. She has worked with thousands of agents in her role as a former host agency director before leaving in 2012 to start HAR. She's insatiably curious, loves her pups Fennec and Orion, and -- in case you haven't noticed -- is pretty quirky and free-spirited.

If you’re looking for Steph, she leaves a trace where ever she goes! You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn (her fav) and Pinterest as 'iamstephly'. 🙂 You can also catch her on her Substack, Bumblin' Around, where she writes on things outside the world of HAR.

• Travel Agent Basics

Search Travel Market Report

• Packaged Travel
• Hotels & Resorts
• Destinations
• Retail Strategies
• Niche & Luxury
• Training & Resources
• Brian Israel
• Briana Bonfiglio
• Dan McCarthy
• Dori Saltzman
• Jennifer Arango
• Kelly Fontenelle
• Keri-Anne Slevin
• Louis Intreglia
• Sarah Milner
• Tom McCarthy

Adventure Travel: What It Really Is and How to Break Into This Lucrative Niche

Imagine riding a quad with your pack of best buddies through the Northern Cape in South Africa when a herd of giraffes running up to 37 miles an hour cuts across the path directly in front of you – whew! Or the adrenaline rush you’ll feel from inside the underwater cage in Cape Town when a massive Great White shark menacingly glides over and peers directly into your eyes just inches away with only a few metal bars between you. Or how about walking, scrambling, wiggling, and climbing your way nearly half a mile into Sudwala Cave when you catch a glimpse of the 160-million-year-old Screaming Monster? 

These are truly unique, unforgettable travel experiences, and they are just a taste of what the adventure travel niche has to offer. But rest assured, there are many adventure travel opportunities that are well-suited for those with a lower thrill-seeking threshold as well.

The adventure tourism market is huge, and it is one of the fastest-growing travel segments. It was valued at $112,227 million in 2020 and is estimated to reach $1,169,095 million by 2028, according to a study conducted by Allied Market Research.

The big question is: Is your travel agency currently selling this lucrative niche? Here is a quick primer on the market and its opportunities, from travel advisors who have established themselves as experts in adventure travel.

What is adventure travel today? Adventure travel means different things to different people. But what these experiences have in common is that they take travelers off the beaten path, empowering them to try new things, challenge themselves, and reconnect to nature and a more primal part of themselves. It is about a mindset more than a particular type of activity.

“Adventure travel is about pushing past your comfort zone and reconnecting with the world,” said Charlotte Barillier, co-owner and travel designer at Roam Travel Company. “I think now, more than ever, it has been about truly disconnecting from our technology and getting back into nature. One of my favorite things about safari is its unique ability to bring you directly to the present moment. I think adventure travel does that for all of us – it is the joy and fulfillment of being fully present.”

Ralph Iantosca, CTA, LS, DS, expedition and safari specialist, named among Condé Nast’s Top Travel Specialists 2020-2022, and owner of Iantosca Travel LLC, shared his perspective: “The category of adventure travel is very vast. A few years ago, I was asked the same question [How do you describe adventure travel?] from a traditional traveler who had never experienced anything besides museums, guides, cities, cruises, shows, etc. The question made me realize that there are so many experiences available, like trekking silverbacks in Volcanoes National Park, climbing Kilimanjaro, diving with great whites in South Africa, kayaking in Antarctica, heli-skiing, diving in the South Pacific, looking at a Japanese Zero that a Kamikaze crashed - the list goes on and on. If you are an advisor who’s never personally experienced anything in the adventure travel arena, or a client that is also a ‘traditional’ type of traveler, the new possibilities are endless.”

Who is the adventure traveler? Again, opinions vary. Iantosca noted that adventure travel has many different demographics. His clients are active, affluent, in their late 40s to early 70s, who can all make the time for this type of travel experience.

Barillier said she is “excited to see clients generally wanting to try new things and explore beyond the normal touristy sites. I think honeymooners have always sought some adventure, but it is fun to see this as a conversation with our retired clientele, as well.”

And Rebecca East, luxury travel advisor at Life:Styled Group, described adventure travelers as: “Quite often it’s couples looking for big ways to experience the ‘wow’ factor for a fun proposal idea or as a memorable honeymoon adventure. Some of our couples are more mature and have put their kids through college and are now looking to explore new places. A change that we’re seeing now is that some families are looking to combine these age groups to spend quality time together as an extended/blended family and looking for new ways to experience life together.”

Where can you send adventure travelers? Our adventure travel experts offered these destinations and activities as possibilities to recommend to your clients:

South Africa – safari, shark cage diving, rhino tagging, quad biking, mountain biking, sand boarding, hiking, biking, caving, conservation walks, bungy jumping, helicopter adventures, river boating, surfing, and scuba diving.

Rwanda – gorilla trekking, canopy walk adventure, safari, volcano hike, chimpanzee tracking, and coffee/tea tasting on a farm in the mountains.

Botswana and Zimbabwe – exploring the Okavango Delta, safari waterways, sunset cruise safari, helicopter over Victoria Falls, guided walks, animal tracking and the Big 5.

Dolomites, Italy – hiking inn to inn via feratta (a route on a mountain face equipped with steel cables, ladders, and other fixed anchors), outdoor rock climbing, boating, biking, skiing, snow shoeing, and ice climbing.

Galapagos – snorkeling, scuba diving, wildlife viewing, swimming with sharks, bird watching, hiking, and surfing.

Antarctica – Zodiac cruises, kayaking, whale watching, hiking, glacier viewing and trekking, wildlife viewing, research expeditions, and undersea polar expeditions.

Peru – hiking the Inca trail, climbing Machu Picchu, Amazon excursions, jungle trekking, dune buggy rides, sand surfing, surfing, and paragliding.

How can you break into adventure travel? For those who are new to adventure travel, Iantosca said: “The key is in understanding the experience. I would start by recommending the advisor should think about their own self-discovery with new, exciting activities they would enjoy that are in their comfort zone. This will open an entirely new business to the advisor. I then personally ask new clients to describe their PERCEPTION of adventure travel. You can learn a lot by being an active listener. If the client shares their fears, it’s easy to transition the conversation to something that would eliminate those immediately and re-engage them into something that is in their comfort level but is still trying something new that piques their interest.

“I like to see if the client is open to new experiences first. I created a form that asks about their personal interests, if they live an active lifestyle, which helps start a really fun path of discovery.” He continued: “Is heli-hiking for everyone? No, of course not, but I know that each of my clients is active, lives a healthy lifestyle, and wants to be a participant … My favorite part of the job is sharing new experiences with clients. I ask them if they can envision themselves doing these things.”

The benefit to you, as a business owner, is that this takes the conversation away from the type of travel that is viewed as a commodity, focusing merely on, for instance, hotel rooms and prices. Instead, it’s all about recommending a complete and authentic experience that is not prefabricated.

Iantosca’s parting advice to other travel advisors who are considering getting into this niche: “Do it, do it now, and don’t look back! Do it right now. There are many great suppliers who would love to work with these agents. Most agents say ‘I don’t have those type of clients,’ but that’s their own fear talking. If they get the right training and are in with the right group, the sky is the limit, and they’ll find themselves on a new career path that is full of unexpected, beautiful surprises at every turn. For example, Virtuoso has the Adventure Travel community - it’s a great place to start if the agent is connected with a Virtuoso agency. I joined Virtuoso specifically for its community of suppliers, relationships, and the opportunity to be associated with and learn this niche, which was the best decision I could have ever made.”

FROM THE SPONSOR: South African Tourism is the national tourism agency responsible for the marketing of South Africa as a preferred leisure and business events destination. From breathtaking beauty to sun-soaked coasts; from wildlife to active adventure; from vibrant urban energy to the incredible warmth and cultural diversity of its people – South Africa is a traveler’s dream. Now, after two years of restricted travel movements, South Africa invites the world to come experience this country filled with rich, authentic, unfiltered experiences and to “Live Again!” South Africa has been reopened for tourism since November 2020 with globally benchmarked health and safety protocols in place, including requiring travelers to have a negative COVID-19 PCR test 72 hours prior to arrival, as well as visitors and locals alike wearing face masks in public. For further information on South African Tourism, visit www.southafrica.net/trade . For the latest travel trade updates, follow @SAtraveltrade on Twitter www.twitter.com/SATravelTrade .

MOST VIEWED

• Virgin Voyages Cracks Down on Predatory Travel Advisor Behavior
• Report: Delta Air Lines Plans to Drop Baggage Recheck on Arrival to U.S.
• U.S. State Department Updates Warnings for Two European Destinations
• Hawaii Set to Ban Airbnb and Short-Term Rentals State-Wide
• U.S. State Department Issues ‘Worldwide Caution’ Travel Warning
• Travel Industry Acronyms Advisors Need to Know
• DOT Imposes Unsustainable Refund Obligations on Travel Advisors
• 9 Apps or Tools that Can Help Travel Advisors Work Better and Faster
• One Year Out, Americans Need to Get Serious About REAL ID
• Op-Ed: Why I Won’t Use Costco for Travel Again
• American Cruise Lines Chooses To Scrap Former AQV Vessels
• Roundup of Global Travel Advisor Day Appreciation Promotions

Subscribe today to receive daily in-depth coverage, analysis of industry news, trends and issues that affect how you do business. Subscribe now for free.

Subscribe to TMR

As high season ramps up, travel advisors have the chance to take advantage of the hottest trends in travel to make sure they help their clients find the best tours, wherever they might be heading.

The CBSA workers could take job action as early as June 2024.

Honest advice and tips for visiting the new St. Vincent resort.

None of the agencies that predict hurricane seasons are anticipating a lower-than-normal 2024. 

The 50-acre resort is the first international property development in St. Vincent.

One local of the village recently said that residents feel like "employees in a theme park." 

Niche Tourism is now recognized across the entire industry with many companies looking to differentiate their brand from others. Niche tourism has many synergies with the experience economy because niche tourists are constantly searching for engaging and unique experiences which match their interests.

In recent years, mainstream holiday providers have identified niche tourism as a potential growth area. Subsequently, niche tourism is no longer confined to small independent companies. Many large conglomerates such as Expedia, TUI and Booking Holdings have globalized the niche tourism industry through mergers and acquisitions and brand extensions, globalizing the sector.

However, the globalization of niche tourism has arguably reduced its authenticity. Many large travel intermediaries now market to mass tourists. Cruise operators are a prime example of this, where they can often carry thousands of tourists on an all-inclusive basis, serving food and drink which meets the demands of the typical mass tourist. All the while, many are advertising 'authentic' experiences such as walking tours, wine tasting, cookery classes and festivals - all of which are considered types of niche tourism.

COVID-19 has altered traveler demands which has created an opportunity for tourism businesses to innovate and develop their product. Many people have been confined to homeworking, lockdowns, and social distancing intermittently for the past two years, creating a desire to enjoy wider, 'greener' spaces while engaging with others.

As a result, there is a significant opportunity for niche tourism companies involved in rural and adventure tourism to grow their product. Research from the the publisher Ads database suggests that operators targeting these types of tourists will receive strong support from DMO's (Destination Marketing Organizations) as many are actively targeting this market.

Key Highlights

• Niche tourism within the travel industry can no longer be considered 'small'. With a growing global middle class and better-educated population, particularly in developing and densely populated countries in the APAC region, more tourists seek more wholesome, immersive, and fulfilling touristic experiences. The experience economy also plays a large part, with many travel products now commoditized due to the online travel boom and the emergence of price comparison sites. The future of travel is providing a more fulfilling experience. With many core travel and tourism companies such as hotels and airlines aiming to create more brand loyalty, changes to the 'traditional' travel product are likely.
• In recent years, the maturing tourism market has shifted tourists away from the annual 'sun and beach' getaway to develop an experience more aligned with holidaymakers' specific hobbies, interests, curiosities and needs. As the publisher shift to a world with increasingly more leisure time, there is a greater desire to maximize each experience. Leisure tourism is now a broad term for traveler motivations as niche tourism is a critical element to consider as consumer attitudes shift towards more special interest travel. Although this consumer behavior ripples across all age groups in tourism, it has become particularly relevant among younger adults such as Millennials and GenZ.
• The tastes of Gen Z and Millennials are helping to drive some forms of niche tourism to the next level. Over the past three years (2018 to 2021), the publisher has surveyed adults regarding their typical holiday across several generations. The publisher has discovered that a higher proportion of younger adults typically book niche holiday types such as adventure, sport, gastronomy, and LGBTQ within these surveys.
• Ecotourism saw the most significant increase of respondents within the the publisher consumer surveys, growing by 5% between 2018 and 2021 (14% to 19%). Sustainable travel has become a significant issue within the travel industry, and there is a growth in the 'responsible tourist'. Key public figures in popular culture such as David Attenborough have highlighted the impacts of human consumption on global warming. At the same time, activists such as Greta Thunberg have become a significant global influence, particularly on younger generations who are increasingly concerned about their future on the planet.
• This thematic report provides an overview of niche tourisms role within the travel sector today and how it will continue its involvement.
• The key trends within this theme are split between enterprise trends and tourist trends that are recognizable today.
• Several case studies are included to analyze the multiple ways travel companies such as tour operators, travel agencies, DMO's and cruise lines have tried to capitalize on niche tourism.
• Our unique thematic analysis then looks at recommendations for travel and tourism organizations and a deep dive into the leaders and laggards within the niche tourism spectrum, complete with industry examples and analysis.

Key Topics Covered:

• Executive Summary
• Thematic Briefing
• Consumer trends
• Enterprise trends
• Industry trends
• Industry Analysis
• Holidays are becoming more varied
• Case studies
• Impacts of niche tourism
• Tourists are searching for more immersive experiences
• Overtourism
• Social impacts on local communities
• Recommendations
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Value Chain
• Third-party suppliers
• Direct suppliers
• Ancillary suppliers
• Public companies
• Private companies

Companies Mentioned

• Alux Caverna Lounge
• Booking Holdings
• British Airways
• Carnival Corporation
• Celebrity Cruises
• Chernobyl Tour
• Comcast Corp
• Despagar.com Group
• Expedia Group
• Friendly Planet Travel
• GAdventures
• Genting Malaysia
• Gourmet on Tour
• Hays Travel
• Hemingway's Lounge
• Intrepid Travel
• Kimpton Hotels
• Merlin Entertainments
• Las Vegas Sands
• MGM Resorts International
• Miral Asset Group
• Norwegian Cruise Lines
• Makemytrip.com
• On the Beach
• Rainforest Cafe
• Responsible Travel
• Seaworld Parks and Entertainment
• SIM Holdings
• Soviet Tours
• The Northern Lights Bar
• Virgin Atlantic
• United Airlines
• Universal Studios
• Walt Disney
• Wynn Resorts
• Young Pioneer Tours

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/mgjit2

ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

Why tour operators focusing on a niche market are thriving

The concept of a niche market is not a new one, in fact, companies have been honing in on small market segments as a part of their business strategies for hundreds of years. However, business is evolving and a simple market segment no longer holds the same strategic impact than it once did. In today’s competitive climate a niche market looks a lot more specific; it seems the question is no longer ‘is this niche broad enough for my tour operator business to profit ’, and instead, ‘ can this niche be even more focused?’

Niche markets 101

Before we dive into the nitty gritty, let’s quickly go back to basics. Understanding why and how businesses decide on, and target, a niche market segment will ultimately help us understand why the definition of niche marketing in tourism is shifting so swiftly.

Wikipedia describes a niche market as the subset of the market on which a specific product is focused. A niche market will ultimately help a business tailor their messaging, branding, pricing and promotional activities to the people that fit the market they’re targeting.

When answering the question “ Why are they so impactful?” we ultimately find ourselves looking at the psychology behind target marketing. Simply put, humans like to feel special, and when a product or service is seemingly made for YOU, the decision to buy becomes more compelling. For a business owner this means easier sales conversations, more bang for your marketing spend, and a much simpler, more specific storytelling process.

The new age of niche

Niche marketing as we once knew it is no longer a strategic business tactic – it’s status quo. Everyone is targeting a specific demographic in one way or another. That’s why we’re seeing an emergence of hyper targeted niches; what was once a ‘tour operator that specialises in women’s tours’ is now a ‘tour operator that specialises in christian woman, over 50, with an interest in photography and hiking’.

For many tour operators the desire to sell tours crafted for a specific subset of travellers is not a new one; the idea of selling something as specific as ‘Halal friendly Cape Town itineraries’ simply seemed to be far too narrow to be a viable business strategy. Today, we have reached a point where travel is more accessible, the world is more connected and the ability for a tour operator to profit by selling to an extremely specific niche is finally possible.

So, now that we understand what makes up the building blocks of a niche market, here’s why your tour operator business should take notice and think about refining the segments you’re targeting.

Reason 1: Stand out from the crowd

Finding and focussing on a niche for your tour operator business will ultimately set you apart from other travel businesses with a similar offering. As the accessibility of travel increases and costs go down, the demographic of people wanting to travel just continues to grow wider. As a tour operator it’s impossible to offer something for everyone and if you try to, your competition is every tour operator, travel agent or DMC worldwide – making it very hard to stand out.

Creating a unique, niche offering will mean that your business will be memorable and stick in the minds of people who fit your target demographic. Although narrowing your offering to fit a niche will reduce your potential pool of customers, with the population of people seeking to travel nowadays, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Your lead pool may be smaller but it will also be more targeted; the people who hear about your tour operator business will know what they are looking for and are most likely to more primed to buy whatever it is that you’ve crafted for them.

Your job is to help them realise that your tour operator business can offer them exactly what they are searching for! Not only does this make travel an easier process for the customer, but it will save you time and resources, reducing your cost per lead and increasing your profitability!

Reason 2: Less competition – higher visibility

A niche tour operator will also have more business visibility, from both a digital perspective and via word of mouth. Google’s search engine uses keywords to determine what the user is looking for and shows them the key results – the process of enhancing your digital presence on Google is commonly referred to as Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO.

When it comes to SEO, the broader the keyword the less likely your offering will appear anywhere near Google’s front page. For example, a quick search for the term ‘tour operator’ returns 233,000,000 results. Having a niche means the keywords that potential customers are using to search for your business are more narrow and there is less competition. Searching the keywords “Tour Operator Safari South Africa” returns 26,400,000 results and “Tour Operator Safari South Africa Women” returns 9,960,000 in comparison. This reduces the pool of results by 23 times, meaning your website is 23 times more likely to appear on Google’s front page, especially if you optimise your site for those specific keywords .

Reason 3: Referrals

Humans are social creatures, and that is all too true for groups and communities that share common interests and passions, particularly when those passions intersect with travel. People who are drawn to a very specific niche are often highly connected to other people who share the same interests (often belong to clubs or online networks).

An avid cyclist who was delighted by their recent tailor made cycling tour will no doubt leap at the opportunity to rave about their fabulous travel experience at their next local cycling meet. Customer referrals are the most powerful way to promote your business .

Reason 4: Marketing Focus

The more defined your niche market becomes, the more refined your marketing can become. As mentioned earlier, your tour operator business can be much more visible when marketing a niche effectively, than when trying to compete with a multitude of competitors. This means that your messaging can be more specific and directed to a highly targeted demographic. Communicating with potential customers also becomes much more meaningful.

Reason 5: Be Impactful

Mass marketing to a broad group is notoriously expensive. The few good examples of brands that have favoured a mass market approach as opposed to niche include the Olympic games, the Superbowl and American Idol. Similarly, all of these brands that have succeeded with a mass market approach have enormous budgets .

Targeting a niche, however, allows you to funnel your marketing budget to a specific group that is already more likely to be receptive to your messaging from the get-go. Focussing on a specific segment means your approach to marketing will be influenced by the demographics and buying behaviour of the people you are targeting. Taking time to understand what advertising mechanisms work (and more importantly, which ones don’t work) for your niche will mean less of your budget is wasted on advertising with less impactful methods.

Reason 6: Tailor made travel

Take the opportunity to specialise your tour operator business offering and become a leader in your niche field. We all know that it is impossible to be good at everything, and to this end a tour operator business claiming to be an expert in all things travel would simply be unrealistic. Instead, hone your expertise and ensure you are able to tell your potential customers, with complete confidence, that you and your team are experts in what you do. Not only will you gain customer trust but you will strengthen your brand perception by consistently crafting tailor made itineraries and delivering your customers meaningful travel experiences.

Reason 7: People love working with experts

It’s not often in life that people get to follow their passion and turn it into a career! So why pass up the opportunity to specialise in something that you truly enjoy? Whether it be wine tasting in the Bordeaux region, dog sledding in Scandinavia or motorbiking through India, chances are there are people out there wanting to share your passion and more specifically your expert knowledge.

Fancy some inspiration?

We’ve been exploring a few emerging niche markets in the tourism industry. Take a look.

Cycle tours

Womens travel

The cruise market

Sustainable tourism

Luxury travel

How does the travel industry actually work?

Who are the key players in the industry, where do they all fit together and how does the industry actually work?! There’s no doubt that the travel industry is a confusing space to wrap your head around so we’ve broken it down for you in this easy new resource.

Travel designers- meet the influencers you should work with.

Understand the role travel influencers play in the industry and why tour operators should be following, interacting and collaborating with them. Explore eight global travel influencers who are inspiring travellers daily.

Tourism news websites you can trust

In the tourism industry it can be hard to differentiate the reliable travel news sources from the not-so-trustworthy ones. In this blog we summarise the top travel news websites that tour operators, travel agencies and DMC’s should pay attention to.

How to set your team up for success when introducing new software

Making changes happen is hard. Especially when it is something that will create a significant impact on the way you work, like new software. We discover what change management is and how it can assist you, your leaders and your team in creating new processes that will make you more successful in the long run. Is it time for a change?

7 Travel Niche Ideas for Tour Operators

Travel is finally getting back on track. This means a restart for many travel companies that were halted since the pandemic started. The question is: how to start again in a market that has changed and fight competition that is more fierce than ever? Pivoting your product to a travel niche might be the answer.

In this article you will learn what a travel niche is, its benefits, travel niche ideas and how to choose the right niche for your business.

What is a travel niche?

A travel niche is a subcategory of travel that is suitable for a small group of people. It’s the opposite of mass tourism.

According to the Tourism Teacher Blog :

Niche tourism can be defined as ‘an umbrella tourism form, which identifies macro and micro tourism segments appealing to a specific group of travellers’.

Tour operators selling travel niche products are small or specialized businesses . They are focused on a fraction of the tourism industry.

Examples of niched tour operators are:

• Adventure tour operators
• Ecotour agencies
• Food tour operators
• Motorcycle tour operators
• Operators focused on pet-friendly activities

Ok, now that you know what a travel niche is, you might be asking yourself:

Why should I invest my time and money in a niched product if I could target a larger audience?

That’s what we will answer next.

Advantages of working with travel niches

Travel niche operators are seen as experts in their area. This is very positive for your business. Especially if you are a small operator or working with a limited budget.

Being an expert means:

Better marketing results

Speaking directly to a small audience that shares the same demographics and interests makes your message stand out from the competition. In other words, you will be able to make a bigger impact with a lower budget.

Less competition

Someone who is searching for a food tour, or a slow tourism experience, for example, will prefer to book with a specialized operator rather than booking with a mass tourism agency. Furthermore, how many specialized operators do you know in your destination?

More loyal customers

Travelers interested in niched experiences are usually loyal to the brands they buy. Loyal travelers can become recurring customers and help promote your services through word of mouth.

Better profit margins

When you have authority in your area you can charge premium prices for your products. Furthermore, travelers looking for a niche experience are willing to pay more for it.

Expand your distribution channels

You will be able to sell on traditional OTA’s as well as on travel-focused OTA’s. Niched OTA’s address specific needs that niched audiences have, for example, they provide expert customer service.

Make a positive impact on your destination

Niche tourism is often viewed as being a more positive form of tourism than mass tourism. Niched travelers are usually more conscious of their impact when traveling, and guiding a smaller group will demand fewer resources from the host community.

Are you convinced that niche tourism is for your business? If yes, let’s check some travel niche ideas.

Travel niche ideas tour operators can work with

Niche tourism is a space of endless possibilities. For every business idea, there is a group of people waiting to consume it.

Let’s take a look at 7 travel niche ideas you can invest your money and time.

1. Dark tourism

Believe it or not, there are people who enjoy travel experiences focused on death, disaster, tragedy, destruction, and the macabre. This travel niche receives the name dark tourism.

But there is an explanation for people being interested in this type of tourism.

It’s human nature to be curious about something that we don’t understand. Dark tourism is about that, visiting places with an interesting or intriguing history .

Many travelers search for this type of experience in order to learn the place’s history or to understand something grim. Others are only looking for a bigger philosophical depth when visiting such places.

TV shows also have something to do with the recent popularization of dark tourism. In the past years, Pripyat, a small Ukranian city, has experienced a boom in tourists after HBO’s TV series Chernobyl .

If you want to design a dark tourism product, look after local sites with an obscure history.

Once you find them, the next step is creating interesting and compelling storytelling that will captivate your future guests. 

2. Halal tourism

Do you have a deep understanding of the Islamic traveler and culture? If yes, this might be your space.

Halal tourism is the travel niche dedicated to Muslim tourists who abide by the rules of Islam. 

Travel products focused on Halal travelers are alcohol and pork-free, include prayer timings, and offer separate services for men and women.

This market represents 50 million consumers only in Europe and over 1.6 billion worldwide . Despite its huge potential, Halal tourism is underrated in western countries.

Food tour operators can stand out in this segment by applying for halal certification . This document states that the food on your tour follows the Muslim rites of preparation and packaging.

3. Agro-tourism

People who like visiting working farms or other agricultural sites for the purpose of enjoyment or education are into agro-tourism.

Don’t fool yourself, agro-tourism is a growing market. Its growth is connected to the high demand for outdoor experiences and people’s urge to connect with nature.

Examples of activities related to agro-tourism are:

• Wildlife study
• Horseback riding
• Cannery tours
• Cooking classes
• Wine tasting
• Cut-your-own Christmas tree farms
• Petting zoos.

If you got excited about the idea but don’t have a rural property, don’t worry, you can partner with local producers. I’m sure many farmers in your destination are looking to diversify their activities and increase profits.

4. Ethnic tourism

This travel niche is supported by many countries interested in facilitating the economic and cultural development of minority groups , often Indigenous communities.

Examples of communities that attract tourists include the Amish of the United States, the First Nation societies of Canada and North America, and the Maori of New Zealand.

Ethnic tourism is intended for travelers seeking a deep connection with their ancestors. Also for the ones that love discovering new cultures, rituals and gastronomy.

If you operate in an area close to a native or traditional community, investing in ethnic tourism might be a good idea. 

A survey conducted by the Australian government found that tourists that experienced ethnic tourism showed a high level of satisfaction and an interest in further ethnic tourism experiences.

5. Armchair tourism

A travel niche that has grown after the pandemic is armchair tourism. But what is that?

This term refers to travelers that want to explore the world from the comfort of their homes . This makes it easier to understand why this trend has become popular during a period when people were unable to travel.

Amid lockdowns, the industry had to adapt to the new reality. The result was the development of travel experiences based on technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality.

Many destinations and travel brands use this type of tourism as marketing material to attract visitors and guests. For your information, more than 2500 museums worldwide have a virtual tour for anyone interested and most are free of charge.

If you wanna try this travel niche, start by offering a virtual version of your tours. Platforms like Viator have a section on their website dedicated to virtual experiences.

6. Stargazing tourism

Do you like staring at a star-filled sky during the night? If you don’t, probably you know someone who does.

Stargazing tourism embraces a market focused on this public. There are many locations worldwide with beautiful skies that travelers would love to experience.

Alaska, Iceland and Norway, for example, are popular destinations for this type of tourism. There, travelers can appreciate the beautiful show of the northern lights.

The clean sky of desertic areas also makes them great for stargazing. No wonder Utah and Chile are home to famous observatories and telescopes. Dark Ranger Telescope Tours is a great example of an operator who learned how to capitalize on the beautiful sky above the desert.

7. Women solo adventures

How about focusing your business on a micro niche?

Over time, many operators opened their eyes to the importance of women in travel and created offers dedicated to this public. But you can be more specific than just designing tours for women.

There is an unexplored segment inside this market for solo female travelers looking for adrenaline . That is women solo adventures tourism.

That sounds promising, right?

But don’t think that starting a business that specific is an easy task. First, you will need to understand what a solo woman looking for adventure wants to experience and work hard to ensure that your guests will have an amazing, safe and enjoyable time during their trip.

Which travel niche to choose?

A travel niche doesn’t need to be something completely new, complicated, or too specific. Specializing your business in a certain demographic, destination, or type of travel should do the trick.

In order to choose the right travel niche to venture into, you should get some things straight.

What are you passionate about?

Narrowing down your service means working with something that you love . This sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?

After all, if you want to become an expert in your area you should have a deep understanding of the field you will be working with.

Who are your customers?

You should know your audience like the back of your hand. If you have no clue about who your ideal customer is, you should check out this blog .

Knowing your audience is essential to create an unforgettable experience. Also, you need this knowledge to guide your marketing efforts.

Which travel niche suits you better?

The perfect niche for your business is the one that fulfills the points previously listed.

Host Agency Reviews has created a list of travel niches that is worth taking a look at. Maybe you can find the perfect niche for your business there.

If you are still unsure about which type of niche to choose, they also have a worksheet to help you with that. If the worksheet looks complicated, check out their guide which explains how to use it.

Travel niche trends are to become more mainstream in the future travel space. Mainly due to the needs of the post-pandemic traveler, who is avoiding mass tourism products and looking to connect with the place they visit.

In this blog we gave 7 travel niche ideas for tour operators to focus their business on:

• Dark tourism
• Halal tourism
• Agro-tourism
• Ethnic tourism
• Armchair tourism
• Stargazing tourism
• Women solo adventures

If you got inspired by any of these, or if you find out another travel niche to focus on, the first step is extensively studying the market you want to work with.

Once you have a niche product ready to sell, the next step is to plan your marketing strategy to reach your ideal customer. Don’t have a big budget for marketing? No problem.

Download now our ebook Low Budget Digital Marketing Strategies for Tour Operators and learn strategies to boost your digital marketing efforts at a low and even zero cost for your business.

ORIOLY on September 28, 2022

by Felipe Fonseca

Subscribe to our newsletter

Receive the latest news and resources in your inbox

Thank you for subscribing the newsletter

Low Budget Digital Marketing Strategies for Tour Operators

In this ebook you will learn strategies to boost your digital marketing efforts, and the best part, at a low and even zero cost for your business.

The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Trip Advisor

TripAdvisor is an excellent tool to sell tours and activities online and this guide will teach everything you need to know to master it.

A Simple Guide on How to Sell Tours With Facebook

Zuckerberg’s platform is by far the most popular among all social media. So why not selling tours and activities with Facebook help?

Comprehensive Guide on Digital Marketing in Tourism for 2021

Online marketing is a new thing and it changes fast, for that reason we made this eBook where we compiled the latest online marketing trends in tourism!

Other resources

Live Virtual Tours: Everything You Need

5 Channel Ideas to Sell your Tours

How to start a food tour business, related articles.

7 Tips to Get More Bookings From Gen Z Travelers

As Gen Z’s influence in travel grows, adapting to these shifts is not just advantageous—it’s imperative to success in the travel industry.

Unlocking Global Reach: The Ultimate Guide to OTAs for Tour Operators

Explore key strategies for tour providers to partner with OTAs like GetYourGuide and Viator, enhancing visibility and bookings.

New year, new Orioly version! 

Discover the latest Orioly update: simplified departure management, customizable widgets and multilingual bookings. Improve efficiency in tour and activity management. Follow our blog for more!

Schedule a call

9 niche travel agency examples

Alexander Ragin

Updated May 14, 2024 • 10 min read

In this article

Benefits of choosing a niche

Niches for travel agencies to specialize in, final thoughts.

The tourism market is huge, but fiercely competitive. The leading names are established tourist agencies that have been operating for decades with thousands of clients, so it can feel daunting to even enter the field. The good thing is that you don’t have to squeeze your shoulders to fit in, and can instead reach a different market by starting a niche travel agency.

Specializing in a certain niche can give you an advantage. It allows you to carve a space for yourself in the industry and puts you in a good position to attract clients. It allows you to avoid competing with the giants, while still appearing as a worthy service provider. Here’s how it works.

Credibility. As with every narrow specialization, travel niche operators have the advantage of expertise: specialists know everything about organizing niche tours while regular travel agents take a much broader and less detailed approach. Chances are, you will know much more about your specialism than your big competitors, and you can pitch yourself as a trusted and experienced provider.

Deep expertise. In other words, this narrow expertise helps establish your reputation. When looking for a very specific type of experience, tourists are likely to search for the best niche travel agency for their needs — the one that has provided that perfect experience regularly, for many years. Deep expertise gives you the upper hand in comparison to big travel companies.

Loyal audience. Needless to say, as a niche travel company, your audience will be smaller, but it will also be much more loyal and invested in your tours. This will allow you to take a personalized approach, which will increase customer loyalty even further. You may wish to target the Gen Z travelers, cater to female audiences, or focus on older travelers — more focus means more attention to details big travel companies might overlook.

Higher returns. Specialization and customer loyalty can also allow you to earn more money: travelers who are looking for a niche experience are often willing to pay more for exactly what they need — and your company may be the only one able to offer them that.

Now, if you find yourself wondering how to choose a niche for a travel agency, check out the next section!

There are so many possible niches that you could explore, but we’re going to look at our favorite travel agency niche ideas — the ones we think are most promising.

Nearly all of us are concerned about the environment, and ecotourism is on the rise. It’s no wonder that ecotourism is one of the most promising travel niche trends. The global market for ecotourism was estimated around 181 billion U.S. dollars in 2019, and, according to Statista, will grow more than 80% in 2027. This niche certainly has good prospects, but it also requires a lot of research and constant attention to detail.

Ecotourism is about sustainability — exploring untouched places, being in nature with minimal impact, and often taking part in conservation activities. When it comes to organizing tours, it is your duty to ensure that those principles are respected — you should strive to minimize the possible negative environmental impacts of any tour.

Provide eco-friendly transportation and accomodation options, and prioritize recycling and renewable energy sources — this is where new travel agency software like mobile apps can help you. Beyond your offerings, you should show that your company cares deeply about the environment through its brand and values.

Subscribe to our travel tech newsletter

You can choose to unsubscribe at any time

Gastro tourism

Trying local food and beverages is one of the most exciting parts of any adventure, but for some niched travelers this is their entire reason for a tour. Countries like France, India and Italy are well known for their cuisines, and many tourists are willing to travel far to try famous foods right where they are made.

There are lots of ways to make gastro tours memorable and unique: they can include cooking classes, food and beverage festivals, traditional dining ceremonies and so on. There are also plenty of sub-niches within the niche: you could focus on dessert discovery trips, beer tours, native cuisine adventures — the list goes on and on.

Your main concerns here are health and safety and dietary requirements. When you organize any food tour, you need to make sure you understand where the food has come from and that it’s safe for all your customers to eat.

Wedding tourism

Wedding tourism is one of our favorite travel niche ideas. Weddings nowadays are serious business, with lots of couples seeking unique venues and experiences for their special day to help them create unforgettable memories with their loved ones. You can make a business out of providing them with memorable trips and beautiful ceremonies, and introducing them to local customs as well.

This niche might require flexibility from you, since couples can have unusual and very personal requests — from wanting a limo or helicopter to pick them up, to holding the ceremony on a remote island! You’ll need to find ways to make it work, often by establishing a network of small, local, niche suppliers and providers.

Remember, couples want their wedding to be absolutely impeccable, so you’re going to have to operate to high standards. Before starting a travel business in this niche, ensure that you can make couples’ dreams come true and focus on providing full, 24/7 customer support.

Music tourism

Organizing tours themed around music is one of our most interesting niche tourism examples, and it’s a great idea for multiple reasons. First of all, the sheer number of music events around the world means you’ll always have a focus for your tours, and there are plenty of music-lovers willing to visit them without wanting to organize the trip themselves.

Plus, music tours are highly marketable. It’s easy to market a trip to a festival or concert when your customers are already fond of the musician or performer.

Finally, this type of niche allows for a huge variety: almost everyone enjoys at least one type of music, and you have multiple opportunities to grow your target audience by expanding on your tour offering.

By the way, here at Zoftify we have experience in developing apps for music lovers. Our recent project, Festivalio, is designed to track upcoming music events and book accommodation, flights and festival passes.

Looking for a digital solution for your travel company?

Any niche, any app, any time. Contact our team and we will share our expertise with you.

Local tourism

One of the most sustainable niche travel examples is local tourism. Some clients are curious about their own country’s history and culture, and helping them discover it is also a smart business opportunity.

There are a lot of advantages to this niche. It is usually much cheaper and easier to organize local tours than international tours. You are also much more in control of your customers’ experiences when, for example, you can personally drive to them in case of any emergency.

And of course, you’re operating within the rules and regulations of a country you’re familiar with, so you won’t have to spend extra time studying different countries’ laws to avoid any unpleasant bureaucratic surprises.

When starting a business in this niche, you need to learn enough about your country’s history in advance, in order to organize meaningful and exciting tours. Even a simple field or street might be interesting to visit if it has historical significance — perhaps it was the site of a huge battle, or a famous person’s birthplace. So do your research and then use this knowledge to attract tourists.

Adventure and sports tourism

Hiking, surfing, diving — there are so many activities associated with certain destinations, and they can absolutely drive their own tourism niche. Selling curated tours for avid mountain climbers, kayakers, or skiers can be a solid business model if you know how to provide the exact type of experience they are looking for.

Just remember that sports and similar activities are associated with risk and possible injuries. If you’re going to start a business in this niche, you need to establish robust safety measures and 24/7 customer support to keep your travelers informed and connected. If an accident happens, customers should know that your company is there to help them.

Female-only tourism

Solo female tourism is becoming more and more popular, so understanding this niche would be a sensible idea. Women nowadays feel much more empowered and independent, so solo traveling is only natural.

In order to work in this field, you need to understand your female customers, so that you can provide the services they really want instead of the services you think they want. Everyone is different: some women may like hiking trips, while others prefer staying in luxurious hotels. It is your duty to ensure their expectations are met and that they feel comfortable at all times.

Another important issue is safety — female tourists need to feel secure and confident, especially if they are traveling alone. You have to ensure that everything about the trip is predetermined, safe and inclusive.

Bicycle tourism

Bike riding is a hobby shared by people of all ages and backgrounds, so providing people with an opportunity to explore completely new landscapes while doing their favorite activity is an attractive prospect that your travel company could tap into.

Cycling is an eco-friendly and active way of traveling which means you can provide a very rich and unique experience for your customers. Reaching a certain landmark with other like-minded people can be a profound feeling which makes your trip much more memorable and special.

When working in this niche you need to focus on creating remarkable routes and providing suitable means of access to them — your clients might prefer to take their own bicycle instead of renting one from you. Another concern is your customers’ health — consider your customers’ fitness levels and access to healthcare in case of emergencies.

Dark tourism

This one might sound unusual, but in reality there are a lot of people willing to visit places associated with catastrophic events or dark and intriguing stories. The popularity of Pompeii and the Catacombs of Paris speaks for itself.

However, choosing to work in the sphere of dark tourism requires additional preparation. You need to always keep in mind that your tour may touch on extremely sensitive issues, which have to be taken seriously. Irresponsible marketing may lead to colossal reputational damage, so pay close attention to how you frame your tours.

It is most fitting for tourism of this kind to focus on history and education, so you’ll need to do some research before taking tourists to any unusual locations: the dark and mysterious allure is the main reason for their travel, after all.

The market for tourism is huge, but it’s also filled with established tour operators, so for a new business it would be a good idea to focus on a specific niche instead of trying to compete with the big players. There are many reasons that people travel: be it for food, culture, music, nature or history. Finding a niche for a travel agency requires thorough market research, but can result in a prosperous and well-respected business.

Related articles

12 examples of digital transformation in the travel industry

What software do you need to run a small or medium-sized online travel agency?

Top 8 international hotel booking API providers

Founder & CEO

Alex loves travel and tech and founded Zoftify to help travel companies use technology more effectively. Before this, he worked in tech consulting, where he led international mobile development teams.

Read other articles

What is a niche in the travel industry?

Travel niches focus on the unique and specific reasons that people travel. There are so many reasons why people travel and why there are so many niches within the industry: tourists may fly somewhere to learn more about a certain culture, or to try their hobby in a new location, or to get a taste of a world-famous cuisine. Understanding the specific attributes of travel niches is important when you start a business focusing on one of them.

What are the different tourism niches?

Niche travel markets are so varied that it would be difficult to name them all. For example, there is ecotourism, gastro tourism, music tourism, local tourism, and even dark tourism. Learning more about all of them and thinking about the best niche for your business would be a sensible place to start.

Why is niche tourism popular?

The popularity of niche tourism is explained by its nature. Many people want a very specific type of experience, which a large agency often won’t provide because they take a generalized approach. Start by exploring different travel agent niches to see where you can add value.

The Ultimate JDM Daikoku Tour & GTR Supercar Experience in Tokyo

Discover Japan in a whole new way with our passionate and knowledgeable guides. Our fully individualized tours take you beyond the famous highways, offering an in-depth look at the rich history and current state of JDM car culture.

Uncover hidden gems and popular hotspots with expert guidance. From well-known spots like Autobacs, Daikoku PA, Shibaura PA, Tatsumi PA and Umihotaru to exclusive underground locations, we offer an unparalleled experience for your dollar. Don’t settle for typical tours or private car rides – join us to explore it all and let us share the experience as a local!

Experience Something Different While on Holiday in Japan

Explore Japan's Amazing Car Scene

Break free from the mundane touristy routines and ignite your senses with an adrenaline-pumping adventure through the vibrant Japanese car scene! Immerse yourself in the heart-pounding world of local automotive culture and experience the rush of a lifetime!

Bookings Made Easy

Booking with us is safe & easy

Pick a tour package.

Explore our carefully curated selection of tours and choose the one that best suits your needs and fits your available dates and send us a message to confirm details and availability.

Confirm Details & Pay

We will confirm the booking details and we will send through an invoice or pay online using our safe payment method along with a confirmation of your tour for the day.

Enjoy the Experience!

After confirming your booking, we will reach out to you directly with all the tour details. Now, sit back, relax, and get ready to embark on an incredible experience!

Why Niche Drive Tours

More than just getting you to Daikoku car meets

Discover What Sets Us Apart from Other car tours in Tokyo and the Value We Bring to Your Travel Plans…

Exclusive Access to JDM Car Culture:

With 20+ years of local Japanese car culture exposure, our tours offer insider access to unique and niche car culture insights only known by those in the car scene

Professional Experts

Tours are designed, managed and operated by genuine car enthusiasts with first hand knowledge and experience in the automotive scene - get the full immersion with us!

All-Inclusive Pricing & No Hidden Charges

Experience the reassurance of transparent pricing with all-inclusive pricing. There are no additional charges, fees or changes to our packages

Peace of Mind

Enjoy peace of mind knowing that you are booked with a registered and established business and that your tour plans with us will happen just as you planned it

Comfort & Exclusivity

Travel in style and comfort with our fleet of personally owned late model vehicles. Unlike other solo operators, we do not resort to renting basic minivans or overcrowd our vehicles

100% Cancellation Policy

We offer a 100% refund policy; cancel up to 14 days before the start time for a full refund (minus any applicable fees). We also offer 24 hour cancellations due to bad weather effecting the tours

JDM Daikoku & GTR SuperCar Exeriences

Top 3 Popular Tour Packages

Tokyo & Daikoku JDM Night Tour (Shared Group)

Starts From

JPY 33,000 per person

What You’ll Do:

Get ready for an amazing night of JDM car culture as we take you on an adventure from Tokyo to a cool car parts JDM mega store to Daikoku in Yokohama to join the car meet and meet the owners!

Private Supercar & GTR Tours: Night Tour (4 hours)

Jpy 80,000 per group, join an exhilarating 4-hour gtr or supercar tour in tokyo. experience the vibrant city and breathtaking views with a the actual owner. chat and learn about the ride and japanese car culture and enjoy something different.

Tokyo & Daikoku JDM Night Tour (Private Group)

Jpy 190,000 per group of 6, exclusive private group tour from tokyo to daikoku. embark on a tailored adventure with iconic pit stops and visit a fascinating car parts jdm mega store. unforgettable memories await your group.

Guest Testimonials

Guest Positive Reviews

Definitely take this tour if you want someone experienced to show you a taste of the car scene in the Tokyo area. Friday's and Saturday's are the better days for tons of cars, but Sundays are good too to talk to cool car owners

My hubby and teens had a once in a lifetime night—one of THOSE nights!! I wanted something unique and Niche did not disappoint. Thank you so much for showing out for them. I might forever be known as Cool Vacation Mom for this experience!! [drops the Mommy mic]

This is the most amazing part of our trip to Tokyo and such a great experience. Ken is funny and personable and made the tour and experience 10 times better too! It was super cool to part of the Daikoku JDM scene and to see all the super cool cars in person. If you're not a gear head, that's totally fine bcos Ken shares so many stories of Tokyo as well and I learned so much. Definitely a 10/10 experience and will reccommend this to friends!

highly recommend the JDM Daikoku nights tour with Niche!! He reached out once we booked our tour to find out what interested us and if there was anything in particular we were looking to see on our tour. Such a wonderful experience. We would book another tour with him with zero hesitation. If you want a comfortable tour to the heart of the JDM scene this one is hands down the way to go. Book it - you will not be disappointed!

Me and my 12 y.o. son totally loved it. This is must have tour if you are interested in JDM cars, but new to Japan. Also this tour is kids friendly, which is important if you are travelling with kids and they are also interested in JDM cars 🙂

If you are a car enthusiast don't miss this tour. Super flexible to schedule the tour. Very friendly, he will tell you tons of anecdotes and facts about cars and Japan that make the tour memorable. I recommend the two different vibes, car meet in the evening and car meet on Sunday morning which is more classic cars. Both are fun. Thank you for this exceptional tour!

Fun and eye-opening experience for the family of a 14-year-old car enthusiast. Niche accommodated the interests of my children ages 11, 14 and 18 provided comfortable transportation for the 5 of us to all the interesting places we visited!

This experience was my BEST NIGHT IN JAPAN.!! I knew NOTHING about cars but walked away knowing more than the average person 😌 Ken taught me so much!! He was super attentive and tried to find what we each liked/wanted to see. He told us so many crazy stories and gave insight on car culture in Japan, things I could’ve only learned through this experience being a tourist in the country. Ken talks from experience and was super enjoyable to listen to and converse with! We all got comfortable quick and laughed the whole car ride!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND, no cons whatsoever

非常有意思且与众不同的体验。Niche是一位非常有趣、有耐心、有很细心的向导，他的讲解非常细致、专业，他对改装车文化的理解也非常的独到。一路上Niche还会给我们介绍东京的生活，带我们看最好的夜景，和其他成员的互动也很好。Niche还是一位非常专业的摄影师，他会不经意间抓拍一些非常生动的照片。非常值得尝试！我已经推荐给好几位朋友

Got answers to questions I didn't know I had and see cars that I would only dream about. Visits to some mint private locations and major public spots. Saw more than I expected and learned a whole lot more with the stories shared and personal experience of the guide. If you get the time, book this tour!!! I did look at other cheaper tours and saw them at one of the locations. Glad I went with this option

<This experience was one of the highlights of our trip! What a unique way to learn about the local culture and the history of the Javanese car scene! Ken and Shannon were amazing hosts- very friendly, knowledgeable, and humorous. We had an amazing time getting to know them

<If you are even remotely interested in the Japanese car scene, you should book this experience. I was able to spend a Friday night riding through Japan’s famous highways, visiting super car collections, autobacs shop, and finally ending at the famous Daikoku parking area. The night at Daikoku was lively and filled with beautiful classic JDM cars as well as European cars as well. Everyone was nice and I was able to take some amazing pictures of the parking area. Niche provided us with great background as well as personal stories of the Japanese car scene. Meeting with Niche was easy and he dropped me off near my hotel. Definitely worth the money especially if you don’t have an International Drivers Permit

REACH OUT DIRECTLY

Questions? Contact us for a quick reply

Feel free to drop us a message anything. We’ll happily help with any questions or tour inquiries you may have!

Tokyo-based tour company, where we offer an array of exciting and immersive experiences to satisfy every car enthusiast’s dream. At Niche Tours, we pride ourselves on providing unparalleled JDM & Daikoku Tours, Supercar Experiences, and Private Tours that take you beyond the ordinary, off the beaten path, and deep into the heart of Japan’s wonderland

• Tour Packages
• JDM Daikoku PA Car Meet Tour
• Private JDM Daikoku Tour
• Supercar Experience Tour
• Private Drifter Tour
• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Business
• 特定商取引法に基づく表記
• +81 70 9099 9357
• [email protected]
• Niche Tours (Niche Drive)
• 2-chome Nagatacho, Chiyoda-ku
• Tokyo, Japan

Business Hours

• Open Daily: 9.00 AM - 9.00 PM

Copyright © 2023 Niche Tours (Niche Drive)

The Algorithmic Radicalization of Taylor Swift

I t is nighttime in Paris. We are more than a year into Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, and tonight, her fans are once again trying to figure out what her clothes mean.

The star is in a glittering yellow-and-red two-piece set, a possible reference to the colors of the Kansas City Chiefs, the football team Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, plays on. This is also the 87th performance in the tour, and—aha!—Kelce wears jersey number 87. The hundreds of thousands of fans watching along through bootlegged livestreams on TikTok and YouTube have solved another mystery.

This is the beginning of the European leg of Eras, which will stretch on and on until Swift returns to North America this fall and plays the final show of the tour on December 8 (that is, assuming she doesn’t extend it, as she has multiple times already). You’d think people would have lost interest by now. But Taylor Swift has kept fans’ attention by tapping into an algorithmic machine unlike anyone has before her.

Swift is savvy, and leverages social-media culture to her advantage. Over her 18-year career, she has trained her fandom to inspect everything she does for Easter eggs; she knows that even a small reveal can send people into a frenzy. She likes to leave clues about upcoming music in her outfits , in music videos, even in commercials she films with brands. She knows people are interested in her personal life—her romances, her feuds—and capitalizes on that, leaving them hints in her liner notes or in song titles .

In response, fans analyze dates and look for numbers that add up to 13, her favorite number. They create spreadsheets of every single outfit she’s worn on tour, methodically tracking each surprise song she’s played . They chat nonstop across platforms, swapping elaborate theories to try to decode when the next album is coming or whom each song is about. For more than half a decade, they’ve been convinced that there’s a lost album called Karma , which was shelved in the mid-2010s amid Swift’s feud with Kanye West (now known as Ye) and Kim Kardashian. According to one theory, the orange outfits she’s been wearing in Paris are a sign that she’ll release music from Karma . It’s like QAnon, if QAnon involved a lot of DIY rhinestone boots .

[ Read: The real Taylor Swift would never ]

Swifties don’t storm the Capitol, but they will flood Kardashian’s Instagram with snake emoji in response to Swift talking about the pain their fight brought her, just as they will fight Ticketmaster when the company botches her concert-ticket rollout. Their thinking is often conspiratorial. In one recent TikTok , a fan argued that Swift would be releasing something on May 3, according to this logic: A recent screenshot of a music-video still posted to Swift’s team’s Instagram included the letter-and-number combination 14.3V —Swift’s latest music video was for “Fortnight,” and a fortnight is two weeks; two weeks is 14 days. One plus four equals five. The three rounds it out: Something’s happening on the 3rd. The V is actually the Roman numeral for five. (May 3 came and went without a release.)

Extreme cliques might be one side effect of our digital culture. “Our algorithms and media are designed to produce fandoms around consumption goods,” Petter Törnberg, a professor of computational social science at the University of Amsterdam, told me over email. “There is hence a fundamental similarity between Swifties, Apple-fans and MAGA Republicans: our current era has the tendency of turning our preferences into identities, and shaping a form of postmodern tribes around both consumption goods and political leaders.” (See also: fans of Beyoncé and BTS .)

In other words: Social platforms can have a radicalizing effect on fandoms. When we study algorithmic radicalization, we tend to do so in the context of politics, but the same systems might also calcify our beliefs about cultural products. Yet we still have a fairly limited understanding of how all of this works. “The very best studies we have are still really struggling to detect effects, because there’s so many challenges when you try to study this stuff,” Chris Bail, the founding director of the Polarization Lab at Duke University, told me.

No one single algorithm powers this fandom. It operates across platforms; in a single day, a Swift fan might stream her music on Spotify, watch her music videos on YouTube, and consume posts about her on TikTok. All of these sites have distinct recommendation systems. Companies also tend to keep these systems a secret, making them hard to research.

But we can say this: Algorithms tend to reinforce what’s already popular, because attention attracts more attention. Growth begets growth, as Törnberg put it. In this way, Swift also demonstrates how platforms that supposedly target content based on an individual’s interests can, in fact, end up clustering around one monolithic force. “It just seems like, Oh, that’s sort of weird, I thought everybody was supposed to have their own algorithmic niche now ,” Nick Seaver, the author of Computing Taste: Algorithms and the Makers of Music Recommendation , told me. “And instead—I mean, maybe in addition to that—we also all have Taylor Swift . ”

[ Read: Nobody knows what’s happening online anymore ]

Our modern Swiftocracy is a reminder that we are still subject to strange algorithmic forces, even as the web is supposedly fractured . Yet the consequences of this can be as hard to decode as an Easter egg dropped by Swift. On her final show in Paris, she opted for a “berry”-red dress for the Folklore section of her set . It may be a sign of something to come. Or not.

• High School
• College Search
• College Admissions
• Financial Aid
• College Life

How Overnight Visits Help You Pick a College

I used to work in college admissions, and I always explained to students that one of the best ways to learn more about a school was to spend the night on campus. (Note: This was before COVID-19 reared its germy head.) 

5 Reasons Why an Overnight Campus Visit Helps You Decide on Your School

Reason 1: you get to know what a school’s really like..

There’s nothing better than getting to know the “vibe” of a school than spending the night on campus.

You’ll get a sense of the buzz of energy (or lack thereof) on a particular campus, learn whether people spend all their time in the residence halls or apartments.

You might even find out quickly whether students turn the campus into a suitcase campus every weekend. (This means the vast majority of students go home for the weekend.)

Reason 2: You get a sense of what students like to do.

Now’s your chance to find out what students do.

Now, this comes with a caveat.

Just because one group of students does something doesn’t mean that every group of students does it.

For every Wednesday night party animal you find, you might also find a group of students who likes to sit in a circle and knit. (Or at least study.) 

Reason 3: You find out what the residence halls look like. 

You know the glossy residence halls in the brochures you receive? The beautiful online snapshots of huge rooms with tall ceilings? And the tour that shows the best dorms (that probably got decorated by an interior designer)? 

Spending the night means you might get to see the reality—the more unkempt residence halls—and get a real idea of what the traditional first-year residence hall looks like. 

Reason 4: You can get the real tour of campus.

Your overnight host may take you into the school’s nooks and crannies, particularly if you ask nicely. Just like with the residence halls, tours only show the nicer aspects of campus.

Ask to see the real thing. 

Reason 5: You can hear about students’ struggles about the college firsthand.

Listen to what the students say to their friends.

What do they love? What do they complain about?

Listening and talking to them will give you a real sense of what they like and what they don’t love about college.

Again, a word of warning: Just because one student complains about the food doesn’t mean that all students have the same experience.

It’s a great way to weed out the colleges that don’t fit your personality, and sometimes that’s more beneficial than falling in love with every single college you visit. (You can only choose one!)

How to Set Up an Overnight Visit

Ready to take the plunge and set up an overnight visit? Take the following steps.

1. Check the school’s policies. 

Some schools offer very specific rules about when they host overnight visits. Some schools may not allow prospective students to visit on the weekends, for example. You may also want to set up the overnight visit in conjunction with scheduling a college visit .

2. Call the admissions office.

The admissions office will be able to tell you about its policies if you can’t find these policies online.

For example, maybe you decide to visit for two days and two nights because you must fly in from another state. That could involve some planning, so you want to clear it with the admission office.

3. Consider other individuals you might want to talk to. 

You want to take the time to get to know the campus at large.

If you want to know how classes work, ask if you can accompany a student to class. Find out if you can meet with a biology professor or someone from the career services department.

Why not take every advantage possible while your overnight host goes to classes during the day? (Better yet, attend classes with your overnight host!)

4. Carefully consider who you’d want to stay with.

Are you a tennis player? Love to play chess? Consider telling the individuals in the admission office what you like to do for extracurricular activities.

You want to stay with someone who has similar interests as you or you may end up having a miserable experience. 

5. Check your school schedule.

Don’t forget to check what you have going on at school!

If you have a math test, consider asking your teacher whether you can move it or take it early. You don’t want to mess up your schedule at home because of a college visit.

What to Look for When You’re on an Overnighter 

You have so many opportunities to get to know the students at the school, but that begs the question: What should you ask? How should you make sure you have an opportunity to ask every single question and soak up every experience you can?

1. Ask a ton of questions.

OK, you don’t want to be that kid—the one who trails around after his or her host, asking incessant questions. However, you do want to discern what that school has to offer, so get as many questions in as you can.

2. Do whatever your overnight host does.

Do exactly what your overnight host does—within reason.

If your overnight host does something illegal, obviously, you don’t want to get involved.

A good rule of thumb is to check that expectations get laid out ahead of time. You may want to have an admission officer’s phone number handy or make sure your parents can pick you up if you need to get out of there.

At any rate, the reason you want to do what your overnight host does is to see what they’d do on any given night.

Don’t try to steer the activities. You want to get the most genuine experience possible.

3. Thank your host afterward.

This is a taxing experience for students, particularly if you both were strangers beforehand.

As an admissions counselor, I remember pairing up current students for a visit day we did called the Fall Overnighter. I had to make sure that our current students were very comfortable with the students I’d paired them with. 

Give them a gift card to the local coffee shop if your overnight host did a superb job.

It might just end up being the school you choose for the next four years—all because of them!

Squeeze in an Overnighter—Next Year

Right now, you won’t find too many schools offering overnight visits, so these tips fit rising juniors and seniors best.

It can seem nerve-wracking to spend the night on campus, but most students I worked with loved spending the night on campus.

They had an instant crew of buddies that they could meet up with the next year and offered one of the best ways to learn more about a college. 

Ready to Find Your Niche? Create an Account

Author: Melissa Brock

Melissa Brock is the founder of College Money Tips and Money editor at Benzinga. She loves helping families navigate their finances and the college search process. Check out her essential timeline and checklist for the college search!

More Articles By Niche

While many current college students tout the importance of being able to actually step foot onto the campus you might go to, sometimes the circumstances just do not work out.

At Niche, we know a college is more than its stats or buildings. We also know it can be hard to figure out a college’s vibe or how students feel about it from its website alone. Using our comprehensive college profiles and social media accounts, you can get a sense of what life at a college is really like. Here are three simple ways to do that.

In case you haven’t heard yet, Niche has an amazing new opportunity for high school seniors. Niche Direct Admissions is a program that allows participating colleges to accept students and offer scholarships based on their Niche Profile. That’s right — no application needed.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Kevin Costner is an all-American, old school sneakerhead on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

By Adam Cheung

The Kevin Costner comeback tour is in full swing. And rightly so: the man has two Oscars. He's a country singer. He's a baseball enthusiastic. He's into NASCAR. He writes novels. He's a full-blown renaissance man! And now, you can add sneakerhead to that list. Instead of collecting whatever's hyped at the moment though, the Yellowstone star is all about those niche, niche brands.

While entering the eternally-snapped car park of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in Los Angeles yesterday, Costner was spotted wearing a pair of all-American, old school jock trainers. But before you ask if it's the New Balance 1906R or even Barry Keoghan 's fave Nike Air Force 1, it was actually the Autry Medalist Low. You heard that right. And chances are you've never heard of it before.

First introduced back in the early ‘80s, the Texas-born company was once one of the biggest sneaker labels in the States. Known for its super crisp designs and tongue-in-cheek ad campaigns, they were dropping banger after banger after banger, with the Medalist being one of the baddest of them all. But it didn’t last. The family-run company eventually petered out, and it disappeared.

But decades later, Autry announced that it was making a full comeback via a licensing company. And thanks to the rise and rise of old school silhouettes like the Converse Chuck Taylor and the Adidas Samba , there was suddenly a market for its vintage shoes again. “They're retro, they're clean, they're neither chunky nor slimline, and they still have some in-the-know kudos left in the tank,” wrote GQ 's very own Murray Clark. “Or at least they did until I started recommending them to every single person I know."

And if they're good enough for Kevin Costner, they're definitely good enough for you.

Autry Medalist Low 'White'

More from GQ

Black Rabbit looks like Netflix's answer to Succession

One shirt made Pedro Pascal the cosiest man in Hollywood

Emily Ratajkowski's Adidas SL-72 is the rallying flag of the anti-Samba movement

The 10 best war movies ever made

In the Challengers ending, the winner is obvious

By Jack King

By Tom Ward

By Daphne Bugler

By Tyler Chin

Site search

• Secret Base
• DraftKings Sportsbook
• DraftKings Daily Fantasy Sports
• DraftKings Network
• Fantasy Football
• Arizona Cardinals
• Atlanta Falcons
• Baltimore Ravens
• Buffalo Bills
• Carolina Panthers
• Chicago Bears
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Cleveland Browns
• Dallas Cowboys
• Denver Broncos
• Detroit Lions
• Green Bay Packers
• Houston Texans
• Indianapolis Colts
• Jacksonville Jaguars
• Kansas City Chiefs
• Las Vegas Raiders
• Los Angeles Rams
• Miami Dolphins
• Minnesota Vikings
• New England Patriots
• New Orleans Saints
• New York Giants
• New York Jets
• Philadelphia Eagles
• Pittsburgh Steelers
• Los Angeles Chargers
• San Francisco 49ers
• Seattle Seahawks
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Tennessee Titans
• Washington Commanders
• Atlanta Hawks
• Boston Celtics
• Brooklyn Nets
• Cleveland Cavaliers
• Dallas Mavericks
• Detroit Pistons
• Golden State Warriors
• Houston Rockets
• Los Angeles Lakers
• Milwaukee Bucks
• Minnesota Timberwolves
• New York Knicks
• Philadelphia 76ers
• Phoenix Suns
• Portland Trail Blazers
• San Antonio Spurs
• Sonics Rising
• Toronto Raptors
• Washington Wizards
• G-League and International
• Bracketology
• Women’s CBB
• Cinderella Stories
• View team list
• Swish Appeal
• Los Angeles Sparks
• Minnesota Lynx
• New York Liberty
• Washington Mystics
• Arizona Diamondbacks
• Atlanta Braves
• Baltimore Orioles
• Boston Red Sox
• Chicago Cubs
• Chicago White Sox
• Cincinnati Reds
• Cleveland Guardians
• Colorado Rockies
• Detroit Tigers
• Houston Astros
• Kansas City Royals
• Los Angeles Angels
• Los Angeles Dodgers
• Miami Marlins
• Milwaukee Brewers
• Minnesota Twins
• New York Mets
• New York Yankees
• Oakland Athletics
• Philadelphia Phillies
• Pittsburgh Pirates
• San Diego Padres
• San Francisco Giants
• Seattle Mariners
• St. Louis Cardinals
• Tampa Bay Rays
• Texas Rangers
• Toronto Blue Jays
• Washington Nationals
• MLB Trade Rumors
• Sabermetrics
• English Premier League
• Aston Villa
• Manchester City
• Tottenham Hotspur
• Leicester City
• Southampton
• Manchester United
• Leeds United
• German Bundesliga
• Bayern Munich
• Italian Serie A
• Inter Milan
• Spanish La Liga
• Atletico Madrid
• Real Madrid
• Women’s Soccer
• Mexican Soccer
• U.S. Soccer
• Fantasy Soccer
• MMA Fighting
• MMA Fighters
• MMA Fight Schedule

Filed under:

• NBA Playoffs
• NBA Playoffs Powerhouse

An ode to Karl-Anthony Towns, the most annoying guy in the NBA

Karl-Anthony Towns made us cheer, cry and cringe during the 2024 NBA playoffs.

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Twitter
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: An ode to Karl-Anthony Towns, the most annoying guy in the NBA

In 2022, after walking off the court like Eva Perón as portrayed by Madonna , after finishing seventh in the West and bowing out with an unremarkable, 2-4 first round loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves Center Karl Anthony Towns took out a one-page ad that easily could’ve been an email in the Star Tribune, thanking fans for the season, and reaffirming his dedication to his team and the state of Minnesota. The ad reads like a Players Tribune post that was rejected by the site’s founder and uncredited editor-in-chief, Derek Jeter, because there were simply “too many bland cliches”.

If the ad is understandably a TL;DR situation for you, KAT walks the reader through his trajectory as an ingenue proto stretch four from New Jersey who was embraced by what we can all agree has historically been a warm and welcoming environment for outsiders, that despite the disappointing result of that season, he’d be working hard on his body and his game to do better next time. The picture accompanying the text is KAT, posing with a basketball held at his waist, an eyebrow raised, giving the camera side eye with a look he clearly believes is conveying “Let’s get to work” but is giving something closer to “I got this portrait taken at JCPenney and I’m trying really hard to look tough”. The ad, and particularly the tryhard energy in its intent and execution, is the perfect distillation of why Towns is by far, currently the most annoying player in the NBA.

As he mentioned, Karl-Anthony Towns is from Jersey, Edison to be exact, the perfect place for him to be from because North and Central Jersey tend to produce guys like Towns: The City is just an hour away, and that “there but not quite there ” proximity has turned the area into a chip on your shoulder factory. Some lean into growing up in this shadow and embracing its off-state, blue-collar ethos, like Bruce Springsteen, some pretend it doesn’t exist and claim they’re actually from New York, like our old friend and KAT’s current nemesis, Kyrie Irving , and some try to make up for it, to essentially erase and remake themselves through hard work and overcompensation, like Tom Cruise, or Karl-Anthony Towns.

What makes KAT paradoxical is he probably lands somewhere around 0.1% in people who should have to try the least to be successful, on a basketball court or in life. He’s half Black and half Dominican, seven feet tall, and looks annoying — like the actor Justice Smith was rendered as a character on Brendon Small and Loren Bouchard’s squigglevision classic, Home Movies - - but he’s also objectively conventionally attractive. His dad was a coach and he was born gifted. Statistically, he’s close to the most skilled, sweet-shooting (career 40% from 3) big man who has ever played in the league ( Just ask him ). He’s had a charmed trajectory, a blue chip freshman at Kentucky who was drafted first overall in completely uncontroversial fashion by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and won Rookie of the Year. Over eight seasons, he has been named All-NBA third team twice, has made four All-Star teams, and won the 3-Point Competition at the 2021-2022 All-Star Weekend. When he puts his mind to it, he’s a talented rebounder and capable defender on the wing or when protecting the rim (particularly as an interchangeable component of the gigantic three-headed hydra Minnesota has assembled with Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid). If you wanted to build a stretchy big for the modern game in a lab, he would undoubtedly share many traits with KAT, or he’d just be KAT.

And yet, in his off-court persona, his on-court demeanor, and his style of play, Karl Anthony Towns is a Tim Robinson character, a doofus who acts strangely and obnoxiously, oblivious to being the butt of the joke. A player who is grating whether he is talking what he thinks is effective trash , or whining to the refs, or pouting on the sideline, or making a bizarre read when he attracts a double team, or, most famously , fouling at the worst possible moment , for no coherent reason, putting his team in the bonus and his ass on the bench when he’s needed most. Even his name is a personification, a kind of human expression of the most profoundly annoying domesticated animal.

KAT is confounding because he’s incredibly skilled and athletic but also uncoordinated, often seeming less like he’s moving on his own volition than being piloted by a small, gifted rat manipulating his body from a perch on his head, nestled inside of his hair. Or, like he’s a giant inflatable sock having air blown through his body in an effort to attract prospective buyers to a used car lot. I actually did some journalism for this piece, and reached out to two friends who are passionate Wolves fans to give me the homer perspective on what makes KAT such an irritating day-in/day-out watch, they told me, “Finch calls it ‘stray voltage’ , when his arms are flailing on a drive, hooking defenders and then whining, claiming they hooked him first. Or just FALLING DOWN ON DRIVES. Seeing that, especially in close game situations, makes me want to fire him into the sun.” In other words, as we’ve already discussed, he’s a “tryhard”, which doesn’t mean “trying hard”, but trying in a transparent way that not only displays every drop of your sweat, but we see you making sure we see your sweat, like Anne Hathaway or Bradley Cooper.

My Wolves friends went on to point out there have been several motivating factors in KAT’s career that should engender some sympathy and goodwill for him, some understanding of his fundamental “KATness”: the tragic loss of family members to COVID, losing Flip Saunders, a mentor/father figure who drafted him, having Jimmy Butler and a crew of practice players rip out his and Andrew Wiggins’ beating hearts and displaying them for the world to see. And this is all valid, compelling, and tells part of the story. But I have another, overriding factor that speaks to KAT’s inherent nature, which he and many others like him can’t do much about: He’s corny. He is the latest in a lineage of guys on the team who always seem to get bagged on out of coach’s earshot the back of the bus. He’s Marlon Wayans in Above the Rim , he’s Cheryl Miller’s younger brother, he’s Dwight Howard, he’s J. Cole. I haven’t heard any evidence of this, but I know in my heart he can do that “Special Teams Special Plays Tuesday Tuesday” thing. thing verbatim and has been hoping for months someone would give him the prompt to show off. He has a goofy sense of humor, bad social instincts and no filter. It’s unfortunate and again, not his fault, but he was simply born lame.

And while it might run contrary to much of what’s written above, and is doubtful to be believed by any Wolves fans who hate-read this far, none of this is to bag on KAT. What I appreciate about him, and other annoying professional athletes, is they prove that even tall, rich, good-looking, highly coordinated superstars can also be goofy, weird and awkward. KAT and I only share one of the traits listed above, and I’ll leave it to you to guess which one it is, but it makes me feel slightly less alone.

The sudden success of this Wolves team should theoretically quiet the annoying allegations, but has instead only served to amplify them because of their unique, social experiment-like composition of personality types. On one polar end there’s KAT, and the second-most annoying player in the league, Rudy Gobert, lending the Wolves frontcourt an occasional Two Stooges- like energy. On the other, there is 22 year old Anthony Edwards, another No. 1 pick, quickly becoming the best of his generation, who immediately hijacked what was ostensibly KAT’s team with both his insane on-court theatrics, and quite simply being the closest thing sports has to Ferris Bueller. Watching him son KAT off and on the court, with the regularity of a sarcastically mean, but funny and loving, big brother, to a player who has been in the league twice as long and is six years his senior, makes my point for me in their dramatic contrast.

Their bond appears to be tight and genuine, and should be, because Anthony Edwards is smart enough to know that the Wolves’ ultimate failure or success, in this current iteration of the historically fallow franchise, rests on KAT’s broad shoulders. No clearer evidence of that can be found than their stunning Game 7 triumph over the Nuggets, featuring a historic in-game comeback and one of the craziest upsets of a defending champ we’ve seen in 20 years. Ant was fine in that game, but KAT was great, turning in a tidy 23 on 8-14 field goals, with a late putback dunk that will probably go down as the lasting image from that series, as the punctuation.

Now, just as stunningly, it will take another historic comeback for the Wolves to get back in a series with the Mavericks I can imagine few people saw as a blowout coming in. This is largely because KAT has been non-existent, a huge detriment to his team through three games, putting up shooting numbers that look like modern baseball averages and largely disappearing from a matchup that has been all Mavs thus far. In defeat, KAT has responded in typical fashion, with bewilderment, claiming to the press in a postgame interview that he’s been putting up “1500 shots a day” , or, you know, trying really hard. I cringed.

Next Up In NBA

• The Celtics were blessed with the easiest run to the NBA Finals of all time
• Tyrese Haliburton Injury Updates: Pacers star officially OUT for Game 4
• Bill Walton (1952-2024)
• Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are navigating one of the toughest WNBA starts in recent history
• T.J. McConnell carved out an NBA niche by never backing down
• Luka Doncic cooked Rudy Gobert on the court, and then trash talked him on Inside the NBA

Loading comments...

Sign up for the newsletter sign up for the sb nation daily roundup newsletter, thanks for signing up.

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.