2025 Adventure Sports Trends: What’s Up and What’s Down
28 January 2025 - 8 min read
Adventure sports are constantly evolving, with new activities gaining popularity while others see a decline. Over the past five years, search data shows clear shifts in consumer interest. Here at adventuro, we keep a close eye on these trends to ensure we offer the most exciting and relevant experiences.
So, what’s on the rise, and which sports are seeing a decline? Let’s dive into the data.
Last year we compared search traffic to particpation figures in the top sports, you can check that out here.
The Biggest Growth Areas in Adventure Sports
Several adventure sports have seen substantial increases in search traffic, reflecting shifting interests and new outdoor trends. The methodology takes the relative search traffic change from 2020 to 2024. Here are the biggest risers:
1. Snorkelling – 168% Increase
Snorkelling is booming, likely due to more people seeking accessible ocean adventures. The rise of eco-tourism and underwater photography has also made snorkelling a popular choice for those looking to explore marine environments. It is a little surprising due to the high profile coral bleaching events in the past few years but it is encouraging to see the high level of engagement.
2. E-Biking – 125% Increase
E-bikes are revolutionising cycling, making it more accessible for all fitness levels. The increased availability of bike hire, improvements in battery range, and growing interest in bikepacking have all contributed to this rise. Book e-biking rental and tours here.
3. Sailing – 131% Increase
Sailing’s resurgence may be linked to an increase in adventure-based water tourism, where people seek multi-day sailing expeditions and experiences beyond traditional yacht holidays. adventuro are also helping open up large amounts of the training across the UK, previously restricted only to club members.
4. Surfing – 109% Increase
Surfing continues to grow, fuelled by improved surf schools, artificial wave pools, and increased interest in water-based fitness. It remains one of the most popular extreme sports worldwide. Its strong showing in the 2024 Olympics will have also increase the level of interest.
5. Gravel Biking – 100% Increase
A blend of road and mountain biking, gravel biking is thriving as cyclists look for new, off-the-beaten-track adventures. It’s ideal for long-distance touring and exploring rural areas. Its the beautiful hybrid that is more accessible than the downhills craziness or the road bike purity.
6. Canyoning – 98% Increase
Canyoning, which involves abseiling, scrambling, and swimming through natural gorges, is seeing a strong rise as people seek unique, adrenaline-fuelled outdoor experiences.
7. Climbing – 71% Increase
Climbing continues to grow, thanks to increased access to indoor climbing gyms and growing interest in outdoor rock climbing. The popularity of climbing at the Olympics has also helped bring new participants to the sport.
8. Wild Swimming – 49% Increase
Wild swimming is rapidly growing in popularity as more people embrace cold-water immersion for its physical and mental health benefits. Studies suggest that exposure to cold water can boost circulation, improve mental well-being, and even strengthen the immune system. The trend has been fuelled by wellness advocates, social media communities, and an increase in organised events such as open-water swim challenges and charity dips. With more lakes, rivers, and coastal locations now recognised as safe swimming spots, wild swimming is becoming a mainstream outdoor pursuit.
9. Indoor Climbing – 35% Increase
The rise of indoor climbing gyms has made climbing more accessible than ever, particularly for those who don’t have immediate access to outdoor crags. Climbing walls offer a safe, structured environment for beginners to build confidence and technique before transitioning to outdoor routes. The popularity of climbing in the Olympics has also driven interest, inspiring new climbers to take up the sport. With bouldering, top-roping, and lead climbing facilities becoming more widespread, indoor climbing is now a year-round fitness and adventure activity for all ages.
10. Scuba Diving – 31% Increase
Scuba diving is experiencing renewed interest as improved training facilities, better equipment, and a focus on eco-tourism make it more accessible. Unlike traditional resort-based diving, there’s a growing movement towards marine conservation diving, where participants contribute to reef restoration and wildlife monitoring. The rise of underwater photography and social media has also played a role, inspiring more travellers to explore the world beneath the surface. Advances in technology, such as more user-friendly dive computers and rebreathers, have made the sport safer and more appealing to newcomers.
Emerging but Smaller Adventure Sports
While these sports are experiencing strong growth, they still have relatively lower search volumes compared to more mainstream adventure activities. However, their rise suggests they are quickly gaining traction. Certainly ones to watch!
1. Wing Surfing – 111% Increase
Wing surfing, aka wing foiling, a hybrid between windsurfing and kitesurfing, is one of the most exciting new water sports. It offers a more accessible way to harness wind power on a board, and improvements in inflatable wing technology have made it easier to learn.
2. Gorge Walking – 162% Increase
Gorge walking, which involves scrambling, wading, and swimming through river canyons, is seeing an increase in interest, especially among adventure holiday providers. More guided trips are becoming available, making it an easier sport to access.
3. Land Boarding – 156% Increase
Land boarding, a sport that mixes kite flying with off-road skateboarding, is rising in popularity. As equipment becomes more advanced, it’s becoming a more recognised discipline, particularly in coastal areas with strong winds.
The Declining Trends in Adventure Sports
While some sports are growing, others are seeing a decline in interest. The biggest drops in search traffic over the past five years indicate shifts in consumer preferences.
1. Bodyboarding – 56% Decrease
Once a staple of beach holidays, bodyboarding has declined as more people turn to surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, and wing surfing. While it remains a fun family activity, it’s not growing as a sport.
2. Paramotoring – 50% Decrease
Paramotoring, which involves using a powered paraglider, has become less popular, possibly due to high costs, complex regulations, and the growing appeal of non-motorised air sports like paragliding and speed flying.
3. Paddlesports (Canoeing & Kayaking) – 42% Decrease
Canoeing and kayaking have traditionally been go-to water activities, but they are seeing a dip as adventure seekers shift towards more dynamic water sports like gorge walking, canyoning, and wild swimming. I was surprised to see this data and will be interesting to see if the trend continues towards more portable sports like SUP or whether kayaking makes a come back. It is worth pointing out that the both kayaking is starting from a very high base of over 150 million searches in 2020 and is now down to 115 million searches last year still many multiples of the other sports on this list.
4. Jet Skiing – 36% Decrease
Jet skiing remains popular, but environmental concerns, high rental costs, and restrictions in some areas have contributed to its decline. People are gravitating towards more eco-friendly water activities.
5. Wakeboarding – 34% Decrease
While wakeboarding is still a thrilling activity, its decline may be due to the high costs of boat ownership and a shift towards alternative board sports like wing surfing and e-foiling. It
6. Hang Gliding – 31% Decrease
Hang gliding has long been overshadowed by paragliding, which is more accessible and easier to transport. Advancements in lightweight paragliding equipment have likely contributed to this shift.
While these sports have declined in search volume since covid, we will be keeping a close eye on them to see if any of them recover.
What These Trends Mean for the Adventure Sports Industry
- New Sports Are More Accessible – Many of the fastest-growing activities, such as e-biking, wing surfing, and gravel biking, benefit from improvements in equipment and infrastructure.
- Water Sports Are Evolving – Traditional paddlesports like canoeing and bodyboarding are being replaced by more dynamic options like canyoning, wing surfing, and wild swimming.
- A Shift Toward Adventure-Based Experiences – Sports like gorge walking, canyoning, and abseiling reflect a desire for unique, nature-based experiences rather other holiday or family activities.
A cautionary note about the data used is that this is a 5 year data set which may be heavily skewed by the pandemic. We will continue to review this data next year to see if the trends continue in the same direction or if any of them are temporary.
At adventuro, we stay ahead of these trends to ensure you have access to the latest and most exciting adventure sports. Whether you’re looking to try canyoning, sailing, or surfing, we have hundreds of options to get you started.
Find Your Next Adventure with adventuro
Looking to try one of the fastest-growing adventure sports? At adventuro, we connect you with the best providers across the UK for lessons, guided experiences, and equipment hire. Explore our platform and discover your next thrill today!