Rongyuan Liu explores why extreme tourism is gaining popularity.
In recent years, the YouTube channel Indigo Traveler has gotten popular for its videos of journeys to destinations like Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, and other places that are often regarded as extremely dangerous to travel to. These videos have individually amassed millions of views. Indigo Traveler is not the only one, with many influencers on YouTube having uploaded their adventurous trips to the world’s most dangerous places and garnered millions of followers.
Such adventures are not only popular online, but also a trend in real life. There is a growing interest in venturing into these extremely dangerous destinations despite the official travel warnings and threats of “crime, terrorism, kidnapping, and limited assistance”. For example, international tourists visiting Afghanistan increased from 691 in 2021 to around 9,000 in 2024, according to officials. Meanwhile, about 10,000 tourists visited Somalia in 2024, up 50% from the prior year, according to the country’s Department of Tourism.
For example, international tourists visiting Afghanistan increased from 691 in 2021 to around 9,000 in 2024, according to officials. Meanwhile, about 10,000 tourists visited Somalia in 2024, up 50% from the prior year, according to the country’s Department of Tourism.
Behind this trend is the rise of ‘extreme tourism’, also known as ‘danger tourism’ or ‘shock tourism’. It refers to travel activities involving high risks in various senses. Thus, destinations of extreme tourism are not just limited to places threatened by human-induced risks like war, conflicts, and crime, but also include naturally dangerous places, such as the vast wilderness and the deep sea.
Apart from the location, “extreme” also refers to the nature of tourist activities, many of which overlap with extreme sports. According to a report from Allied Market Research, extreme tourism is becoming increasingly popular, with the size and value set to expand rapidly in the coming years. But why are people now interested in extreme tourism despite the high level of risk?
Curiosity triggered by headlines is one of extreme tourism’s most driving forces. For so long, people have recognised unsafe areas such as Afghanistan primarily through the news, and thus always associated them with crime, war, and conflicts. In this case, some people want to go beyond the media’s narratives and know more about local society and the people there. The goal of Rocky Road Travel, a travel agency, to “go beyond the rhetoric and show you the true side,” perfectly illustrates this motivation.
This YOLO mindset, pointed out by Dan Richards, the CEO of Global Rescue, is another reason for people to take risks. More and more people are prioritizing once-in-a-lifetime moments and transformative experiences over fear and potential danger. In the documentary Diving into the World of Extreme Tourism, a French traveler described hiking an erupting volcano as “snatching something from life”, announcing that “I’d rather die this way than in a hospital bed.”
In the documentary Diving into the World of Extreme Tourism, a French traveler described hiking an erupting volcano as “snatching something from life”, announcing that “I’d rather die this way than in a hospital bed.”
Sometimes, the thrill-seeking tourists just want an adrenaline rush. Living in a hectic and stressful world, people believe that some thrills and stimuli are a way to take a break from everyday life. Therefore, they go out and engage in extreme activities like skydiving, bungee jumping, and mountaineering expeditions.
As travel becomes more accessible to more people, tourists come to find that what was once exciting is now becoming increasingly mundane. The well-known tourist attractions, for example, though still on many people’s bucket lists, are less attractive to tourists who dream of a unique experience. For these tourists, the unusual experience and the desire to explore the “otherness, exotica, and the unexpected” become the top priority when it comes to traveling. Such demand thus provides a niche in the tourism industry. Related travel agencies promote adventures to the hard-to-reach, inhospitable, dangerous, and off-the-beaten-path destinations, catering to the need for uniqueness.
On top of that, social media is essential to the increasing popularity of extreme tourism. On one hand, a travel video set in common tourist attractions can hardly be eye-catching; influencers can turn to places less traveled to so as to reach more viewers. As we can see on social media, extreme travel works well in attracting people’s attention. On the other hand, the spread of extreme tourism content makes it known to more people and motivates some viewers, if not most, to take these adventurous trips.
In short, people engage in extreme tourism for various reasons, be it the curiosity to see the truth, an unforgettable experience, a sheer thrill to release the stress of everyday life or just producing a compelling video for social media. When we push the boundaries, it can be exciting to explore the unknown, but it can also be tragic when we go beyond the limits. For better or worse, extreme tourism will continue to grow and boom.