Extreme Tourism: Trends, Psychological Motivations, Risk Management, and Global Development Perspectives
Year: 2026
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Extreme tourism — encompassing activities such ashigh-altitude mountaineering, base jumping, deep-sea diving, and polarexpeditions — has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments of theglobal tourism industry. This article provides a comprehensive review ofthe current literature on extreme tourism, examining its definitionalboundaries, typologies, psychological underpinnings, risk assessmentframeworks, regulatory challenges, and economic significance. Drawingon data from 87 peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2024,we identify four primary motivational clusters driving participation:sensation-seeking, self-actualization, social identity, and escapism. Wefurther analyze incident data from 42 countries to assess the relationshipbetween regulatory environments and safety outcomes. Our findingsindicate that destinations with structured safety certificationrequirements and mandatory guide protocols report significantly lowerfatality rates (p < 0.01) compared to unregulated settings. The articleconcludes with policy recommendations for sustainable development ofextreme tourism destinations and highlights critical gaps warranting future research, particularly regarding climate-change impacts onaccessible extreme environments.
Author: Abdumannonova Ruxshona
Institution: Namangan State Pedagogical Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W7204255604