The ITRC has been since 2015 involved in surveying Iceland’s inbound tourism source markets and in April 2016 a pilot study was performed in the UK and Germany. Using the resulting dataset the possible presence and characteristics of slow adventure tourists in Iceland was gauged.

The analysis of the dataset conducted a tiered visitor segmentation consisting of three general steps: First, the study discerned general personality traits of the slow adventurer from qualitative insights provided by partners to the NPA funded SAINT project work package 3 in which the ITRC is involved. The insights were gained from the work package report identifying characteristics of the slow adventure tourist. Second, a set of 14 consumers’ activity, interest and opinion (AIO) statements from the original survey were selected corresponding to the identified characteristics of the slow adventurer. Third, a mix of factor and cluster analysis was employed to analyse the selected set of AIO statements from the visitor survey data, in order to identify, segment and typify a “slow adventurer” from the set of potential inbound visitors to Iceland. Fourth, cross tabulation with Chi-square tests were conducted for independence analysis and further description of the different visitor typologies based on the visitors’ socio-economic profiles, media-use, travel behaviour and leisure preferences. All in all, three particular coherent segments of the slow adventurer were identified.

In collaboration with SMEs in South East Iceland and managed by the University of Iceland Research Centre at Höfn, the ITRC contributes these insights in order to identify

• what new products and services need to be developed for the identified consumer groups

• How to target these consumers

A report on the slow adventure segment for Iceland was published and is available here