National Geographic has announced their list of the Best Adventure Travel Companies for 2009, ranking the top tour operators from around the globe that specialize in delivering the most adventurous trips to remote places on the planet.
In all, there are 248 companies on the list. Some of them are large, and conduct trips for thousands of travelers each year, while others are quite small, servicing only a couple of hundred. They offer a diverse mix of activities from trekking and climbing to paddling, diving and more, in all corners of the globe.
The rankings were determined through a strict methodology, which is described in the article. Essentially, the companies were sent a 30 question survey, and after they were returned, the answers were graded from 1-100 in the areas of “Education, Sustainability, Quality of Service, and Spirit of Adventure”. Clients of each of the companies were also contacted and asked about their experiences, with editors from National Geographic Adventure magazine finally ranking the companies based on the scores they generated from this process.
The results can be found here, where you’ll see a listing of the top companies in a variety of categories such as “Hiking & Trekking”, “River & Sea”, “Safari”, and a whole lot more. There is also a list of the best “Do It All” companies that covers the larger operators that offer something for everyone. The rankings are based on a score generated using the methodology described above. And if the rankings don’t work for you, you can use this handy search tool to find the company that best fits your needs.
Adventure travel is one of the fastest growing segments of the industry as more and more people have demonstrated that they are willing to pay for unique, adventurous activities. Who better to help guide us in this selection process than National Geographic?