2026 Faces of Adventure Travel
Adventure travel is evolving beyond its roots of rugged itineraries and physical challenge, emerging instead as a more thoughtful, purpose-driven way to explore the world.
In this edition, four industry leaders share their perspectives on how the sector is shifting, from redefining luxury and sustainability to empowering local communities and designing journeys that resonate long after the trip ends.
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YAANA Ventures & Khiri Travel
Willem Niemeijer, CEO and Founder
Adventure travel has always been about pushing limits — but the limits have changed. Willem Niemeijer, founder of Khiri Travel and CEO of YAANA Ventures, has watched the industry evolve from rugged treks into something far more nuanced: experiences defined not by discomfort, but by depth. In this conversation, he breaks down the trends reshaping group adventure travel in Asia, why sustainability is still more marketing than reality for too many operators, and how the industry can genuinely benefit the communities it passes through.
Talanoa Consulting
Marita Manley, Director and Principal Consultant
“Sustainable tourism” gets thrown around so often it’s starting to lose meaning — and Marita Manley, Director and Principal Consultant at Talanoa Consulting, isn’t afraid to say so. In this conversation, she makes the case that real sustainability isn’t a marketing badge; it’s an equitable system built from the ground up, one where communities control their own participation, benefit on their own terms, and aren’t treated like props in someone else’s itinerary. She also draws a sharp line between genuine impact measurement and greenwashing — and explains why a small operator with no pool and no food waste can be doing more for sustainability than a resort with a certified sustainability department.
Sila Greenland DMC
Lykke Geisler Yakaboylu, Founder and Owner
Greenland doesn’t do mass tourism — and Lykke Geisler Yakaboylu, founder of Sila Greenland DMC, thinks that’s exactly the point. With no roads connecting its towns, more boats than cars, and a tourism infrastructure built on local hunters, fishermen, and guides who actually live this life, Greenland demands a different kind of travel planning. In this conversation, Lykke explains how she builds bespoke itineraries that navigate the country’s logistical realities, why “no 5-star hotels” doesn’t mean no 5-star experiences, and how tourism is now helping preserve one of the world’s oldest dog breeds — the Greenland sled dog — before it disappears entirely.
Quasar Expeditions
Fernando Diez, Marketing Director
High-end travelers still want comfort and exclusivity — but Fernando Diez, Marketing Director for Quasar Expeditions, says those qualities alone no longer close the deal. In this conversation, he makes the case that today’s luxury adventure traveler is really chasing something harder to sell: a meaningful use of their time. Diez also takes aim at sustainability theater in the travel industry, explains why COVID fundamentally repositioned small-ship travel from niche to mainstream, and argues that the biggest obstacle to genuinely sustainable tourism isn’t skepticism — it’s friction.