Yahoo Finance Inside the World’s Rarest Experiences: Why the Rich Love Extreme Tourism
On June 18, 2023, the submersible Titan lost contact with the outside world as it approached the wreckage of the Titanic 13,000 feet below sea level at the bottom of the North Atlantic.
Among the five people on board were ultra-rich extreme tourists who paid $250,000 each to cram into the makeshift sub and descend into the abyss.
Four days later, on June 22, an international search was called off when officials determined that Titan had imploded, killing all aboard.
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The next day, on June 23, Business Insider reported that it was unlikely that the tragedy would deter the world’s wealthy elite from paying top dollar to risk their lives for the sake of so-called “extreme tourism” — high-end, hardcore adventure travel that requires money most people will never have for experiences that most people would never want.
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The lifting of pandemic-era restrictions triggered an avalanche of cash into the extreme tourism realm as the rich lined up to part with small fortunes to experience the last remaining (mostly) unseen, untouched corners of the world and beyond.
Grand View Research reports that the extreme tourism industry was worth $322 billion in 2022 but is on pace to top $1 trillion in 2030.
Much of the enthusiasm comes from COVID itself.
Like everyone else, the rich watched helplessly as friends and loved ones died from humdrum daily tasks like trips to the grocery store or visits to the doctor’s office. Gone forever, their fortunes unspent, many rich survivors vowed to live their lives to the fullest, even if it killed them.
“More and more wealthy travelers are diving into extreme tourism because they understand how fleeting life can be,” said Frank Spitzer, CEO at Pelecanus, a luxury travel operator that specializes in upscale vacation packages in Colombia. “This mindset of embracing life’s unpredictability is pushing them to seek out thrilling adventures and extravagant getaways before change is ahead. Also, they can easily afford these extravagant expeditions, so why not?”
So, what, exactly, are these ‘extravagant expeditions’ and how much do they cost?
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The Titanic wreckage sits roughly 2.5 miles below the surface of the ocean. That’s just a short stroll compared to the journey that space tourists take when they travel up and away from Earth’s oceans to a different kind of abyss.
Axiom Space is a privately funded space infrastructure corporation that flies missions to the International Space Station and its own Axiom Station. It offers so-called “private astronauts” the chance to visit space and view their home planet from the emptiness of the final frontier.
The company states, “Missions with Axiom include 17 weeks of expert training at space agency facilities that only a privileged few get to see. Training prepares the participant as an astronaut, develops a deep camaraderie with fellow astronauts and truly inaugurates one as a member of the exclusive space traveler family.”
Understandably, none of that comes cheap. Axiom Space doesn’t disclose the per-person cost of its private astronaut program, but Space.com estimates each seat sells for roughly $55 million.
Jet-Setting, Redefined
Some people would rather see the world than float above it — and they might not have eight figures to plunk down even if they did. For them, extreme tourism involves cramming as many experiences in as short a time with as much luxury as humanly possible.
Companies like Abercrombie & Kent organize mind-boggling global private jet tours like Around the World with Geoffrey Kent. It costs $185,000 per person — but think of what you get for the money.
The excursion takes place over 26 days, and in less than a month, the rich will receive insider access to local spots that regular tourists can’t visit in Japan, India, Malta, Senegal, Saint Helena, Uruguay, Easter Island and French Polynesia.
Their tour bus is a chartered Boeing 747 with full lie-down first-class seating, a dedicated staff and a chef. Wherever the passengers go, a valet, concierge, guide and luggage handler follow.
They probably won’t risk their lives, but they will experience the most extreme and expensive globe-trotting that money can buy.
Pursuing Extreme Animals and Environments
Another mainstay of extreme tourism is, naturally, the pursuit of the extreme — extreme wildlife, extreme environments, extreme weather, etc.
For example, Abercrombie & Kent — just one of several ultra-luxe extreme travel providers — offers the following packages that allow the rich to pursue the planet’s wildest side in style:
North Pole Expedition Cruise: From $47,995 per person
Arctic Cruise Adventure — In Search of Polar Bears: From $20,495 per person
Kenya and Tanzania Wildlife Safari: From $11,995 per person
Climb Kilimanjaro — Summiting the Machame Route: From $8,495 per person
The Great Migration Safari in Style: From $19,795
Galapagos Wildlife Adventure: From $11,495 per person
Patagonia, the Last Wilderness: From $11,495 per person
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Inside the World’s Rarest Experiences: Why the Rich Love Extreme Tourism
