Passion Tourism is travel driven primarily by a person’s special interest – such as hiking, wellness, art, sport or heritage. The destination becomes secondary to the experience.

There was a time when travel was all about the the destination: ticking off landmarks, posing in front of iconic places and returning home with a camera full of proof.

But it has shifted.

More and more travellers are choosing trips around who they are, what they love and what they have always wanted to learn, taste, hike, bike or experience.

This is the rise of passion tourism: travel that starts with interest, identity and purpose – and then they find the perfect location to bring it to life.

Recently I worked with a client whose travel passion was wild swimming and not just a quick dip at the end of the walk either. They wanted to shape their entire holiday around swimming holes, rivers and natural pools – paired with scenic hikes and comfort at the end of each day.

So instead of planning a traditional itinerary filled with standard stops, we built a journey around moments that mattered to them: cold water, quiet bush tracks, hidden swimming spots and that “earned it” feeling of a cold water plunge after a long walk.

The destination still mattered, but it became a canvas. The real itinerary was the passion.

This is passion tourism in its purest form; travel designed around identity, where the ,most memorable parts of the journey aren’t the landmarks, but experiences that feel intensely personal.