Introduction

This book is a collection of papers generated as a result of the 2012 Adventure
Conference at the School of Adventure Studies, Fort William, Scotland. The theme
for that event was ‘meanings, markets and magic’, and it attracted a global audience drawn from a range of disciplines and perspectives. In two broad camps there were educationalists and leisure/tourism providers; in addition there were tourism, leisure and outdoor education academics, theoreticians and some other interests represented. All those attending the conference were also, or had been, participants in adventure tourism, both as consumers of commercialized experiences and/or as autonomous adventurers, and were therefore able to offer a range of insights. Emanating from this event is this diverse collection of ideas under the title of Adventure Tourism: Meanings, Experience and Learning.