Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25233
It wasn't until September 12th that I began to suspect how profoundly the previous day's events would change Americans' sense of freedom-how we move through the world, how we see the world. Like most people, my immediate concerns on September 11 involved locat- ing friends in New York and Washington and mourning the passing of strangers. But once the tragedy sunk in, I began to consider the more insidious ways in which Americans had changed, and these potential losses rattled me far more than the thought of getting on a plane again. On September 12th, I realized that travel, just the possibility that so many Americans can, is an inherent part of our culture. The freedom to exchange ideas and expe- riences, to explore beyond borders, defines our society. Specifically, I wondered how America's adventure travel sector would change. Would the desire to test our physical and psychological limits suddenly seem absurd, disrespectful even, in the face of a danger not of our choosing? My gut said, No. The terrorists knocked out the two largest financial buildings in the world and the whole economy took a massive hit. It doesn't take a macroeconomist to assess the ripple effect. Two cruise lines have gone out of business. United Airlines says they may fold (press time, early November). In the weeks immediately following September 11, some conventional travel companies logged 80 to go percent cancellation rates, while nonconventional operators had more encouraging news. Alistair Ballantine, president of Abercrombie & Kent, reported that "50 percent of those traveling in October (contin- ued) their travel plans," and of the other 50 percent, two-thirds rescheduled for next year-which means that only 20 percent of customers completely canceled. Steve Conlon, president of Above the Clouds travel, saw similar numbers: "We've probably lost 20 percent of our travelers to cancellations, and all but two of them said, 'Keep the money, I'll be going next fall.'" Mountain Travel Sobek had a "20 percent reduction in people calling to inquire and book for 2002." But such stats represent a collective philosophy among the adventure-seeking set. It seems that while the general travel market has been hobbled, reporting a dramatic loss of business, the adventurous traveler remains committed to staying the course of global exploration. "The adventure traveler isn't going away," asserts rafter, writer and editor Richard Bangs, now president of Outward Bound. "That personality type has been around for centuries: The quester, the curious, somebody who is willing to assume risks and who actually delights in the concept of risk rather than shrinks from it. No matter what has ever happened-from wars to cat- astrophic events to natural disasters-adventurous travelers have continued to move." Animals of a different ilk, adventurous travelers are known in the industry as allocentrics and are epitomized by peo- ple like Mallory, Amundsen and Cousteau, whose very essences involved pushing the envelope. In street-speak, the allocentric doesn't scare easily. He or she is comfortable with calculated risks, and for the most part, the least of his or her concerns is the 27