How to pick the right adventure travel provider

When you first start planning an adventure trip, you may have no idea which provider to use. As you sort through the scores of providers you find online, the sheer number of tour companies can be intimidating. How do you know which companies are reputable and reliable and which consist of a few opportunists and some gear hoping to take your money?

If you're willing to do some homework, you can easily determine which adventure travel providers will deliver quality service both before and during your trip. All you need to do is ask the right questions and research the right topics.

Assess the qualifications of the company

When you find an outfitter that interests you, your first task is to get a better sense of the company, its qualifications, and its experience. "Ask how long the company has been in business," says Timothy E. Gordon, publisher and founder of Gordon's Guide. "If it's only been in business for a short time, inquire about the experience of the owners and guides." You'll also want to find out how long the company has been running trips where you're going and how long the guides have been leading tours. Ask if a company contracts with a local provider in the tour destination, and if so, what that company's experience is.

When you have a sense of the company's history and staff, you can make a good guess about the quality of a trip. An experienced company or guide will run very smooth trips and can provide exceptional leadership in terms of activity instruction and educational opportunities during the tour. An inexperienced company may still be working the kinks out of its itineraries, and a new guide might not be knowledgeable about the region.

In addition to questioning the tour operator about its history, you should look up what affiliations the company has, what awards it has won, and what certifications the guides have. You can find this information in the "About Us" page on the company's website or by asking a company representative. You can also do a search on that provider to see if it's been in the news recently and whether those reviews have been positive or negative.

Some affiliations to look for are membership with the Adventure Travel Trade Association, United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), and National Tour Association. For particular adventure activities, look for sport-specific affiliations or certifications; for example, you want your white-water rafting guide to be trained in swift-water rescue.

"Look at affiliations, but don't solely rely on them," warns Gordon. "Be cautious because not all affiliations are reputable." For instance, a company that is a USTOA member must adhere to a strict code of ethics, be in business with the same management for at least three years, provide references, and provide a one-million-dollar bond to protect travelers in the event of bankruptcy. However, some other organizations may accept any company that pays dues without vetting the operators, making such affiliations less meaningful.

Look for professionalism

"First impressions are very important," says Chris Doyle, director of the Adventure Travel Trade Association. "Professionalism up front is often reflective of the trip experience." When you talk to the company, pay attention to how good its customer service is. You may want to request brochures or ask a rep to describe the trip. If the response is prompt, courteous, and informative, you're likely to get the same level of service on the tour. If company representatives are rude or indifferent, refuse to spend time answering your questions, or are slow to send you requested information, you may find the same poor service on your tour.