Sports travel insurance provider SportsCover Direct analysed more than 8,000 adventure sports-related keywords across UK cities to assess search interest in different activities, finding cycling to be the second-most popular.
Swimming led the ranking with 69,015,270 searches, followed by cycling and ice skating. Swimming and cycling together accounted for almost 85 million searches during the period analysed. The figures measure search activity rather than participation or sales. The study also ranked cities by search interest across the sports analysed, with Norwich ahead of Bristol and Manchester.
Adventure sports ranked by annual Google searches
| Adventure sport | Annual Google searches | |
| 1 | Swimming | 69,015,270 |
| 2 | Cycling | 15,866,140 |
| 3 | Ice Skating | 8,198,770 |
| 4 | Kayaking | 3,807,490 |
| 5 | Trekking | 2,547,990 |
| 6 | Skydiving | 2,188,700 |
| 7 | Ice Hockey | 1,662,470 |
| 8 | Bouldering | 1,517,470 |
| 9 | Rock Climbing | 1,391,820 |
| 10 | Surfing | 1,323,250 |
Swimming and cycling generated more searches than the other eight activities in the top ten combined. Ice skating recorded 8,198,770 searches, with kayaking fourth on 3,807,490 and trekking fifth on 2,547,990. Skydiving placed sixth.
Alongside the search findings, the release cites Sport England’s Active Lives Survey as reporting leisure cycling participation of around 6.1 million adults and swimming participation of 4.4 million.
The release also cites an increase in the number of Britons regularly swimming in lakes, rivers and the sea, from 266,000 in 2017 to 543,000.
City rankings across all adventure sports analysed
| City | Annual Searches per Capita | |
| 1 | Norwich | 4,388 |
| 2 | Bristol | 4,099 |
| 3 | Manchester | 3,730 |
| 4 | Worcester | 3,547 |
| 5 | Plymouth | 3,428 |
| 6 | Oxford | 3,174 |
| 7 | Glasgow | 2,999 |
| 8 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 2,927 |
| 9 | Chester | 2,922 |
| 10 | Lincoln | 2,892 |
Norwich topped the overall city ranking, followed by Bristol, Manchester, Worcester and Plymouth. This ranking covers all adventure sports in the study, rather than cycling alone.
Cycling ranked second behind swimming in Norwich, Bristol and Manchester. Norwich and Bristol shared the national top five of swimming, cycling, ice skating, kayaking and trekking, while rock climbing placed third in Manchester.
The release links Manchester’s interest in climbing to figures from the Association of British Climbing Walls, which it cites as reporting record UK climber numbers.
Manchester also led the study’s winter sports ranking, driven by higher-than-average searches for ice skating, ice hockey and snowboarding.
Outdoor activity and travel
Adrian Hughes, head of centre at X Adventure Activities Ltd in Norfolk, said introducing people to unfamiliar activities had been the most rewarding part of more than 30 years in outdoor sports.
“I have been involved in outdoor sports for over 30 years and have travelled the world and seen some amazing places with some amazing people, but the most rewarding part of my involvement has been introducing people to activities that they never thought possible.”
Commenting on Norwich’s position in the ranking, Hughes pointed to access to the Broads, the coast and outdoor activity centres around the city.
“Between the Broads, the coast, and centres like ours just outside the city, there’s a real appetite to make the most of what we’ve got. Norwich is surrounded by countryside, waterways and opportunities for active days out, creating a complete outdoor experience where people can spend time together, soak up nature and try new challenges.”
The release cites ABTA’s Travel Trends 2026 report as identifying greater interest in incorporating activities such as cycling and hiking into overseas holidays, alongside more autumn travel.
It puts the UK adventure tourism market at an estimated £10 billion, with a forecast of nearly £18 billion by 2035. SportsCover Direct also reported a 182% increase in travellers taking out its adventure travel insurance policies.
Chris Trotman, head of sales and underwriting at SportsCover Direct, said eight regions were represented among the top ten cities in the study.
“What’s great to see from the top 10 cities for all the sports analysed in the study is that eight different regions are represented. This really shows how the UK’s growing interest in adventure sports isn’t limited to one specific region.”
“The diverse range of cities and sports spotlighted by the research is a real positive for the growing interest in more niche sports like kayaking, bouldering, and snowboarding too.”
Trotman also highlighted sports travel insurance as a consideration for people trying new activities or taking equipment abroad.
