Aussies crave new experiences and adventures, and these two ASX stocks could ride the boom

A new survey shows that many Aussies are looking to quench their thirst for excitement and adventure in 2022, after two years of social restrictions.

The survey, commissioned by health insurer HCF, showed that more than a third of Australians (or 35%) intend to try an adventure activity this year.

Nearly half (46%) of those who want to try an adventure sport in 2022 say they want to do so to challenge themselves, while 44% are seeking new experiences.

The most popular adventure sports for Aussies who have tried one are: skiing and snowboarding (40%), surfing (37%), waterskiing/wakeboarding (33%), skateboarding (31%), scuba diving (27%), BMX/mountain biking (25%), skydiving (16%), parasailing (13%) and bungee jumping (11%).

Men are more likely than women to have tried an adventure sport (55% compared to 44%), while millennials are most likely to try an action sport in 2022, because they have been inspired by watching the Olympics on TV or social media.

The expected boom in adventure sports has seen a couple of ASX-listed stocks surge over the past year.

XReality Group (ASX:XRG)

XReality’s stock price has surged by 6x in the last six months.

Formerly known as Indoor Skydive Australia (IDZ), XRG operates indoor skydiving facilities across Australia, with its customer base ranging from individual skydivers, corporates as well as the military.

The company owns iFLY Tunnel Systems, which is recognised as the pioneer in vertical wind tunnel technology, allowing operators to build their own indoor skydiving facility.

The iFLY system uses a vertical wind tunnel, with fans at the top to draw air through the flight chamber and then push it back down the sides through the Return Air Towers.

That leads to an inlet contractor that compresses and speeds up the air before it reenters the flight chamber.

**XReality’s IFLY Tunnel. Picture: Xreality**

Since rebranding to XRG however, the company has turned its focus on virtual reality (VR) and metaverse experiences.

In August last year, XRG acquired Red Cartel, one of Australia’s leading experts in VR, AR, and XR technologies.

Red Cartel owns a technology platform called Freak, a game where up to four players could walk around an open arena with absolute freedom of movement while exploring a parallel universe, solving challenges or fighting for survival.

Initially opened in the Gold Coast, XRG has just opened its fourth FREAK venue in Sydney’s Macquarie Centre in late November 2021.

FREAK Macquarie is a 127m2 entertainment venue located inside the shopping mall, but XRG says it wants to look at multiple other experiences to suit theme parks, festivals and other high foot traffic areas.

In March last year, XRG completed a debt restructure which significantly reduced its borrowings and increased the company’s cash position, resulting in an increase in net assets of $4.1m by year end.

XReality share price today:

Experience Co (ASX:EXP)

Experience is another company that offers adventure experiences such as tandem skydiving, deep ocean diving, and rainforest tours at the Great Barrier Reef.

Started in 1999, the company now manages 12 outdoor skydiving drop zones across Australia and three in New Zealand.

EXP recently acquired Trees Adventure (TA), Australia’s leading operator of aerial adventure experiences with locations across the country, in a deal worth $46.9m.

TA offers treetop rope courses, and offers visitors to its parks a range of alternative experiences, including the world’s longest rollercoaster zip line, vertical challenges, net parks, and party rooms.

With international border and local restricrtions in place last year, EXP has had a difficult year and delivered an operational loss of $4.8m off the back of a full year revenue of $44m.

Its share price however is up 65% over the last 12 months, showing investors’ confidence in the long term prospects of the business.

The company says that international travel ‘friction’ (which includes the requirement for quarantine and testing), as well as the return of aviation capacity, will be the key factors to the speed of its recovery until 2024.