ISO 3021:2023

Overview

ISO 3021:2023 - Adventure tourism: Hiking and trekking activities - Requirements and recommendations defines safety-focused requirements and recommendations for hiking and trekking offered as tourism products. The standard covers the safety of participants, leaders and assistants, and establishes criteria for route classification by difficulty and characteristics. It applies to any provider that offers hiking and/or trekking activities (excluding broader tourism services such as lodging or transfers) and complements other adventure tourism standards.

Key Topics and Technical Requirements

ISO 3021 addresses practical operational and safety topics without prescribing product planning processes. Major technical areas include:

• Service requirements for safe delivery of hiking and trekking activities.
• Leadership: leader qualifications, required leader-to-participant ratios and assistant competencies.
• Participant management: profile collection, information analysis and participant screening.
• Equipment: availability, collective vs. individual gear, maintenance, cleaning and sanitizing.
• Participant preparation: pre-trip information, instruction, and awareness of risks and responsibilities.
• Safety, insurance and communication: minimum safety measures, insurance considerations, and communication protocols including self-guided route requirements.
• Risk management: risk analysis and assessment, hazard inventory, risk treatment and emergency preparedness and response.
• Service control and records: registration systems, incident/accident recording, procedure review and critical service review.
• Environmental and social mitigation: conservation and responsible practice requirements.
• Route classification: criteria and procedures for rating routes (environment severity, navigation/orientation, terrain conditions, physical exertion) with annexes providing reference tables, forms and examples.

Practical Applications and Who Uses This Standard

ISO 3021 is practical for organizations and individuals involved in the delivery and oversight of hiking and trekking tourism:

• Adventure tourism operators and tour companies - to develop SOPs, safety procedures and route descriptions.
• Guides and leaders - for competency alignment and leader-to-participant planning.
• Risk managers and safety officers - for formal risk assessments and emergency planning.
• Destination management organizations and regulators - to harmonize route classification and public information.
• Insurers and auditors - to evaluate compliance with recognized safety practices.
• Training providers and certifiers - to design curricula and assessments consistent with route difficulty and leader competence.

ISO 3021 helps providers communicate clear, standardized route difficulty and safety information to participants, supporting informed decision-making and safer hiking and trekking tourism experiences.

Related Standards

• ISO 21101 - Adventure tourism - Safety management systems - Requirements
• ISO 21102 - Adventure tourism - Leaders - Personnel competence
• ISO 21103 - Adventure tourism - Information for participants
• ISO 20611 - (Sustainability aspects for adventure tourism)

Keywords: ISO 3021, hiking and trekking standard, adventure tourism standard, route classification, safety management, leader qualifications, risk management.