ATTA Presents at Rio de Janeiro’s International Forum on Eco-tourism and Adventure
November 29, 2007
Hosted by Rio de Janeiro’s tourism and adventure travel trade association, ACTA (Associação Carioca de Turismo de Aventura), and Brazil’s EMBRATUR, ATTA Director Chris Doyle provided a general session presentation during The International Forum on Eco-tourism and Adventure (FORÚM INTERNACIONAL DE ECOTURISMO E TURISMO DE AVENTURA) in Rio de Janeiro (Nov. 1, 2007). While Doyle provided an adventure travel industry overview designed to bring common vision to the global adventure travel community, he specifically encouraged the more than 300 Brazilian travel industry conference delegates – mostly “Cariocas” (Rio de Janeiro’s locals) – representing adventure travel providers, travel associations, government, policy makers and students to accentuate the region’s assets and to move beyond the perceptual issues plaguing Rio. In the process, he outlined what the North American adventure traveler would likely be most interested in and provided steps to capturing the hearts and... Read More →
Must Read/View Spotlight: SustainabilityEarthwatch Founder Rosborough’s “Our Common Mission” Keynote Elicits “Standing O”
November 26, 2007
“…Focus on your mission and forget the labels which separate and segment your marketplace. Whether travel is for adventure, for heritage, cultural preservation, education, training, conservation, personal enrichment, self renewal or recreation is less important than the impact we make while we’re there. Market distinctions like sustainable tourism, responsible tourism, community-based tourism, ecotourism, and my least favorite ‘voluntourism’ are window dressing if our impacts and motivations are not serving those less fortunate in our path.” It’s a worthy read and/or listen – access his entire speech here: Click to read >> Click to listen >> Read More →
ATTA Press ReleasesGreenland – An Arctic Journey
November 20, 2007
At the invitation of Mr. Flemming Knudsen, CEO of Air Greenland (www.airgreenland.com), ATTA President Shannon Stowell and Director Chris Doyle, joined journalists and tour operators on the historic, first direct USA-to-Greenland commercially operated flight on November 2, 2006. The arctic journey was completed in anticipation of the opening of the new route Air Greenland will open in May 2007 between Baltimore (BWI) and Kangerlussuaq/Sønderstrøm (SFJ). For North American adventurers, most of whom have only flown over the world’s largest island en route to Europe, this five-hour route provides an unprecedented opportunity to access a polar environment, considered one of the world’s most telling barometers of global heating issues. For the ATTA, Stowell and Doyle surveyed Greenland up close in an exploration of its adventure travel potential. A full accounting of this off-piste adventure will be reported in the January 2007 installment of AdventureTravelNews™. In related news: Air... Read More →
ATTA Press ReleasesATTA Introduces Adventure Travel Summit-South America
November 20, 2007
Following three successful Adventure Travel World Summits (ATWS) held within the United States and Canada, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) today announced it will co-host its first Summit outside of North America with its Association Partner, ABETA (Brazil’s Adventure Travel Industry Association). ATTA Adventure Travel Summit-South America will be held September 4-6, 2008, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The regional event will be a mix of conference sessions, networking and a marketplace specifically designed to connect Brazilian and other South American partners with the international market and to share global knowledge about the industry. The ATTA will continue to host the Adventure Travel World Summit in North America in mid-October 2008 (location TBA), and in response to regional needs, is launching this additional global event in South America. According to ATTA President, Shannon Stowell, “Our decision to hold a new Summit in Brazil came about because of several key factors... Read More →
ATTA Press Releases40th Anniversary of The Birth of Adventure Travel
November 20, 2007
November, 2007 – Leo Le Bon, Co-founder, President and CEO (l968-1991) of pioneering adventure travel company MOUNTAIN TRAVEL, Inc., (Mountain Travel acquired the Sobek River Rafting company in 1992) recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first ever commercial trek to the Annapurna region of Nepal with eight of the original members, at his home in Berkeley, California. The 32 stalwart pioneers assembled at the San Francisco Airport on October 20 1967, and flew with a PAN AM 707 jet to Japan, Thailand and India on the first visit to Nepal by an American trekking group. The trip was the brainchild of Le Bon, adventurer, pioneering mountaineer, sailor, kayaker and a local travel executive, who led the group together with Barry Bishop who climbed Everest in 1963 during the first American Expedition. Upon their return, Le Bon, with friends Bishop and Allen Steck, one of the early legendary Yosemite rock climbers, founded Mountain Travel USA, the first American travel company dedicated... Read More →
ATTA Press ReleasesExplorandes Wins World Travel Mart Responsible Tourism Day Award
November 20, 2007
During the November 14th Responsible Tourism day held in the World Travel Mart in London, ATTA Member Explorandes won the award for “Best Tour Operator in a Mountain Environment”, for developing home-stay accommodation with real volume, livelihood activities and kayaking, through a partnership with a group of thirty families at Llachon on the shore of Lake Titicaca. This same project was highlighted by Alfredo Ferreyos during the 2007 Adventure Travel World Summit during the Kaleidoscope program highlighting community-based tourism projects. WTM World Responsible Tourism Day is a day dedicated to highlighting the importance of protecting environments, respecting local cultures, benefiting local communities, conserving natural resources and minimizing pollution. Specifically, the awards program – organized by online travel directory responsibletravel.com in association with World Travel Market, The Times and Geographical Magazine – recognizes companies and organizations in the... Read More →
ATTA Press Releases2008 AdventureTravelNews™ – Publication Date and Editorial Submission Calendar + Call for Editorial Contributions
November 19, 2007
Please note the following publishing schedule for AdventureTravelNews™: January 08, 2008 - Submission Deadline: December 16, 2008 March 04, 2008 - Submission Deadline: February 10, 2008 May 06, 2008 - Submission Deadline: April 10, 2008 July 01, 2008 - Submission Deadline: June 10, 2008 September 02, 2008 - Submission Deadline: August 10, 2008 November 04, 2008 - Submission Deadline: October 10, 2008 Call for Editorial Contributions: AdventureTravelNews™ is designed to cover news and features that call out the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats facing adventure travel. It also reports on the latest significant happenings of our industry, the news of ATTA Members, and provides tools, resources and other tips concerning matters that affect our daily operations as well as our long term business strategies. AdventureTravelNews remains in its infancy. We’re retooling a bit and undertaking new steps to ensure its timeliness, relevancy and readability. Anticipate... Read More →
ATTA Press ReleasesInternational Media Partners Extend ATTA Member Consumer Outreach Potential
November 17, 2007
ATTA’s Corporate Network Grows, Bringing New Value, Benefits to Members ATTA’s newest media partners are The Travel Magazine (U.K.) and TNT Magazine (Australia, Korea, and New Zealand). Each have become ATTA sponsors, providing ATTA Members additional publicity potential and discounted advertising opportunities in key adventure travel markets. The Travel Magazine and TNT are part of the ATTA’s growing networking of influential media which already includes: National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Archaeology and Modern Traveler. As ATTA’s membership continues to grow (nearly doubling in 2007), more corporate sponsors have joined the association’s growing network of tour operators and accommodations, destinations and tourism boards, media, and industry partners. In the past year alone, overall corporate sponsorship of the ATTA has nearly tripled. And within this rising tide, the ATTA recognized an opportunity to expand the ATTA media network in strong adventure travel... Read More →
ATTA Press ReleasesATTA attends World Travel Mart in London, November 12-15, 2007
November 12, 2007
While World Travel Mart actually represents the overall travel and leisure markets, it was ATTA’s observation that adventure travel imagery and messaging (e.g., around sustainability, conservation, physical, cultural and nature-based adventure) overwhelmed the entire show floor, regardless of the geographic destination. Such emphasis on our sector’s strengths is testimony the growth of adventure travel and is sure to present ATTA Members with significant opportunity – and, it’s something we’ll monitor and report back on as with such strengths, come weaknesses and threats. November 14th was presented as the first World Responsible Tourism Day, and the primary message delivered by Fiona Jeffrey, Chairman, World Travel Mart, was, “Responsible tourism must be placed at the heart of the boardroom.” WTM will focus on four key areas – carbon offsets, water, poverty reduction and how destinations are putting words into action with examples of responsible best practice. Serious attention... Read More →
