Intrepid Travel Reports Sharp Increase in Canada, Alaska Sales
February 26, 2009
Toronto, Canada (February 26, 2009) — Sales of Intrepid Travel’s trips in West Canada have grown 30 per cent in a year and Alaska by 50 per cent, prompting the adventure holiday specialist to add additional vans to cope with demand for its North America product.
Intrepid is anticipating a 25 per cent overall increase in sales to North America this year and has increased the number of vans it uses to operate these trips by 20 per cent to meet demand.
“Alaska and Canada are great destinations for active and adventurous travellers who enjoy wilderness areas and wildlife,” said Intrepid Travel CEO and Co-founder, Darrell Wade. “People are making the most of cheap airfares and flying to the US. When they get there they want to travel without breaking the budget and that’s where Intrepid Travel steps.”
For 2009, children booked on Intrepid Travel’s 14-day ‘Cowboys and Indians’ trip will receive a 20% discount. This adventure of epic proportions combines bustling city streets with vast, open American landscapes for a family trip that will entertain and educate parents and kids alike.
Intrepid offers over 60 itineraries in North America through its California-based operations company, Intrepid Suntrek. The trips range from a seven day trip of California to nine weeks expeditions that zig zag across the country, taking in iconic experiences such as Route 66 as well as getting off the beaten track to enjoy North America’s immense wilderness.
- ends -
For more information or images, please contact Eliza Anderson, Corporate PR Manager on +61 3 9473 2692 or email eliza.anderson@intrepidtravel.com
About Intrepid Travel Pty. Ltd.
With 20 years of experience, Intrepid Travel is one of the world’s leading small group adventure tour operators. Intrepid takes around 80,000 travellers to over 90 countries worldwide, each and every year. Intrepid trips are designed to go off the beaten track, meet the locals and travel in an unconventional way, joining locals on their transport, in their markets and even in their homes. Intrepid employs close to a thousand employees in nearly 20 countries worldwide.
Destinations Continue Building In-Roads with Outdoor Gear Brands
February 26, 2009
ATTA-facilitated meetings at Outdoor Retailer show create new marketing opportunities
Continuing to open doors between the adventure travel and outdoor gear industries, the ATTA recently hosted key adventure destinations at the Outdoor Retailer (OR) trade show in Salt Lake City, Utah (June 22-25, 2009). The show is North America’s biggest gathering of outdoor gear manufacturers, retail buyers, media, athletes, associations, and more.
More than 16,000 industry professionals attend the winter OR show. All are influencers and/or decision-makers within an industry that reaches millions of North American outdoors enthusiasts – but all are also passionate outdoors people and travelers themselves.
“Going into it, I wasn’t sure what we’d be able to get out of [meetings at the OR show], but I was really impressed with the number of meetings the ATTA was able to set up for us,” said Molly Budinsky with Mercury Advertising on behalf of Travel Montana. “I was also impressed with the quality of the meetings as well. We weren’t just sitting down with anyone, but actually meeting the key people that are able to make decisions about a partnership.”
Outdoor gear brands partner with a destination to promote sweepstakes, create co-promotions, jointly purchase advertising, set up press trips, use the destination for catalog and advertising photo/video shoots, and more.
Recent efforts to bring outdoor brands together with adventure destinations have proven effective for both parties. After meeting on an ATTA-facilitated “familiarization” (FAM) tour, Kelty backpacks created a co-marketing partnership with a destination that resulted in nearly 10 million impressions for both – all within the fertile North American outdoors market. The same single FAM resulted in a Marmot adventure video that showcases the destination and was accepted to more than 20 mountain film festivals.
While the ATTA member destinations attending expressed strong interest in pursuing partnerships that provide this level of exposure, the brands they met with were also quick to recognize the potential for collaborations.
Marmot Public Relations Manager Jordan Campbell noted, “For a global brand like Marmot, international photography, stuff that we just can’t get in North America, is key. Having an image that is clearly from an international location, whether a photo of a scene or something with actual Marmot apparel in it, is critical for such a globally positioned brand such as ours. Partnering with exotic destinations, like a Jordan or Norway – for example, provides tremendous visual opportunities to use these images for our marketing purposes.”
ATTA sees such value in bringing its adventure destination partners into the outdoor gear space that, in partnership with OR show organizer Nielsen Business Media Sports Group (NBM), the ATTA will host an ‘adventure travel pavilion’ made up of exhibiting destinations at the OR Winter Market show in January, 2010. These first forays by destinations at the most recent winter show will be followed by more during the summer show this July – all in order to explore synergies, introduce key players in both industries, and to prepare for the 2010 pavilion.
NBM Vice President Sports Group Joseph Flynn said, “Adventure travel is absolutely a part of who we are. Like the outdoor industry, the ATTA is committed to promoting the industry and to service the communities it serves. Together, we’re better positioned to provide productive cross selling environments for retailers, manufacturers and travel companies, which, in the end, brings more value to our businesses, outdoor enthusiasts and travelers.”
The ATTA’s inroads with prominent outdoor brands are made possible in part through its leadership’s combined four decades of experience from inside the outdoor industry.
Considering the success of current partnerships, ATTA member destinations and outdoor brands are wisely exploring these opportunities in more detail.
Kelty public relations director Drew Simmons said that he hopes to include destination partnerships in their long term marketing plans and to meld this strategy with their current programs.
He added, “One of the huge benefits was the direct consumer interaction. People got very involved in the entire process. The biggest benefit of these partnerships is tapping right into the passions of the consumer and providing something that’s very ‘aspirational,’ yet also very tangible – and you just can’t underestimate that combination.”
Simmons and Campbell both are already looking toward future partnerships with other destinations. Campbell noted that he would love to work with a destination on a viral marketing campaign, something that “conveys the excitement of international mountaineering or skiing within the remarkable social networks online, such as a great film clip that is fun, exciting, and exotic for YouTube.com.”
Simmons would like to partner with destinations that specifically reflect various brands – not just Kelty, but some of their sister brands as well. He noted, “Because we’re talking about the whole world here, you can find a destination that reflects your brand heart and soul, top to bottom. To be able to craft a specific program around a specific destination is a very exciting prospect.”
With ATTA’s continued efforts to bring together adventure destinations with proactive brands like these, it’s possible that Simmons’ and Campbell’s concepts might some day very well become reality.
For information on the Adventure Travel Pavilion at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market trade show in January 2010 – or for information on how to get involved in the networking potential of the Summer Market show in July, 2009 – contact ATTA VP of Business Development Chris Chesak at info@adventuretravel.biz or +1.208.921.5626.
Official Update from Madagascar as of Feb. 25, 2009
February 25, 2009
OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE FROM MADAGASCAR’S NATIONAL TOURISM BOARD
Madagascar’s National Tourism Board (Office National du Tourisme de Madagascar / ONTM) informs all its partners and the general public at large that:
- The crisis opposing the present government and one part of the opposition led by the former mayor of the capital resulted in partial strikes and some perturbation of economic activities in the capital Antananarivo at the beginning of the month of February 2009.
- Negotiations between the two parties are at present going on under the care of the Oecumenical Council of Churches. Calls for strikes have stopped and economic activities have come back to normal.
- The tourists who were in Madagascar at the time of the events could finish their stays or circuits without any problem and could leave the Malagasy territory quite safely.
- The managers of the different hotels and restaurants, travel agencies/ tour-operators, national parks and the heads of all the infrastructures that have a tourist vocation are preparing the reception of the tourists that were programmed as early as the beginning of March 2009.
E-mail address for all queries: partenariat@ontm.mg
Geographic Expeditions and Small Planet Consulting Support Surama Eco-Lodge
February 25, 2009
Vancouver, Canada, February 25, 2009 – ATTA members Geographic Expeditions and Small Planet Consulting are pleased to announce that Surama Eco-Lodge of Guyana was recognized and honored at the U.S. Educational Travel Conference (ETC), which took place in New Orleans, Louisiana from February 18-21.
As the Responsible Tourism Showcase Honoree for 2009, Surama received recognition at the Opening Plenary session as well as press and visibility in front of tour operators from museums, schools, alumni associations, and other US-based institutions with international
travel programs.
Surama Eco-lodge also received a monetary award and will be recognized and featured on the ETC website and in outreach programs throughout 2009. The exposure will result in international recognition for Surama’s community tourism programs and should serve to increase awareness of the ecological and cultural preservation efforts underway throughout Guyana.
The California-based Geographic Expeditions and North Vancouver-based Small Planet Consulting played leading roles in Surama’s success. Judy Karwacki, President of SPC, has been the Tourism Director of the Guyana Sustainable Tourism Initiative (GSTI) – a joint project of the Guyana Tourism Authority and the United States Agency for International Development/Guyana Trade and Investment Support (USAID/GTIS) project – since 2006, and invited Geographic Expeditions to visit Guyana on familiarization trip in 2008. Geographic Expeditions was highly impressed by Surama and agreed to work with Judy to prepare the Responsible Tourism Showcase application, and then nominate Surama Eco- Lodge for Showcase Honoree.
Jim Sano, Geographic Expeditions CEO, said, “Our clients are looking for opportunities to visit places where their tourism dollars contribute to local communities’ own efforts to preserve their culture, land, and traditional way of life. One can support local economies and conservation efforts by choosing to visit communities like Surama in Guyana where every dollar spent contributes to local educational, conservation, and economic development programs. Given the pressing need to develop new conservation models for the world’s remaining rainforests, it is vital for communities like Surama to thrive. Surama is a perfect example of this ideal, which is why we were so delighted to nominate them for this award.”
On the selection of Surama as the award winner, Sherry Schwarz of the ETC said, “There were some outstanding applications this year and the selection process was quite difficult, which speaks even more highly to the merit of Surama Eco-lodge’s responsible tourism programming. Many of us didn’t know about this Guyana community and were fascinated to learn about its commitment to preserving its indigenous traditions and its environment. It’s really a perfect match for the Responsible Tourism Showcase Award.”
Upon hearing of their award, Sydney Allicock spoke on behalf of Surama: “We all feel very honored to be granted such an award! We are very happy and are now aware that we are at the crossroads with community-based ecotourism, which means getting to the next level in the business. For us it also means more jobs, new young blood, training, planning and executing of the relevant activities that will continue to benefit the entire community. The award means a lot to the Eco- Lodge: more publicity, more clients, and a greater sense of ownership by management and the people of Surama. The years of continued dedication by workers are slowly paying off as a community business.”
Mr. Allicock also said the community has already decided how the award money will be used. “There has always been a problem for lights and charging batteries for clients,” he reported. “Plans are already afoot touse the funds to support a proper power source for lights, charging batteries and use of computers.” True to Surama’s conservation beliefs, the community will be investing in a solar system for the Eco-Lodge.
About Surama:
Home to roughly 300 Makushi Amerindians, Surama is a serene village set amongst five square miles of the Rupununi Savanna that is surrounded by the jungle covered Pakaraima Mountains. This idyllic setting – complete with the meandering Burro Burro River and a dense collection of flora and fauna – has proved an ideal location for community- based ecotourism in Guyana. Surama has done so well developing their tourism products – village tours, birdwatching trips, mountain treks, jungle walks, dugout canoe trips, wildlife spotting – that the village has long been the role model for community tourism in Guyana.
The Surama Eco-lodge and all tours in and around Surama are managed and operated solely by the local Makushi Amerindians. More than 70 people in the village are employed either directly as hospitality staff, guides, cooks, artisans and drivers, or indirectly as farmers, hunters, fishermen, tailors, and construction and maintenance workers. Roughly 60% of the community’s income is now sustainably generated through tourism-related activities, with 75% of village households reporting tourism as a source of income. Surama is in the process of developing a website and it will be launched soon, so check back for more information at www.suramaecolodge.com.
About Geographic Expeditions:
A pioneer of travel to remote and challenging destinations since 1982, Geographic Expeditions offers a varied portfolio of overland tours, treks, walks, and expeditionary voyages to the world’s most astonishing places. The company’s passion for eyes-open travel to out-of-the-way places is reflected in their expert leadership, excellent accommodations, intimate group sizes, hand-crafted private itineraries, and deep in-country savvy. To learn more about Geographic Expeditions, and the Guyana trip they recently added to their programs, visit www.geoex.com.
About Small Planet Consulting:
Small Planet Consulting are sustainable tourism specialists, with more than 20 years of tourism industry
experience. Their project portfolio reaches from North America to the Caribbean, Central America, South
America and Asia. Among others, SPC has worked on tourism development projects for countries, tourism
industry organizations, USAID, CIDA, OAS, IDB, British High Commission, Conservation International, Asian
Productivity Organization, The International Ecotourism Society and International Institute for Peace through
Tourism. For more information about the GSTI, please visit www.guyanabirding.com or contact judy@smallplanetconsulting.ca.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Small Planet Consulting
Judy Karwacki
P: 604-988-1656
E: judy@smallplanetconsulting.ca
ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours
February 23, 2009
Founded in 1972, ExperiencePlus! is a bicycle tour company that focuses on actively engaging travelers—both physically and intellectually. They were the first U.S. based tour operator to offer bicycle trips in Italy, and since then have expanded to offer trips to over 15 destinations, coupling passions for exciting cycling and exploration to create unique travel opportunities for cyclists worldwide.
Encouraging authentic and engaging cultural exploration, the company specializes in innovative and strategic bicycle tour offerings, with an emphasis on personal attention; extraordinary cycling routes marked with easy to follow chalk dust arrows, high quality bicycles, and a “family” of interesting, fun, and down-to-earth customers.
Currently, ExperiencePlus offers unique bicycle tour opportunities in: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, and Uruguay. Through their partners they have trips in: Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and USA.
A family-owned company that has spent more than 35 years dedicated to bicycling and the bicycle tour industry, ExperiencePlus! is a leader in international bicycle tourism. The ExperiencePlus! story began in 1972 when founders Rick and Paola Malpezzi Price cycled west from their family’s farm in Forli, Italy, marking the first U.S. commercial bicycle tour through the country. In 2008 Monica and Maria Elena, Rick and Paola’s daughters decided to purchase the company and continue the family tradition. Both Monica and Maria Elena have grown up guiding trips as well as actively participating in the designing of new tours.
Our Tours and Customers:
With a special focus on cycling routes designed for cyclists by cyclists, excellent tour leaders and authentic cultural experiences, ExperiencePlus! caters to the active traveler that is curious about visiting new cultures and enthusiastic about being outside. In addition, ExperiencePlus! customers are not shy about stopping and getting a cappuccino when they want, or taking a break to visit a Romanesque church that is off the beaten path.
Tour pricing includes: Comfortable lodging in 3- or 4-star hotels centrally located for easy town square access; all breakfasts and a majority of multi-course dinners featuring seasonal specialties and cultural beverages, wine or beer included; use of a high-quality 24-27 speed road bike, hybrid, tandem, or mountain bicycle geared specifically for specific tour terrain; and full van support to carry luggage or tired cyclists.
ExperiencePlus! also offers a greater variety of trip lengths so whether you prefer seven to eight day trips or 10- to 13-day, there is an itinerary for everyone.
Travelers are automatically enrolled in ExperiencePlus’ Re-Cycle Program, in which travelers take four tours, and their fifth will be discounted by 50 percent of the average price of the previous four. The tenth trip is discounted by 100 percent of the average price of the previous nine!
Expanding Services:
In 2005 ExperiencePlus! began to rent bikes to travelers interested in touring on their own in Italy and France. This small endeavor has now become its own division of ExperiencePlus! Today, BikeRentalsPlus!, www.bikerentalsplus.com, partners with BikesPlus! SAS, an Italian company to offer bicycle rentals and incoming tour services in over 100 locations in Italy, France, and soon, many more European destinations. In addition, BikeRentalsPlus.com offers competitively priced self-guided tours as well as customized options and itineraries for a variety of cycling vacations. Perfectly placed in central Italy BikeRentalsPlus has helped provide bicycles, vans, itineraries and routes to incoming cycling tour operators for over 4 years now.
In This Economy, Industry Vets Concur: “Don’t worry about the wind; adjust the sails.”
February 19, 2009
There are no two ways around it: It’s time to, “Adjust the Sails”. So says adventure travel professionals possessing decades of experience who have weathered the worst tempests to date who’ve recently borrowed from that now infamous Ted Turner quote.
It’s been said that the two most important drivers of adventure travel business is the geopolitical scenario and the economy. And, one of the drivers is suffering.
Before a combined total of more than 125 adventure travel industry peers, eight adventure travel industry veterans speaking on two “Weathering the Economic Storm” panels during recent ATTA Regional Meetings in San Francisco (Dec. 5, 2008), Seattle (January 28, 2009) and in Los Angeles (February 13, 2009) agree that this economic downturn is the most challenging the adventure travel industry has experienced. They also agreed in principle that the recession is expected to be prolonged, representing more of a “U” than a “V” shape. Another suggested that a “W” is a more likely scenario, whereby it’ll be an up-and-down ride for the foreseeable future.
In light of our industry’s shared concerns, top-level executives representing Backroads, REI Adventures, Geographic Expeditions, Wilderness Travel, Wildland Adventures, EverGreen Escapes, Travcoa and Classic Journeys stepped forward to share their current experiences, steps they’ve taken to brace for a sustained recession and their prognostications for the next year or two of business.
It’s not all bad news they say. Some companies are still reporting double-digit growth, fueled in part by travelers seeking custom trips and increases in domestic and closer-to-home travel. One company shared, “We’d already done 25% of our 2009 bookings by end of summer 2008, but we anticipate that by this next fall, that situation will be eroded.” The reality is that most companies are feeling the pinch in some fashion.
Most companies would agreed that it’s high time to revisit the fundamentals, ensure sustainability and prepare to come out ahead of the competition. Each of the companies contributing to this industry dialogue were confident of their survival, but noted it would come with serious focus on the bottom line, a serious reassessment of everything, smart cash management, and extra investment in marketing and strategic planning.
In fact, one pragmatic vet encouraged the industry to view this economic downturn as a gift of sorts suggesting that other leaders consider viewing this period as a time to adjust on some key areas that will positively affect the bottom line for years to come. Others from within the aforementioned stable of brands, also dug in and shared tips for ensuring their companies would come out stable, stronger and more smartly positioned once the rebound eventually arrives.
Immediately, experts suggest, consider the following exercises, some strategic, some tactical, to fortify your organization:
To access the remainder of this article featuring dozens of specific prescriptions to weather the economic storm:
ATTA Members – visit your ATTA Members Only Website (If necessary, email info@adventuretravel.biz for your login information)
Not an ATTA Member? Click here to consider joining and playing an active role in the global adventure travel community:
American Safari Cruises to operate under new company with former CEO Dan Blanchard
February 19, 2009
SEATTLE, Wash. (Feb. 19, 2009) – American Safari Cruises former CEO Dan Blanchard, who headed the company from 2001 to October 2008, has formed a new company, InnerSea Discoveries, which purchased the assets of American Safari Cruises and will operate the ASC brand beginning with the 2009 Alaska season. Based at historic Fishermen’s Terminal in Seattle, the new parent company plans to add several new brands to complement the American Safari yacht cruising experience of up-close, interactive exploration of the routes less traveled.
The InnerSea Discoveries executive team of Blanchard and Tim Jacox, executive vice president of sales and marketing, has a combined 60 years of experience in yacht and small-ship cruising. “Tim and I are extremely excited to be back at the helm of a product we love and to build on the strong name of American Safari Cruises,” Blanchard says. “Showcasing nature up-close has been our true passion for decades, and we are looking toward new opportunities for bringing people closer to nature in small-group comfort.”
To ease agent and consumer anxiety in the current economic climate, InnerSea Discoveries is voluntarily placing client payments into a secure acoount. “We believe this to be a sound business practice for our new company model,” Blanchard says. “This is our own decision — we are not required to do this by any regulatory agency.”
Under ASC’s “Alaska – Even More Beautiful At 50″ promotion, travel agents who book an Alaska cruise before April 15 will save their clients $500 per person, receive their normal commission plus a $50 thank you, and will be entered in a late-April drawing for a free Alaska cruise.
For the fall 2009 season, the company is introducing new nine-day, eight-night one-way cruises along the Columbia and Snake rivers on its flagship Safari Explorer; details will be announced in late February.
InnerSea Discoveries will continue to provide cruises that focus on natural history and environmental education, all within the framework of luxury cruising. They are retaining the elements that led to ASC’s unique reputation – an inclusive experience onboard yachts carrying from 12 to 36 guests; the choice to book private charters or individual staterooms; a two-to-one passenger-crew ratio; professional expedition leaders with specific backgrounds in the cruise route; an enthusiastic all-American crew; an unstructured schedule where the captain follows the wildlife; and itineraries that avoid tourist-clogged towns in pursuit of up-close encounters with nature.
Kayaking, hiking and shore boat excursions remain a top priority, and guests enjoy fine cuisine prepared with fresh, local ingredients and a complimentary bar stocked with premium spirits, wines and microbrews. In 2007, ASC was named one of the world’s top five luxury small-ship/specialty cruise lines by the Virtuoso luxury travel consortium.
ASC’s Alaska itineraries maximize whale encounters, bear viewing, glacier visits and exclusive explorations such as an unprecedented two days exploring spectacular Glacier Bay National Park with an onboard park ranger. Yacht sizes range from the elegant 105-foot, 12-guest Safari Spirit to the 145-foot, 36-guest Safari Explorer. The 2009 Alaska Inside Passage season runs May 2 to Sept. 11; prices begin at $4,495 per person double occupancy.
The yachts are available for private charter for family or business and incentive travel. To secure charter space, early confirmation is highly encouraged. For information: 888/862-8881 or www.amsafari.com.
National Geographic Society and Ashoka’s Changemakers Launch Online Contest Seeking Top Innovators in Sustainable Tourism
February 19, 2009
WASHINGTON (Feb. 18, 2009)—The National Geographic Society and Ashoka’s Changemakers today opened the entry process for the second annual “Geotourism Challenge” to showcase how tourism done well sustains, enhances and preserves local culture and the environment. The competition will identify individuals worldwide who have introduced the most innovative practices in tourism and destination stewardship.
Conducted in partnership with Ashoka’s Changemakers, the global Geotourism Challenge will accept online applications at www.changemakers.net/geotourismchallenge through May 20, 2009. Applicants must demonstrate an innovation that protects destination quality and furthers geotourism, defined by National Geographic as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents.”
During this period, anyone can debate, endorse or provide additional information on the entries. A distinguished panel of judges — including Keith Bellows, editor of National Geographic Traveler magazine, and Erika Harms, United Nations Foundation’s executive director for sustainable development — will review the applications and select the finalists. The online community will then vote for the Geotourism Challenge winners, who will be announced this summer. Each winner will receive a cash prize of $5,000.
“This year’s competition theme, ‘Power of Place — Sustaining the Future of Destinations,’ focuses on protecting the locales where history, culture and nature live. We want to recognize business and civic innovators who sustain distinctive places for the enjoyment of current and future generations,” said Jonathan Tourtellot, director of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations.
Last year’s Geotourism Challenge produced 320 nominations from 83 countries. The three winners and 12 finalists gathered at National Geographic’s Washington, D.C., headquarters in October to present their innovative business models at the first Geotourism Change Summit attended by 150 country dignitaries and representatives of funding institutions and tourism-industry, conservation and preservation groups. The competition also created an online community of geotourism activists, ranging from preservationists to developers. All can use competition results and resources to apply holistic geotourism principles locally by consulting the Changemakers Web site, www.changemakers.net/geotourismchallenge.
The 2008 winners were a program in Ecuador’s Amazon region to provide Amazonian youth with an academic degree in nature tourism; an outfitter in Nepal that trains women to be trekking professionals in a culture that offers women limited job opportunities; and an eco-lodge in Costa Rica that is teaching native Cabecar Indians how to manage the business in one of the country’s celebrated rain forests.
“Changemakers is very excited about this opportunity to partner once again with National Geographic to highlight this important issue,” said Ashoka’s Changemakers Executive Director Charlie Brown. “Our last competition revealed a wide selection of amazing innovations in geotourism. We are looking forward to many more such creative projects surfacing this spring within the Changemakers community.”
The Geotourism Challenge is one of the key programs of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations (CSD). For more information on geotourism and destination stewardship, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable.
About National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 325 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.
About Ashoka’s Changemakers
Ashoka’s Changemakers focuses on the rapidly growing world of social innovation. It provides solutions and resources needed to help everyone become a changemaker and presents compelling stories that explore the fundamental principles of successful social innovation around the world. Ashoka’s Changemakers is building the world’s first online community committed to social change through networking and global competitions. Ashoka’s Changemakers begins by providing an overarching intellectual framework for collaborative competitions that bring together individual social change initiatives into a more powerful whole. For details, visit www.changemakers.net.
###
Sharks, Surfing and Chamber Music at 6th San Francisco Ocean Film Festival
February 18, 2009
Benign sharks. “Commando kayakers.” Finless surfing to seaside chamber music. You don’t see them everyday. But all will be shown onscreen February 19-22, 2009 to filmgoers at the 6th San Francisco Ocean Film Festival at Fort Mason Center.
Over the past five years, the festival has earned a reputation as the largest and most eclectic festival of its kind, featuring dozens of new documentary, animated and scripted films from around the world. Subject-wise, the films run the gamut from scientific exploration of ocean life, to activists’ efforts in cleaning up polluted waters, sports, and creative visions of still unspoiled seas.
This year, over 4,000 people are expected to attend the festival, not only for the films, but also for the camaraderie of the get-togethers, expert talks, and informal Q&A sessions. The public is invited to join a festival kick off party from 7-10 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19 at the Aquarium of the Bay on San Francisco’s waterfront. Live music, dancing and food from the Bay Area’s top restaurants will kick off the festivities. During the festival, organizers will also present awards in several categories, as well as a free student education program.
A particular standout of this year’s festival will be a special screening and panel event on sharks held at 1pm on Saturday afternoon featuring conservation filmmaker David McGuire. McGuire will show his new documentary, “The City of the Shark,” that reveals the lives of sharks in the San Francisco Bay. The film details the efforts of the Aquarium of the Bay to study, care for and protect them. Other shark related films will include “Great White Shark–A Living Legend,” directed by Joe Kennedy about the sharks of South Africa; “Sharks in Deep Trouble” by Leslie Rochat; and “The Man in the Grey Suit” by returning filmmaker Roger Teich. A short promo, “Rethink the Shark” cleverly dramatizes the notion that people’s fear of sharks is out of proportion to the danger they present in real life. The film program will be followed by a panel with leading shark experts, filmmakers and members of the media who will discuss our understanding, and misunderstanding of sharks.
The films will be shown in eight separate programs, expanding this year to include Friday night.
The Friday night schedule will start at 7 p.m. and feature three films. “Dubside” by Justine Curgenven follows a nameless man-in-black engaging in “commando kayaking.” In the practice, kayakers use their inflatable, packable kayaks and public transportation instead of their cars to get them where they need to go. That film will be followed by Champ Williams’ “Attack of the Sea Slugs,” a close up look at the striped slugs that arise from beneath the floor of Puget Sound to gobble up pretty orange polyps that are poisonous to nearly any other sea creature. The evening will close with Ron Colby’s feature, “Pirate for the Sea,” describing the adventures of eco-activist Paul Watson, leader of the Sea Shepherd Foundation, widely considered to be the most aggressive organization fighting to save the ocean environment.
The enthusiastic spirit of past festivals has helped build a community of equally dedicated filmmakers and filmgoers who share their videos, information and opinions online. Last year, the SFOFF, in an effort to harness and champion that spirit, put out a call for personal videos that documented local responses to the Cosco Busan oil spill of November, 2007. The results were distributed on YouTube providing a boost to the growing online community of sea lovers.
This year more environmental threats and clean up efforts will be highlighted–from Chile to India and Greenland. On Sunday morning, “All Points South,” a trailer by Will Henry and Sachi Cunningham, will show surfers joining village fishermen to fight a proposed pulp mill that would destroy the natural shoreline. Saturday afternoon, “Between the Tides,” by Tyler Quintano and Nick Manning documents a diaspora in progress resulting from climate change and rising tides in Bangladesh and the islands of the Ganges Delta. Two Inuit girls in Northern Greenland star in “Silent Snow,” a short film by Jan van den Berg to be shown Saturday evening. The pair view the catastrophe of pollution as they travel through melting ice to a village that is disappearing due to pesticides brought by unseen currents from around the world. And in Baja California, land development to support tourists and retirees is seen as destroying the environment they came to enjoy in “Tomorrow’s Baja” by Yves Garceau, also scheduled for Saturday evening. The film reveals a shocking statistic pointing out the economic disparity between locals and tourists: a typical barrio family spends 20% of its income on water, but uses less than a single golf course sprinkler. On the local level, “Call it Home: Searching for Truth on Bolinas Lagoon” will show how activists even in a protected area react to changes in their environment. The film by Bill Chayes and Chuck Olin will also be shown Sunday afternoon.
For the first time, there will be a special program celebrating our sanctuaries and marine protected areas. See films on the Farallones and Cordell Bank Sanctuaries, the new Farallon Islands video, and California’s Marine Protected Areas on Friday, February 20th from 2:00 pm to 4pm, at the Aquarium of the Bay, on the Embarcadero at Beach St.
On the lighter side, festival films will include Todd Stewart’s “The Surf Magazines Don’t Talk About Lapsed Catholics,” Cecile Marie’s “Better Than Sex?” examining the true commitment of San Francisco Bay swimmers, and “Musica Surfica,” a creative endeavor of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and a group of surfers. Mick Sowry filmed the two groups who gathered on the isolated King Island in the Southern Ocean to blend their arts. The surfers used finless boards to be able to expand their movements and merge them with the music. The film will be shown Saturday evening.
Advance tickets, at $10 for individual programs, are on sale now through the Cowell Theater Box Office at (415) 441-3400 or online www.oceanfilmfest.org. Tickets and passes are also available for the opening night party and the eight film programs. A $110 pass will cover opening night and all programs. More information may be obtained by calling the festival office at (415) 561-6251 or by emailing info@oceanfilmfest.org.
About The San Francisco Ocean Film Festival
The San Francisco Ocean Film Festival (SFOFF) is a volunteer-driven non-profit organization dedicated to using film to improve public understanding of the environmental, social and cultural importance of marine ecosystems and foster a spirit of ocean stewardship. SFOFF is now the premier festival in North America for filmmakers from around the world to screen their works featuring the magnificence of our oceans, threats to marine life, and the human connection with the marine environment. For the past six years, SFOFF has produced an acclaimed festival of ocean-themed films from all over the world that are largely unavailable to the general public. Themes range from marine science and industry to sports and adventure. The films are intended not only to entertain the audience but, more importantly, to educate and encourage active participation in ocean conservation. Each program is followed by in-depth discussions with filmmakers and content experts, creating a unique public forum on the importance of marine resources. SFOFF 2009 will attract more than 4,500 people to one of the most anticipated and inclusive ocean events of the year.
www.oceanfilmfest.org
ATTA Hires del Rosal to Launch its First International Branch in Mexico
February 18, 2009
(SEATTLE) – February 19, 2009 – Culminating four years of research, relationship building and investigation, the U.S.-based Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) today announced plans to launch its first international branch in Mexico in the second quarter of 2009.
To lead the launch, the ATTA has tapped Mexican native Antonio del Rosal to serve as Executive Director for ATTA Mexico. Born to a Mexican father and American mother, del Rosal’s, dual cultural background makes him particularly well suited to represent multi-national issues, while also representing local perspectives. Del Rosal is representing the ATTA to local tourism boards and the national tourism board, and is the primary point of communication between Mexican tour operators and the ATTA. He is also spearheading collaboration between the ATTA and AMTAVE (Asociación Mexicana de Turismo de Aventura y Ecoturismo).
Del Rosal is responsible for contributing to the ATTA’s development of the adventure travel industry through strategic international business and operational management in Mexico, Latin America and the Developing World.
With civil engineering degrees, as well as an MBA from Georgetown University in Washington D.C., del Rosal served as a consultant for the IDB “Inter-American Development Bank”, then as an advisor to a large private equity firm in D.C. He later collaborated with CEMEX, one of the largest Mexican conglomerates as strategy and planning manager, before pursuing his life’s passion in adventure travel as executive director of Rio y Montaña Expediciones, one of the largest and most reputable adventure travel companies in Mexico.
Established in 1990, the Seattle-based ATTA (www.adventuretravel.biz) is a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market worldwide. ATTA members include tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, travel agents/agencies, guides, lodges/resorts/attractions, media, and service providers. Host of the ATWS, the ATTA provides professional support, development, education, research, marketing, career building, networking and cost-saving resources to its members.
# # #
RSS Feeds
Use one (or more) of the following to add AdventureTravelNewsTM to your favorite RSS Feed Reader!
