According to CNN: “Bill for U.S. travel promotion organization headed to president’s desk”
February 26, 2010
(CNN) — A bill that will create a tourism promotion organization for the United States received its final passage in the Senate on Thursday. Read full story.
Travel + Leisure’s March 2010 Issue Features “World’s Top Adventure Trips”
February 25, 2010
According to Travel + Leisure’s March 2010 issue, “T+L has surveyed the field to create the ultimate directory of adventure trips around the globe, each listed with a top outfitter.”
Editor’s Note: In the story written by veteran and prolific writer of all things adventure, Jeff Wise, includes 33 companies on Travel + Leisure’s World’s Top Top Adventure Trips list for 2010, 21 of which are offered by ATTA Members. In the online version, the article shows thoughtful diversity of place, price, activity, seasonality and duration. Review the online version.
Iconic American Brand Eddie Bauer Celebrates 90th Anniversary
February 25, 2010
SEATTLE — Specialty retailer Eddie Bauer, The Original Outdoor Outfitter®, is turning 90. When Mr. Bauer first opened for business in 1920, his “Eddie Bauer’s Tennis Shop” was renting space in a gun shop in downtown Seattle. Within a year he had his own storefront and became renowned as an outfitter and innovator. While he built his business serving hunters and fishermen of the Pacific Northwest, he went on to become America’s premier expedition outfitter during the golden age of Himalayan mountaineering.
Today, Eddie Bauer has approximately 364 stores in the United States and Canada, catalog and online businesses. The company offers premium-quality clothing, accessories and gear for men and women that complement today’s modern outdoor lifestyle. In October 2009, the company launched its First Ascent brand of guide-built gear, signaling a return to the company’s mountaineering roots as an expedition outfitter.
“For the past 90 years, the Eddie Bauer name has meant a lot of things to a lot of people across North America,” said Neil Fiske, President and CEO of Eddie Bauer. “This year, we are happy to celebrate the rich history of the company and the man who not only brought quality, outdoors apparel and gear into people’s homes and closets, but also outfitted some of the world’s greatest adventurers.”
Eddie Bauer, himself, dropped out of school at 14 to go to work. But his lack of formal education didn’t prevent him from producing an impressive string of “firsts” that established his reputation and built his company into an American icon:
First Guarantee In 1922, Eddie put his “100% unconditional lifetime guarantee” into writing. This promise was virtually unheard in the day and became the cornerstone of the Eddie Bauer standard of excellence. Long after he retired, Eddie called his guarantee the greatest of his contributions.
First Labrador Retriever In 1930, Eddie brought the first black Labrador retriever into Washington State. An expert hunter, he became a passionate advocate for the breed. In 1960, he formed Wanapum Kennels to raise champion field trial Labs. In 1974, he was named Retriever Breeder of the Year.
First American Shuttlecocks In 1933, Eddie developed a new badminton shuttlecock and formed Bauer’s Shuttles, Inc., “America’s Oldest Established Shuttlecock Manufacturing Firm.” His first two patents were for his shuttlecock.
First Down Jacket In 1935, after suffering life-threatening hypothermia on a winter fishing trip, Eddie built a prototype down jacket, the “Blizzard Proof.” A year later, he introduced the “Skyliner,” which became the first down jacket patented in America (D119122; 1940).
First Down Flight Suit In 1942, Eddie was asked by the U.S. Army Air Forces to design a “cold weather buoyancy flight suit.” The two main criteria were that it had to keep a flier warm while sitting still for up to three hours in -70°F; and in case the plane was shot down over water, it had to keep a flier with 25 pounds of gear afloat for up to 24 hours. Eddie’s down-insulated B-9 Parka and A-8 Flight Pants passed every test, and saved many lives.
First Mountaineering Parka In 1953, Eddie built his first mountaineering parka, the “Kara Koram,” for the American team attempting the first ascent of K2 in Pakistan. For 30 years, the Kara Koram became the standard of excellence for American climbers.
First Ascent of Gasherbrum I In 1958, Eddie outfitted the American team that made the first ascent of Gasherbrum I in Pakistan. It’s the only one of the world’s fourteen 8000-meter peaks first summited by an American team. For the first time, Eddie built the 1958 parkas using ripstop nylon as the shell fabric. It substantially reduced the weight while retaining significant durability.
First Ascent of Masherbrum In 1960, Eddie outfitted the American team that made the first ascent of Masherbrum in Pakistan.
First American Ascent of Everest In 1963, Eddie outfitted the American Mt. Everest Expedition with down parkas and sweaters, climbing pants, mittens and sleeping bags. On May 1, Jim Whittaker became the first American to reach the summit. On May 22, Barry Bishop, Lute Jerstand, Willi Unsoeld and Tom Hornbein also topped out. Unsoeld and Hornbein did it via the previously unclimbed West Ridge.
First Ascent of Mt. Kennedy In 1965, Eddie outfitted the expedition that made the first ascent of Mt. Kennedy in Canada’s Yukon. At that time, it was the highest unclimbed peak in North America. The first man to the top was Senator Robert F. Kennedy, brother of slain American President John F. Kennedy, for whom the mountain was named.
First Ascent of Mt. Vinson In 1966, Eddie outfitted the American Antarctica Mountaineering Expedition. They made first ascents of six peaks in the Sentinel Range, including Mt. Vinson, highest peak on the continent.
First American Ascent of Dhaulagiri In 1973, Eddie Bauer outfitted the American team that first summited the world’s seventh highest peak. The summiteers climbed without bottled oxygen.
First American Ascent of Peak Lenin In 1974, Eddie Bauer outfitted the first American team invited to climb in the Soviet Pamirs. Led by Pete Schoening, the expedition summited Peak Lenin and Peak XIX.
First Ascent of Nanda Devi North Ridge In 1976, Eddie Bauer outfitted the first team to summit Nanda Devi in India via the North Ridge.
First Ascent of Great Trango Tower In 1977, Eddie Bauer outfitted John Roskelley when he was part of the 5-man team to make the first ascent of Great Trango Tower in Pakistan.
First American Ascent of Makalu In 1980, Eddie Bauer outfitted the first American team to summit the world’s fifth highest peak. They climbed without supplemental oxygen or Sherpa support.
First Ascent of Everest East Face In 1983, Eddie Bauer outfitted the first team to summit the East Face of Mt. Everest. No one has successfully done so since.
First Ascent Gear In 2009, in collaboration with a dream team of world-class mountain guides, Eddie Bauer launched its new line of mountaineering gear, First Ascent, from the top of Mt. Everest. The First Ascent guides developed the line from the ground up, leading the design process, then testing the gear under some of the harshest mountain conditions throughout the world. Nothing goes to market without their consent. The team is led by Peter Whittaker, son of acclaimed mountaineer Lou Whittaker and nephew of Jim Whittaker, who wore Eddie Bauer gear on his historic first American ascent of Everest. Also part of the team is Ed Viesturs, the first American to summit all fourteen 8000-meter peaks without bottled oxygen; Dave Hahn, who has summited Everest 11 times, more than any non-Sherpa; and three accomplished guides from Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. (RMI), the largest mountain guide service in the U.S.: Melissa Arnot, Seth Waterfall, and Chad Peele. Lou and Jim Whittaker have acted as advisers to the team.
In 2010, Eddie Bauer will be celebrating its landmark 90th anniversary with a special one-day event on February 27, and with product launches and other events throughout the year, including the launch of its First Ascent ski collection this fall. As with its First Ascent mountaineering line, Eddie Bauer is working with backcountry guides to build and test ski gear and apparel in some of the alpine’s toughest conditions. Check out the BornOutThere blog at http://blog.firstascent.com/ to follow ski guides and brothers, Reggie and Zach Crist, and extreme skier, Lynsey Dyer, as they travel the country in search of conditions to put the gear to the test.
To learn more, visit the interactive, multimedia timeline at www.eddiebauer.com/heritage.
About Eddie Bauer
Established in 1920 in Seattle, Eddie Bauer is a specialty retailer that sells sportswear, outerwear, gear and accessories for the active outdoor lifestyle. The Eddie Bauer brand is a nationally recognized brand that stands for high quality, innovation, style and customer service. Eddie Bauer products are available at approximately 364 stores throughout the United States and Canada, through catalog sales and online at eddiebauer.com.
Safe Harbor Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “intends,” “potential” and similar expressions. All of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on estimates and assumptions made by our management. These estimates and assumptions reflect our best judgment based on currently known factors. Although we believe such estimates and assumptions are reasonable, they are inherently uncertain and involve risks and uncertainties. In addition, management’s assumptions about future events may prove to be inaccurate. We caution you that the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are not guarantees of future events, and we cannot assure you that such statements will be realized. In all likelihood, actual results will differ from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including our inability to hire, retain and train key personnel; delays in enhancement of our disclosure controls and procedures; our inability to revitalize Eddie Bauer as a premium quality brand; changes in general economic conditions, consumer confidence and consumer spending patterns; risks associated with legal and regulatory matters; risks associated with rising energy costs; risks associated with reliance on information technology; challenges as a result of our involvement in our former parent’s bankruptcy process; the diversion of management’s attention from operations while establishing post-emergence infrastructure; our inability to improve profitability of our retail stores, catalogs and website operations; our inability to source our requirements from our current sourcing agents; a significant disruption in our back-end operations; the inability of our joint venture partners to operate our joint ventures effectively; our inability to protect our trademarks and other proprietary intellectual property rights; unseasonable or severe weather conditions; our inability to use our net operating losses to reduce taxes; and the other risks identified in our periodic reports filed pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.
National Geographic Channel Premieres “Nasca Lines: Buried Secrets”, Sure to Inspire
February 25, 2010
The National Geographic Channel has just premiered a new documentary, Nasca Lines: Buried Secrets, from Edge West Productions, directed by celebrated British documentarian Philip J. Day. This in-depth doc comes at a perfect time, giving an American audience an exciting view of the history and mysteries of Peru beyond Machu Picchu. Nasca Lines: Buried Secrets will certainly inspire its audience to visit Peru to see the lines in-person and to experience the county on the whole. The show premiered in the USA on Sunday, but will be re-airing a number of times over the next few weeks.
- 2/25, 7 PM EST
- 2/25, 10 PM EST
- 2/28, 12 PM EST
- 3/4, 3 PM EST
* Editor’s Note: In 2005, I had the good fortune to visit the Nasca lines from the ground, and from above in the seat of a 6 passenger Cessna, and was simply mesmerized, realizing a childhood dream to visit the mysterious lines drawings on the face of the earth. It’s this very location and that very trip that inspired ATTA efforts to collaborate with Archaeology and the Archaeological Institute of America to co-develop: “A Guide to Best Practices for Archaeological Tourism” (from this site, industry professionals may download the free guidelines. The alert about this documentary arrived from Willy Blackmore’s thoughtful letter below, otherwise, as an individual who does not own a television, I may have missed this one!
“Hello – As you well know, the recent flooding in Peru has caused huge amounts of damage to local populations, destroying houses and infrastructure. And in addition to the personal losses of Peruvians affected by the torrential rains, there is the economic damage to communities caused by a loss in tourism due to Machu Picchu’s temporary closure. Peru is, of course, much more than just this one ancient ruin which is so well known throughout the world and the government has been pointing to other cultural treasures found in the country, such as the Nasca Lines, as lesser-known but equally as interesting tourism destinations. The monumental lines etched in the desert have long mystified and fascinated visitors, giving rise to theories of alien influence and lending inspiration to contemporary artists working with nature as a medium.
This Sunday at 10 PM EST, the National Geographic Channel will be premiering a new documentary, Nasca Lines: Buried Secrets, from Edge West Productions, directed by celebrated British documentarian Philip J. Day. This in-depth doc comes at a perfect time, giving an American audience an exciting view of the history and mysteries of Peru beyond Machu Picchu. Nasca Lines: Buried Secrets will certainly inspire its audience to visit Peru to see the lines in-person and to experience the county on the whole.
Would you be interested in writing something about the premiere of the Nasca Lines: Buried Secrets in additional to your coverage of the flooding? If so, please let me know—I can send you a link to the trailer and more information about the documentary and Edge West Productions.
Best,
Willy Blackmore – SocialRadius / Terpin Communications”
News Update – Feb. 25, 2010, In a tragic development, according to CNN today:
“(CNN) — Seven people, mostly tourists, were killed Thursday when a small plane crashed in southern Peru, near the famous Nazca Lines, the official Andina news agency reported, citing Nazca police.” Read more.
ATTA Releases 2010 Tune In Webinar Schedule
February 24, 2010
Based on feedback from ATTA members, current industry trends and development needs, the ATTA presents the following calendar of ATTA Tune In Webinars exclusively for ATTA members (except where noted for sustainable tourism matters, in which case, the Webinars are open and free to the entire industry). ATTA’s Webinar series emphasizes the following categories:
- Trends & Research
- Marketing
- Technology/Internet
- Sustainable Tourism
ATTA Members Tune In Webinars are online professional business development programs. Featuring subject matter experts addressing vital industry topics to educate and professionalize the industry, Webinars are free for ATTA Members; in some cases select ATTA-sponsored Webinars are made available to all tourism professionals for free via the ATTA in-house email database of approximately 25,000.
Interested in the ATTA’s Webinars but not a Member yet? Learn more and sign up today: click here.
Want the ATTA to consider a topic not presently featured in the 2010 Webinar schedule below? Suggest a Webinar Expert & Topic.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
2010 ATTA Tune In Webinar Schedule
The following schedule is subject to content and date/time changes. The ATTA makes every attempt to deliver programs as published. Alerts are sent out regularly to ATTA Members about newly introduced Webinars, date/time changes, etc.
March
Tuesday, March 9th – 10AM Pacific
Adventure Travel Research Briefing: 2009 Research Roundup, 2009/2010 Market Size & Q1 2010 Industry Snapshot – Tour Operators
Thursday, March 25 – 10AM Pacific
2010 Adventure Travel World Summit preview
April
Thursday, April 8 – 10AM Pacific
Beyond the Web – High Impact Customer Relationship Building
Thursday, April 15 – 10AM Pacific
New Rules & Strategies for Coping with Shrinking Booking Windows
May
Thursday, May 13 – 10AM Pacific
Setting the Stage: Understanding your Online Marketing Needs
Thursday, May 20 – 10AM Pacific
Development Strategy for Emerging Destinations: People, Planet, Profit
June
Thursday, June 3 – 10AM Pacific
Developing the Plan: Online Marketing Strategy
Thursday, June 17 – 10AM Pacific
New Product Development: Innovation, Differentiation, Specialization
July
Thursday, July 15, 10AM Pacific
Ramping Up: Search Engine Marketing & Optimization
Thursday, July 22 – 10AM Pacific
Effective Ecolodge Identification, Selection & Operation
August
Thursday, Aug. 5 – 10AM Pacific
Activating the Online Marketing Plan: Social Media Optimization
Thursday, Aug. 19 – 10AM Pacific
Tackling the Distribution Puzzle – Challenges & Opportunities
September
Thursday, September 9 – 10AM Pacific
Review & Adapt: Online Marketing Analytics
October through December, To Be Announced
New Sustainable Travel Specialist Course Available Through The Travel Institute
February 19, 2010
Wellesley, MA / Boulder, CO – The Travel Institute announced the release of a new Lifestyle Specialist course for travel agents that’s focused on sustainable travel and tourism. This course joins eight other Lifestyle Specialist courses offered by The Travel Institute each one allowing travel professionals to test and earn an industry recognized credential.
The course, sponsored by Virtuoso, was created in partnership with Sustainable Travel International (STI), a non-profit organization that promotes responsible travel and supports sustainable development. This 5-module course teaches travel counselors how to identify the characteristics and benefits of sustainable travel, integrate “green” business practices into their existing business operations, choose travel suppliers who demonstrate a commitment to sustainable travel, and explores strategies for practicing sustainable travel and tourism.
“The travel agent community is in a unique position to both service and create demand for sustainable tourism while providing their clients with more authentic and rewarding travel experiences,” explained Brian T. Mullis, president of Sustainable Travel International. “We’re happy to provide them with a distance learning solution that will help them take advantage of the benefits of sustainable tourism.”
“Virtuoso was pleased to support the development of a sustainable travel course in collaboration with The Travel Institute and Sustainable Travel International,” says Mindy Exum, managing director of training & professional development at Virtuoso. “Global economists continue to forecast that international tourism is one of the world’s largest growing industries in the world, increasing three to six percent annually depending on location. We want to encourage awareness and the need for everyone in the travel business to take a responsible approach to tourism so that the world’s remaining biologically diverse habitats and indigenous cultures are protected and preserved for generations to come.”
The interactive Sustainable Travel Specialist course is available online in The Travel Institute’s e-Learning Center as well as on disk. To learn more about all The Travel Institute’s Lifestyle Specialist courses, visit www.thetravelinstitute.com.
About The Travel Institute
Established in 1964, The Travel Institute serves as a community of knowledge and insight for all travel professionals. Through innovative education programs, professional certifications and customized learning solutions, The Institute fulfills its non-profit mission to promote a standard of industry knowledge and excellence. For more information about The Travel Institute, visit www.thetravelinstitute.com or call (800) 542-4282.
About Sustainable Travel International
Sustainable Travel International (STI) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote sustainable development through responsible travel by providing programs that help travelers, businesses and destinations protect the environment, preserve cultural heritage and promote economic development. STI is dedicated to taking a holistic approach to addressing sustainable development within the travel and tourism industries by providing solutions-oriented programs that generate tangible results and affect long-lasting change. For more information, visit www.sustainabletravelinternational.org or call (800) 276-7764.
Adventure Tourism Development Index 2009 Report
February 16, 2010
A joint initiative of The George Washington University, the Adventure Travel Trade Association and Xola Consulting, the Adventure Tourism Development Index (ATDI) ranks 192 countries based for their adventure travel competitiveness.
The 2009 ATDI Report, in three parts, is available below at no charge.
The methodology relies on hard data and expert surveys to asses countries in 10 pillars:
- Sustainable Development
- Health
- Safety
- Security
- Cultural Resources
- Natural Resources
- Adventure Activity Resources
- Infrastructure
- Entrepreneurship
- Image
The top three developing countries this year were the Slovak Republic, Israel and the Czech Republic. The top three developed countries were Iceland, Switzerland and New Zealand.
- Download full report: Click here.
- Download the pillar scores for developing countries: Click here.
- Download the pillar scores for developed countries: Click here.
Survey and other research data gathered to generate the ATDI rankings can be customized for a fee. Xola Consulting can create reports to help inform and support country adventure development and marketing objectives. Contact Xola for more information on custom reports.
Q1 2010 Adventure Travel Industry Snapshot
February 15, 2010
GIVE 10 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME AND GET THE SURVEY RESULTS FREE
Providing ATTA Members regularly with fresh research is a key objective of the ATTA. To help accomplish this, adventure travel tour operators are requested to complete this survey by Friday, February 19th.
This Industry Snapshot is a quarterly check-in on the state of tour operators in the adventure travel industry.
The ATTA will then compile the data in aggregate and report the results to ATTA Members and to all tour operators that complete the survey.
If your organization does not conduct tours, please do not take this survey as it will skew the data.
All survey responses are anonymous.
SURVEY CLOSED
ExOfficio Chooses Adventure Travel Media Source to Expand their PR Reach
February 12, 2010
WELLINGTON, Colo. — ExOfficio has hired Colorado-based Adventure Travel Media Source (ATMS) to seek out new lines of communication for their popular lines of outdoor clothing and gear.
“ATMS have proven themselves in the outdoor industry as an extraordinary asset to expanding the reach of communications. We turned to ATMS because of their unparalleled passion and powerful voice in the industry,” says Jaelithe Milich, ExOfficio Marketing Communications Specialist.
ExOfficio is an outdoor and travel clothing company. They’ve been providing clothing solutions for outdoor & travel enthusiasts since 1987. They are dedicated to making clothing as adventurous as their customers. At ExOfficio, high performance apparel is an obsession. From built-in UV protection to bug repellent apparel, they lead the industry in innovation for the adventure traveler. Whether it’s a trip to the coffee shop or an adventure around the globe, ExOfficio has got you covered.
Corporate offices are located in Tukwila, WA with retail stores in the Seattle area as well as in New York City. Their clothing is sold in many popular retail stores such as REI, Dillard’s Department Stores and online at www.exofficio.com. They recently added a line of shoes to their offerings.
ATMS is pleased to be working with ExOfficio to expand their reach in public relations. ATMS has long enjoyed the reputation of being an industry leader in the field of Adventure Travel Public Relations. Not only does ATMS represent over 100 of the top adventure travel outfitters, operators and destinations in the world, they continue to build a reputation as a leading resource for travel industry professionals world-wide.
For further information about ExOfficio product offerings, please click here: www.exofficio.com or contact milichj@exofficio.com. For further information about this release or public relations services please contact
nancy@atmstravelnews.com.
The First Coastal Tourism Innovators Symposium Receives High Praise from Participants
February 12, 2010
The first-ever Symposium for Innovators in Coastal Tourism Development, held January 20-22 at Stanford University, exceeded expectations of both participants and organizers. The Symposium, organized by the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) and cosponsored by the Center for Global Business and the Economy (CGBE) of the Stanford Business School, was attended by 85 innovators from the private and public sectors who are incorporating social and environmental best practices into coastal resort and vacation home developments. The full proceedings of this noteworthy event are available online at www.responsibletravel.org.
“We successfully met our goal of bringing together pioneers in coastal tourism who are creating sustainable alternative models to the gated, all-inclusive beach resorts that today dot coastlines throughout the Americas and the Caribbean,” says Dr. William H. Durham who is CREST Co-Director and Bing Professor of Human Biology in the Anthropology Department at Stanford.
Keynote speaker Chris Blackwell, owner of Island Outpost Resorts, founder of Island Records, and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame praised the event, saying, “The CREST conference redefines what is truly meaningful in responsible tourism today.” Deborah Szekely, founder and owner of Rancho La Puerta in Mexico proclaimed “it was a positively wonderful program,” while Mary-Elizabeth Gifford, Board Member for the Demeter Association, declared that the Symposium “sets the standard by which all other summits will now be judged… Davos, without the snow.”
The Symposium got off to a spirited start with a panel discussion following the premier showing of “Cracking the Golden Egg: Tourism on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast,” a new CREST documentary film about the impacts of large resort tourism along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.
Symposium topics also included public and private sector finance for sustainable tourism, green design and architecture, community engagement, and the impacts of both the economic recession and climate change on coastal tourism. Many participants praised the high quality of the speakers: Dr. Patrick Tierney, Professor of Tourism, San Francisco State University said, “The content was cutting edge and relevant to the current and future situation. I liked the future orientation of the speakers.” Mark Spalding, President Ocean Foundation added that keynote speakers “were spectacular.” They included renowned oceanographer/explorer and former chief scientist at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Dr. Sylvia Earle; Dr. David Orr, the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics, Oberlin College; and Dr. William Barnett, Director, Center for Global Business and the Economy, and the Thomas Siebel Professor of Business Leadership, Strategy, and Organizations in the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
The participants included developers and experts from the Caribbean, North America, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and a strong contingent from Mexico. By the end of the meeting, momentum had gathered for hosting the next Innovator’s Symposium in Mexico, at a date and place still to be determined.
To view presentations, photos and video clips from the Symposium or order copies of the documentary, visit the CREST website, www.responsibletravel.org.
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