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.
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.
Newly-Formed Outside Television Appoints Programming Head
January 20, 2010
Award-Winning Producer Rob Faris Tapped as Senior Vice President of Programming and Production
NEW YORK, NY – Outside Television, the active lifestyle network formed in partnership of Outside Magazine publisher Mariah Media and Resort Sports Network, today announced the appointment of television industry veteran Rob Faris as Senior Vice President of Programming and Production.
Faris, a multiple Emmy Award-winning television producer, will oversee the creation and development of programming content for the network, which will launch in June. Based in the Outside Television’s New York City office, he will manage the Television Operations department and will supervise an acclaimed production team of producers, directors, and writers. His duties will also involve collaborating with Outside magazine’s editors on the conception of a host of new series that will reflect the editorial content of the publication.
“Rob Faris is very well regarded, and his broad experience and relationships within both the television and adventure sports industries will enhance our programming as we prepare for the launch of Outside Television,” said Outside Television’s CEO, Mark Burchill. “This is an opportune time to add talent and resources to our programming and production, and Rob is the strongest candidate to guide our new initiatives.”
Before joining Outside Television, Faris was most recently the Executive Producer at Voom HD, a series of HD channels owned by Cablevision, where he supervised three of the channels, notably Rush HD, an action-adventure outlet. Faris was responsible for all the creative aspects of television production at the Voom HD channels, oversaw the global operation of production teams associated with the three channels, and managed original productions in more than 40 countries.
Prior to Voom HD, Faris was a member of the Emmy-winning team for NBC Sports Summer Olympic Games in Athens; a producer at Madison Square Garden; and a feature producer at ESPN where he was part of the Emmy- and Peabody-winning Sports Century series.
Affiliate of Fletcher Asset Management, Inc. Purchases Newsweek Budget Travel
January 15, 2010
Nancy Telliho to Remain President; Harold Shain to Rejoin as Chairman
NEW YORK, NY – Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel President, Nancy Telliho announced today that an affiliate of Fletcher Asset Management, Inc has officially closed on the purchase of Budget Travel and BudgetTravel.com from Newsweek, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO.) The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Telliho confirms that while Budget Travel is under new ownership she intends to stay on as President along with the entirety of the senior management team: Bernadette Haley, Publisher; Nina Willdorf, Editor in Chief, Stephen Merrill, Online General Manager and Michele Mausser, Director of Finance.
The Company also announced that Harold Shain, former President of Newsweek, Inc., and former President of Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc., will rejoin Budget Travel as Chairman. Shain will help oversee the Company and, with Telliho, will guide the Company in identifying and developing new areas of opportunity for Budget Travel.
Moez Kaba, of Fletcher Asset Management, remarks:
“With Harold’s return and Nancy’s continued leadership, the nimble team at Budget Travel should find this otherwise challenging environment an opportune time to form valuable corporate partnerships that expand, in print and online, one of America’s most trusted travel resources.”
Nancy Telliho, President, Budget Travel, says:
“We are thrilled to find ourselves under new ownership with a firm that recognizes the strength of the Budget Travel brand in both print and online. With Fletcher’s support, and Harold’s involvement, we are well positioned for even greater growth than we’ve experienced in our first 10 years. Fletcher’s confidence in the senior team is gratifying and we look forward to great success together.”
The acquisition was closed with the participation of Hayfield Capital, an advisory firm based in New York City. Jacob Hill, a co-founder of Hayfield, also served as the original Publisher of Budget Travel from its launch in 1997 until its acquisition by Newsweek in 1999.
Mariah Media and Resort Sports Network Partner to Launch the “Outside Television Network”
December 7, 2009
A Joint Venture That Will Rebrand the Existing RSN Network
Santa Fe, NM – Mariah Media Inc., publisher of Outside magazine, America’s leading active-lifestyle publication, today announced a partnership with Resort Sports Network (RSN) to bring Outside’s award-winning coverage to life with the launch of the Outside Television Network.
This will be a complete rebranding of the existing Resort Sports Network, the national television network that specializes in creating and distributing outdoor-lifestyle content to premier vacation destinations throughout the country. The network—which currently reaches 61 million viewers annually, is distributed to 110 destinations, and is the number-one-rated channel in its markets as measured by Nielsen Media Research—will debut as the Outside Television Network on June 1, 2010.
The joint venture will unite two prominent leaders with large bases of both active and affluent consumers in the active-lifestyle categories. This unprecedented deal will provide Mariah Media with the means to reach its coveted consumer on all platforms, print, television, and digital. Simultaneously, it allows the Emmy Award winning RSN to leverage the universally respected Outside brand and gives RSN the opportunity to collaborate with Mariah Media’s editors on content creation while offering advertisers more multifaceted opportunities.
As a complement to Resort Sports Network’s traditional coverage, the Outside Television Network’s content will bring to television many of Outside’s popular special reports, such as Best Towns, Best Jobs, Trips of the Year, Best Gear and the Outside Buyer’s Guide, and Master Plans for Health, Fitness, and Nutrition, along with feature stories appropriate for the television experience. There will be unique Web and mobile assets under the Outside Television brand that will be highly coordinated with existing Outside assets. The Outside editorial team will work closely with RSN’s television producers to select subject matter from the publication that will seamlessly translate to television.
“Bringing the Outside brand to a sustainable network-television level in markets that active-lifestyle consumers live in and travel to presents an enormous opportunity to reach our core audience frequently and consistently and allows our print and online marketing partners to do the same. We are tremendously excited about working with the RSN team to expand the Outside Television Network to its full potential,” said Larry Burke, Chairman and Editor in Chief of Mariah Media.
“Outside is the most iconic and revered brand in the active-lifestyle space. It is an amazing opportunity to collaborate on content and translate the brand into television. There is a great fit between the companies on so many levels, and we couldn’t be more excited about the deal,” said Mark A. Burchill, CEO of RSN. He added, “We have had exploratory conversations with advertisers and potential distribution partners who are very excited about Outside Television. Expect to see the network more widely distributed, with a host of new programming additions.”
The media partnership will also expand both companies’ sales efforts by offering multimedia solutions with multiplatform advertising, sponsorship, and promotion packages, all under the umbrella of the Outside brand. Mariah Media will also have an ownership position in RSN, board representation, and a fully collaborative, integrated approach to content development between print and video platforms.
New York Times Reports National Geographic Adventure Magazine Folds
December 3, 2009
According to The New York Times’ December 3, 2009, story:
“National Geographic will cease printing National Geographic Adventure, its outdoor magazine, the company said Thursday afternoon. The title will continue online and in special “newsstand editions, books, e-magazines, mobile applications and a robust Web site,” the company said in a statement.” Access The New York Times article for the rest of the story.
Editor’s Note:
National Geographic Adventure magazine has been a long time supporter of the Adventure Travel Trade Association and our industry. It is with great sorrow that we see the print magazine National Geographic Adventure cease publication. Its founder and Editor-in-Chief John Rasmus, an ATTA Lifetime Achievement award recipient and good friend and advocate of the ATTA, deserves accolades for the tremendous gifts he’s given to our industry this past decade, and before that, his role in founding Outside Magazine. The ATTA will continue to monitor and report the next phase of this story and will seek to bring to ATN readers an inside look at the recent development and its potential impact on our industry.
Nat Geo Traveler Rates Norway The Best Destination in The World
November 24, 2009
Recently, Norway was rated by National Geographic Traveler as the Best Destination in the World.
“If you have only a vague sense of Norway as fjords, cruise ships, snowflake sweaters, and dried fish, it’s long past time to update the internal wiki. Norway, as the talented cover blurb writers at National Geographic Adventure recently put it, is “Europe’s Next Adrenaline Capital”. In fact, Norway will blow you away with its beauty, its open space, and, most of all, its potential for adventure”, writes photographer & writer Steve Casimiro.
Read his article “Looking For Your Next Adventure? Here’s 15 Reasons Why Norway Rocks“, as published on The Adventure Life.
New Contest for Wannabe Travel Writers Includes Assignment in Japan
November 6, 2009
Travel Writing Scholarship 2010 from WorldNomads.com offers chance to explore and cover Tokyo for Rough Guides
SYDNEY – Write your way around Tokyo, all-expenses paid, and get published to boot.
WorldNomads.com in conjunction with Rough Guides, Intrepid Travel and Hotels.com announces a contest for aspiring travel writers ages 18 and up. Candidates can be students, emerging and non-professional writers and lovers of travel looking for a career change. The prize is the chance to travel for a week, all-expenses paid, to Tokyo and learn tricks of the trade from Rough Guides travel writer, Simon Richmond.
The deadline for applications is Dec. 21, 2009. For details and online entry please visit the scholarship page on http://worldnomads.com.
The assignment will be to research, review and update essential travel info for the Tokyo section of The Rough Guide Japan, including accommodation, bars and restaurants, entertainment, shopping, tours, activities and transport, as well as searching out those local secrets that travelers want to read about.
The contest winner will fly to Tokyo from his/her country of residence and then, after touching base with travel writing mentor Simon Richmond, hit the road for 7 days reviewing and writing for ‘The Rough Guide to Japan‘ travel guide. Afterwards there will be a chance to relax and enjoy a 4 day “Flavors of Tokyo” independent tour with Intrepid Travel offering a cuisine-focused insight into the Japanese Culture.
Applicants need to be available between Feb. 15 – 26, 2010 to participate in ‘The Rough Guide to Japan’ writing assignment and “Flavors of Tokyo” independent tour with Intrepid Travel.
Entrants must have a high degree of proficiency in written English, be comfortable doing some travel on their own, be at least 18 years old, have a current passport and be an excellent writer with a lust for adventure travel and a burning desire to be a travel writer.
To apply entrants will be asked to write a maximum 500 word travel-focused essay based on a personal experience around one of the following themes: -A Journey that Changed Lives
-Responsible Travel
-Adventure in an Unknown Culture
-A Memorable Experience Involving Food in a Foreign Country
The winner of the scholarship contest, along with the best entries received will be published on the WorldNomads.com website on January 8th, 2010.
http://WorldNomads.com provides global travel safety products and services to travelers from over 150 countries around the world. From great value travel insurance, travel safety advice, language guides and free online travel journals, http://WorldNomads.com provides the tools to keep clients travelling safely. All clients can donate to a community development project when purchasing travel insurance through the Footprints Charity program. http://WorldNomads.com is backed by a suite of strong, secure, specialist travel insurance companies. For more information visit http://worldnomads.com.
ETC-UNWTO Handbook on Tourism Destination Branding
September 29, 2009
Brussels, Belgium 21 September 2009. Tourism has become one of the world’s fastest growing economic sectors in recent years. Governments around the world are increasingly recognising the power of tourism to boost their nation’s development and prosperity. As more tourism destinations emerge and competition for visitors becomes more intense, a destination’s ability to project itself on the world stage and differentiate itself from others is ever more important.
Recognizing the value of successfully building and managing a destination’s brand, the European Travel Commission (ETC) and World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) have commissioned this Handbook to provide a useful and practical guide for both marketing novices and experienced destination managers.
Introduced by an essay by Simon Anholt on the importance of building a national brand image, the Handbook on Tourism Destination Branding provides a step-by-step guide to the branding process, accompanied by strategies for brand management. Case studies are featured throughout the Handbook to illustrate the various concepts, present best practices from destinations around the world and provide fresh insight into destination branding. The Handbook concludes with a section on evaluating brand impact and a set of practical recommendations.
Further details on this publication can be found under the following link: http://www.etc-corporate.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=239
Handbook: Table of Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Introductory Essay: Why National Image Matters – By Simon Anholt
- Executive Summary
- Introduction
1. Branding Explained
- 1.1 The Global Context
- 1.2 Role: What a Brand Is and What It Is Not
- 1.3 The Future
2. Practical Guide to Branding Strategy
- 2.1 Introduction
- 2.2 Defining Branding Objectives
- 2.3 Brand Positioning
- 2.4 The Branding Process
- 2.5 The Challenges
3. Bringing the Brand to Life
- 3.1 Introduction
- 3.2 Applying the Brand Values – Marketing Communications
- 3.3 Living the Brand Values – Behaviour
4. Managing the Brand
- 4.1 Introduction
- 4.2 Brand Manager/Guardian
- 4.3 Steering Group
- 4.4 Internal Marketing: NTO Staff
- 4.5 Internal Marketing: Residents
- 4.6 Internal Marketing: Commercial and other Stakeholders
- 4.7 Brand Champions
- 4.8 Brand Advocates
- 4.9 Brand Seminars
- 4.10 Maintaining Momentum – Keeping the Brand Fresh
5. Measuring Brand Impact
- 5.1 Introduction
- 5.2 Brand Tracking Surveys
- 5.3 Online Panel Surveys
- 5.4 Omnibus-style Surveys
- 5.5 International Benchmarking Surveys
- 5.6 Visitor Satisfaction Surveys
- 5.7 Monitoring Media Coverage
6. Branding Strategies in Action
- 6.1 Introduction
- 6.2 Case Studies
7. Conclusions and Recommendations
- 7.1 Introduction
- 7.2 At the Beginning: Understanding the Brand and Its Role
- 7.3 Developing the Brand – Main Steps
- 7.4 Implementing the Brand
- 7.5 Managing and Monitoring the Brand
- 7.6 Critical Success Factors and the Future
Annexes
- Annex 1 Current NTO Branding Practices (NTO Branding Survey)
- Annex 2 Glossary of Terms
Bibliography
ETC is an association of national tourism organisations (NTOs). It was created in 1948 to promote Europe as a tourism destination to the long-haul markets outside Europe and currently has 39 member NTOs, including 12 from outside the European Union. ETC is an independent body which is financed entirely by annual membership contributions and partnership funding.
Peter Greenberg is Named CBS News Travel Editor
September 2, 2009
Peter Greenberg has been named Travel Editor for CBS News.
In his new role, Peter will report regularly on a broad range of travel-related news for CBS News’ The Early Show and will contribute to the division’s other broadcasts and platforms.
“Peter is an award-winning investigative journalist who possesses both an insider’s knowledge of the travel industry and a boundless curiosity about the world,” says Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports. “CBS News is excited to offer our audiences Peter’s infectious love of travel along with his unique ability to spot bargains as well as scams, and his propensity for
breaking news on the beat.”
Editor’s Note:
Peter has previously served as a guest keynote at the ATTA’s Adventure Travel World Summit, and has been a solid supporter of the ATTA and the adventure travel community.
RSS Feeds
Use one (or more) of the following to add AdventureTravelNewsTM to your favorite RSS Feed Reader!
