Featured Adventure Travel World Summit News
Making Business Happen Inside the 2011 AFAR Exchange Global Marketplace
November 15, 2011
Photo: K. Gill Within the colonial courtyard and garden of the El Carmen Cultural Centre in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Day 2 of the Adventure Travel World Summit saw successful business-to-business meetings in the AFAR Exchange marketplace. Now in its third year as a full day component of the Summit, marketplace forges successful long-term partnerships between tour operators around the globe. Limited to 100 exhibitors (adventure-focused tour operators and destinations from around the world) and with a heavy emphasis this year on promoting Mexico’s adventure tourism opportunities, the comfortable venue and structured, mostly pre-scheduled meetings allowed outbound operators, wholesalers and specialty agents to learn firsthand about new regions, develop itineraries and check in with current partners. The 2011 AFAR Exchange featured tour and service providers from 40 countries and 12 Mexican states. Buyers participated from a wide range of micro- to large-sized businesses, but... Read More →
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ATTA and Away.com to Award Three Tour Operator Scholarships for the 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit
July 12, 2011
Call for Qualified Applicants – July 29, 2011 Submission Deadline (SEATTLE) July 12, 2011 – Providing financial support to early-stage adventure tourism enterprises is the purpose behind the Tour Operator Scholarships launched today by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and Away.com. Away.com is a leading travel website that inspires travelers on where to take their next vacation, and is owned by Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW). Deserving scholarship winners for 2011 will gain access to the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s global network of more than 750 members, its membership resources, and travel fare and a delegate seat for the 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit set for October 17-20 in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. Scholarship winners will use these ATTA resources to help them grow their business, network, develop their professional skills, and be inspired by industry peers and influencers, all with the end goal of providing them the chance to take... Read More →
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2011 Adventure Travel World Summit – New Developments
April 13, 2011
Bullish and earlier-than-normal support continues for the ATTA’s 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit, all while the ATTA and its Summit partners make significant and steady strides toward delivering the industry’s leading annual gathering. Recent Summit developments include: Day-by-Day Agenda released – blending the best of inspiration, networking and B2B, with knowledge, insight, skills, adventure and entertainment 2011 ATWS attracts more and earlier registrants than in previous years – more than 200 delegates representing 38 countries are already registered Early and serious Sponsor backing sets encouraging tone for Summit “AFAR Exchange” fully booked – Suppliers quickly nab space in the “AFAR Exchange” (the Summit’s one-day, business-to-business marketplace) earlier than expected, giving Buyers an optimum, adventure-specific array of new and different product, destinations and partners, with an especially strong showing of Latin American Suppliers Read More →
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Early and Serious Sponsor Backing Sets Encouraging Tone for Summit
April 13, 2011
Summit sponsors receive: extensive branding, networking, lead generation, and promotions of their products, services and destinations. Early sponsor support for the 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit is indicative of an industry that’s gaining strength. What’s more is that sponsorship is coming from myriad directions, reflecting the diversity of the ATTA’s membership – from destination tourism, technology providers, media, online trip aggregators and travel agencies, gear companies and others. Such diversity then opens up new doors for entertaining, distinctive and creative sponsorship concepts that complement our strong showing of return sponsors. An ATTA sponsorship not only supports the sponsor’s business and organizational brand development, but provides direct support of the Summit, helping fuel energy and entertainment, featured speakers and colorful execution of each annual Summit, factors which help distinguish the adventure travel community’s annual gathering from... Read More →
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Registrations, Sponsorships, Progress for ATTA’s 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit Outpaces Plans
February 2, 2011
What a difference two years make. By February 1st, 2009, despite the ATTA’s best efforts to generate early interest in its marquee annual event, the Adventure Travel World Summit, registrations were at an all time low during the Early Bird (pre-April) period ahead of the annual fall gathering. Fortunately, for the ATTA and the Summit, the industry eventually rallied and the event drew more than 500 delegates representing 42 countries in Quebec, Canada. In the face of serious economic turmoil, the global adventure tourism community braced for troubling economic times – most looked inward and worked diligently to ensure that personal and professional fundamentals were in order. Still, more than 500 believers leaned into the 2009 Summit, investing limited resources into the high value gathering where intimate access to an effective business-to-business marketplace, networking and professional development held court. A compelling notion: adventure travel industry leaders investing during... Read More →
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The 2011 AFAR Exchange: Making Business Happen
February 2, 2011
In a climate of brand saturation, disintermediation, and the never-ending quest for the next adventure-of-a-lifetime, travel businesses must find the right partners for the right programs. The ATWS Marketplace, dubbed the AFAR Exchange, will work to create and strengthen business-to-business relationships in the adventure travel market by offering registered Suppliers and Buyers pre-scheduled meetings onsite at the 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. Designed to take networking a step further, the AFAR Exchange is structured for in-depth, one-on-one interaction between ATWS Suppliers (ATTA Member Inbound Tour Operators and Accommodations) and ATWS Buyers (Outbound Tour Operators, Wholesalers and Specialty Travel Agents). Suppliers will have the opportunity to engage potential partners, develop a stronger network, and build new marketing and sales offerings worldwide. Buyers are presented with the unique opportunity to enhance their itineraries... Read More →
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2011 Summit Sponsorship Interest, Commitments on Record Pace
February 2, 2011
Summit sponsors receive: extensive branding, networking, lead generation, and promotions of their products, services and destinations. The ATTA is experiencing unprecedented sponsor demand for the 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit. All major Summit sponsorship opportunities are spoken for in 2011, with only a few mid- to small-sized sponsorships remaining. “We’re seeing more sponsor interest than in any prior year, which is certainly a good challenge to have,” said ATTA Vice President of Business Development Chris Chesak. “There are just a few Summit sponsorship opportunities available, but we’re also open to entertaining new, distinctive and creative sponsorship concepts that complement our strong showing of return sponsors, whether they are sponsorships for the Summit, or year-round support of the growing ATTA community.” Returning sponsors will include Eddie Bauer, Chiapas CVB, AFAR magazine, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Norway, Quebec, Scotland, Switzerland and Jordan. The... Read More →
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An Interview with Speaker Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee
October 7, 2010
Shannon Stowell, Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, and Chris Doyle Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, founder of the Afghan Institute of Learning, delivered her Transformative Thinking talk on the theme of “Inspire” at the close of the 2010 Adventure Travel World Summit. The ATTA sat with Dr. Yacoobi for a few moments during the Summit to hear her reflections about the spirit of the adventure travel industry, the work she is doing in her country, and thoughts on effectively inspiring others. This is your first time at the Adventure Travel World Summit. What do you think of the program and the people you’ve encountered here? I want to thank ATTA for the whole Summit from the bottom of my heart. Coming from Afghanistan, where I cannot walk freely, move around freely, where there is much pressure and scrutiny, coming to this place was beautiful. Watching this organization, how it functions educationally – everyone here, they’re not greedy people, not everything is for themselves. Where I come from, people... Read More →
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Palestinian Delegate Reports on First Summit Experience
October 7, 2010
From the left, Chris Doyle of the ATTA, Raed Saadeh of the Alternative Tourism Network, and Shannon Stowell, president of the ATTA. Raed Saadeh of the Alternative Tourism Network in Palestine’s gave a presentation at the 2010 Adventure Travel World Summit. Raed’s presentation focused on creating awareness of the many unique, authentic experiential tourism experiences available in Palestine. Raed spoke about the challenges that Palestine is facing as an emerging destination and one that most frequently attracts negative media and asked the other delegates to engage in partnerships with Palestine to improve their tourism experiences and promote them to intrepid, curious and caring travelers in order to forward peace in the world and the lives of the people in Palestine. Mr. Saadeh told Shannon Stowell, president of the ATTA, that Palestine believed it is the best tourism show he has ever attended. The delegates have a genuine and passionate commitment to developing and promoting... Read More →
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Adventure Travel World Summit Set for October 4-7, 2010 Attracts Record Interest
September 22, 2010
(SEATTLE) – September 22, 2010 – The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) today reported that the 2010 Adventure Travel World Summit set for October 4-7 in Aviemore, Scotland, has attracted higher-than-anticipated early registrations, participants in its business-to-business marketplace, and record numbers of journalists and nations represented, eclipsing marks set at its prior six Summits. Aviemore, host to the first Adventure Travel World Summit to be held in the UK, is nearing its 600-delegate limit for the executive conference. The ATTA and VisitScotland, partners in delivering the four-day conference, indicate that the destination itself, the Summit’s innovative agenda and world-class presenters, combined with higher than normal early registrations and an at-capacity marketplace have contributed to heightened interest for the event in the greater Cairngorms National Park region. Read More → Read More →
