Launching this fall is, “Richard Bangs’ Adventures with Purpose, a new, one-hour special from American Public Television. Hosted by ATTA Advisory Board member Richard Bangs who is often called “the father of modern adventure travel,” Adventures with Purpose is the pilot episode for a series of adventure travel, eco-conscience, historical documentaries.
According to Bangs, “Adventures with Purpose not only quicken the pulse and fire the synapses, they are also journeys of enlightenment and discovery—odysseys that make a difference.” Host and co-executive producer, Richard is a pioneer in travel that makes a difference, travel with a purpose. He has spent 30 years as an explorer and communicator, and along the way led first descents of 35 rivers around the globe, including the Yangtze in China and the Zambezi in Southern Africa. Richard has published more than 1000 magazine articles, 16 books, a score of documentaries and several CD-ROMs; and has lectured at the Smithsonian, the National Geographic Society, the Explorers Club and many other notable venues. He writes a semi-regular feature for the NY Times. His latest book, Adventures with Purpose, published by Menasha Ridge Press, is a companion to this television special. The lead essay in the book parallels the documentary and is a 7500 word article that tells the tale of Richard’s “Quest for the Lord of the Nile.”
Stay tuned for a special, pre-Adventure Travel World Summit September 2007 installment in the coming weeks, where AdventureTravelNews™ Editor Chris Doyle interviews Richard to learn about his perspectives on what our industry will look like in 10 years, guidance for tour operators on what they should be concerned about and what they can do now, suggestions about messaging businesses can provide to consumers, plus insights into how his perspectives about the adventure travel community have shifted over the past 30 years.