CnAdventure
CnAdventure is a successful, rapidly-growing Adventure Tour company which specializes in organizing exciting eco & adventure tours throughout China.
Our business is dedicated to providing personalized service of the highest quality to our customers, travelers who want to know the real China!
Based in Beijing, and with over 10 years of experience, our flagship product is our wide variety of high-quality Great Wall hiking tours. No other company offers the diversity of hikes to this “must-see” World heritage site as we do!
CnAdventure specializes in 4 main areas (1) hiking/trekking (2) 4WD (3) horseback riding (4) and visiting minority groups
1) Hiking/trekking – besides offering a variety of Great Wall hikes along its entire length, we also offer many other treks of varying difficulty levels, into many remote regions of China, from 5-day easy hiking to Tiger Leaping Gorge to 21-day challenging treks to K2 or to Mt. Kailash in Tibet.
(2) 4WD –Our 4X4 expeditions are unique and challenging. Not only do we take you to the places you may have heard about, such as the hair-raising but picturesque road from Sichuan to “the Roof of the World”-Tibet, and the ancient Silk Road, we take you to remote, lesser known areas. Many areas we visit can only be accessed by 4WD carrying full supplies (food and tents, eg. crossing the desolate Nop Lor Lake )
(3) Horseback riding –Our riding excursions vary from experiencing the real nomadic lifestyle on the grasslands to following the Ancient Tea-horse Road through the rugged mountains.
(4) Culture – China has more than 50 minority groups and we know most of them! To visit and spend time with any of them is a precious cultural experience, especially during the time of the many never-to-be-forgotten festivals! By visiting villages and arranging home-stays, our specialists allow visitors to merge right in and share their lifestyle. These cultural opportunities are not tours – they are experiences far more rewarding than even the myriad of memorable images one will capture on film.
Why us?
In one word – “experience”.
The quality and creativity of our itineraries, their educational content, the flexibility and the variety of adventure and cultural experiences offered, and the quality of our guides cannot be beaten.
We engage professional local naturalists and specialists in order to better share the natural treasures of China with our customers. Our tours offer interactive cultural experiences, not just passive visits to must-see sights.
Our tours are always evolving. We are constantly working with existing customers from Europe, Australia, and the USA, to develop new tours or modify existing ones. This experience leads directly to the evolution of our “standard” tours. Some of these tours are exclusive in the marketplace.
We look forward to partnering with foreign-based adventure tour companies to allow them to enrich their own repertoire of tours, and to offer a truly-new adventure travel experience to their own customers
Horizontes Nature Tours – Costa Rica
“We inspire the enjoyment, fulfillment, and personal discovery of our guests through responsibly designed and operated travel programs that provide meaningful experiences with the nature and people of Costa Rica”
Since 1984, Costa Rica-based Horizontes Nature Tours has led many thousands of travelers to the country’s most beautiful and biodiversity-rich destinations, all in the name of conservation. A pioneer in nature travel, Horizontes has helped create an incentive for the protection of Costa Rica’s landmark national park system by encouraging small groups of travelers to visit these wild lands. Over the year’s Horizontes has instituted a number of initiatives aimed at “greening” its own business and the industry. The company’s philanthropic efforts have extended to community development and park projects that include the funding of national park rangers to prevent poaching, and the support of trail building, research stations, and conservation organizations.
Horizontes Style:
At Horizontes we believe that bigger does not always mean better, especially when traveling to places of great biodiversity. The best way to see our country is in small groups accompanied by an excellent naturalist. We also believe that the best hotels are small with local flavor that meet international standards of quality. Through our strong partnerships built since we began in 1984, we can provide unmatched personalized service in line with the highest standards for sustainable practices.
Certified Quality:
Horizontes is the only tour operator in Costa Rica with the highest 5-leaf certification for sustainable tourism with our country’s CST program. Our certification comes with ongoing commitment to evaluate our own operations and those of our suppliers, in order to guarantee the utmost safety, security and quality of experience to our guests. To provide a seamless tour, Horizontes reconfirms its reservations three times before arrival, so guests can rest easy knowing all is taken care of. Not one area of the country, not one hotel or other service is included in a Horizontes itinerary unless someone from our staff has inspected it first hand. Our full-time research department keeps us up to date with new hotels, restaurants, private reserves, tours and other services that have proliferated as a result of the recent growth in tourism to Costa Rica.
Unique and Responsible Itineraries:
When traveling with Horizontes, you can visit national parks and private reserves teeming with biodiversity, have a peek at rural living in agricultural valleys and rural hamlets, enjoy active tours on whitewater rivers, mangrove estuaries, rain-forested waterways and refreshing waterfalls, and observe wildlife on land and along our coasts. While traveling, rest assured that your trip has been designed responsibly and includes every opportunity for you to discover the essence of our beautiful country.
Focus on Nature, Adventure and Culture:
Our guides provide a unique interpretation of the natural places you visit and share a unique local perspective on Costa Rica’s past, present and future.
Bonded and Insured:
We carry the maximum possible umbrella liability insurance in Costa Rica for $2 million.
Responsible Travel:
Through the years we have made many contributions to protect our wild lands, made possible through our partnerships. Horizontes has donated $20,000 to protect jaguars in Corcovado National Park and gave $10,000 toward a reforestation project connecting Corcovado and La Amistad Biosphere Reserve. We have dedicated our resources to an awareness campaign on sustainable practices held for our suppliers through a program with the New York-based Rainforest Alliance. On 2006, we became the first and only tour operator to earn the highest 5-leaf rating with our region’s Certification in Sustainable Tourism (CST)
Airport Meet and Greet:
To start the trip off on the right foot, we greet your travelers inside the airport and provide instruction on how to maneuver and who to look for once past Customs. Our airport staff receives guests under the brand of our wholesalers, with signage at the airport and on vehicles.
Flexibility:
Since we develop all tailor made programs, we have operations and logistical knowledge of the entire country. Anywhere your clients want to go, we can advise of the best way to get there, as well as the right places to stay, according to their needs.
Leadership:
For 25 years we have been working towards excellence in all levels of customer service in support of our partners’ constant drive to enhance their personalized services. Wholesalers can count on our deep interest in supporting your efforts to make Costa Rica the most highly sought after destinations in Latin America.
Good company:
Horizontes is proud to partner with some of the most prestigious tour operators in the US and UK, which demands constant innovation in our field.
Partner Training:
Yearly visits to your office for staff training and new product development. We are also interested in receiving your staff on annual FAM trips, giving them first hand knowledge that they can pass on to potential guests.
New Challenge:
On 2008, following the path of sustainability and Social Corporate Responsibility, Tamara and Margarita sold their company to their managers, finding a financing tool based on an MBO program (Managers Buy Out). This way, the philosophical frame of the company will remain intact and all their ongoing sustainability programs will be reinforced, developed and renewed! The new owners of Horizontes are Will Aiello-GM, Federico Calderón-Finance, Patricia Forero-R&D and Luigi Quesada-Commercial.
ViaTour Software
Dear Adventure Travel Professional:
We are pleased to support the Adventure Travel Trade Association and see a great deal of overlap between Adventure Tour Operator’s needs and of our educational travel clients. Since 2001, ViaTour Software has provided tour operators a powerful and easy-to-use tool to track tours, reservations, P&L, vendors and much more.
Investing in your infrastructure can help you survive today, put you ahead of the competition tomorrow, and position you for fast growth when the economy recovers. Concentrating on areas of strength is vital in this economic environment. Not all companies will survive these times but those that do will share a commitment to laying a strong foundation and taking advantage of special opportunities. One such opportunity is the ViaTour “stimulus package” for ATTA members. Look for our announcement later in April about our “buy now/pay later” option.
Are you uncertain about how to apply database technology to your business operations? Check us out and you will feel you are on familiar ground. ViaTour is a Microsoft Access-based solution with an interface that feels natural to the way you work.
I have been in educational travel for more than ten years, owned my own tour company, and have been exposed to many sides of the industry, and I know the value of a responsive, creative, and steadfast partner. At ViaTour, we have helped 20 customers make ViaTour an integral part of their daily operations by converting data, training staff, streamlining business processes, and working with them every step of the way to ensure their success. It’s what we do best.
We look forward to helping you!
Read on to learn more about us or view our video at: http://www.viatoursoftware.com/video.php
Sincerely,
Karen Ziegler, President
ViaTour Software
MISSION:
Our mission is to support tour operators and travel professionals with the technology to work faster, and more accurately, and to leverage their collected information to plan more effectively. We support a collaborative development model while letting you customize the application to fit your needs.
ABOUT US:
ViaTour Software is the #1 all-in-one tour management solution for travel providers today and has been the premier solution since 2001 with over 20 client sites in the United States and Canada.
ViaTour manages your hard won business intelligence throughout the entire tour lifecycle, with features for
- proposal, costing, and marketing
- reservation processing and client communications
- tour operations and vendor management
- robust querying and reporting on business activity
ViaTour is designed by travel professionals for travel professionals. The user interface is intuitive, navigation is quick and easy, and you will find a place for every detail large or small – you can even add your own custom fields.
View our informative eight minute demo at: http://www.viatoursoftware.com/video.php
CLIENT BASE:
Our clients are industry professionals upgrading from custom-built databases or our competitors’ products. They all had a need for more robust software system or were unhappy with the limited support from their current providers. We have 100% customer satisfaction and have never lost a client to the competition!
Our clients cater to niche markets, often with a specialization in either an area of the world or an area of expertise, and make customer service a high priority.
Some of our clients are larger organizations; others started as family businesses and have grown into major players. We provide outstanding implementation and training services to all our clients – from interns and volunteers with minimal computer experience to our “power users” who take their ViaTour data into Excel for advanced querying and analysis.
PRODUCTS:
ViaTour is available in three versions, Basic, Standard and Pro, to meet the needs and budgets of organizations of all sizes.
Each ViaTour application level includes a comprehensive set of features that will immediately boost your staff’s day-to-day productivity in the following areas: targeted marketing by mail or email, reservation processing, tour implementation, financial tracking and executive analysis.
ViaTour is fully integrated with standard Microsoft Office programs you are already familiar with – Outlook, Word and Excel.
Web Integration Available Summer 2009: Data in SQL Server, Data Hosting, Web Services, Website Development and Web Integration. If you require web functionality (publishing tour data to the web, taking reservation bookings from the web), scalability for more than 25 users, multi-location access or all of the above, we recommend purchasing our new ViaTour version with data in SQL Server.
In concert with this release, we will be offering data hosting services (which would allow users in remote locations to access your secure production data over the internet), integrated web services and web page templates for publishing tour info and taking bookings. (Creating reports in Word or Excel for publication to the web by your web developer is an alternative for advanced users in any level of ViaTour.)
OUR COMMITMENT
- Expect a quick return on investment – ViaTour will:
- Streamline daily operations with efficient use of automation;
- Improve customer service by ensuring ready access to accurate information;
- Facilitate effective communications, both within and outside your organization;
- Increase staff productivity without adding employees;
- Leverage data into powerful business intelligence and successful marketing.
Designed to meet your needs and challenges – ViaTour serves:
- Outbound and receptive tour operators;
- Alumni, museum and non-profit travel programs;
- Large, medium and small organizations;
- Specialty and luxury travel providers;
- Coach operators and adventure operators.
An innovative and reliable software partner – the ViaTour team will:
- Engage with you in a detailed product evaluation to understand your needs.
- Integrate your business terminology into the user interface.
- Create custom reports that express your look and style.
- Enhance ViaTour’s feature set to continually advance your business objectives.
- Facilitate client collaboration on new development for unbeatable value.
- Provide unparalleled technical support with ViaTour’s Annual Maintenance Plan.
VisitScotland
VisitScotland is the national tourism organization for Scotland. Our core objectives are to promote Scotland as a must-visit, must-return destination for business and leisure travel, engage and work in partnership with the tourism industry, add value to the visitor experience, provide strategic direction to the industry and manage our operations efficiently and effectively. VisitScotland working in partnership with industry has an ambition to grow Scottish tourism revenues by 50% by 2015.
In addition, it is fundamentally important that VisitScotland works within Scotland’s Tourism Framework for Change which challenges public agencies and businesses to establish Scotland as Europe’s most sustainable – economically, environmentally and socially – destination by 2015.
VisitScotland has a key role to play in meeting this challenge. Using information and influence and leading by example and encouragement, VisitScotland’s Sustainable Tourism Unit will drive Scotland’s tourism industry towards greater environmental, economic and social sustainability.
Tourism is worth £4 billion to the Scottish economy and 80% of all visitors to Scotland originate from the UK with overseas visitors accounting for the other 20%. Our International Marketing department is split into three teams which focus on key target audiences within North America & Australasia, Europe and Emerging Markets.
Adventure Travel in Scotland
Scotland is world-renowned for its traditional iconography (whisky, tartan, stunning scenery, warm hospitality, innovation, education and architecture), and whilst these aspects of our heritage are very important, there’s so much more to Scotland than these.
VisitScotland has been working with the national adventure travel industry since 2002, in order to raise the profile of Scotland as key global destination for both ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ adventures in the Great Outdoors.
Adventure tourism offers many positives for Scotland. This includes excellent opportunities to develop a sustainable rural economy and educate visitors about Scotland’s constantly developing ‘green’ credentials.
It also allows VisitScotland and tourism businesses to link adventures in the great outdoors to our unique cultural heritage and natural heritage and surprise both loyal and new visitors about what Scotland can offer in addition to our traditional iconography.
Some key adventure travel highlights include the following:
Mountain Biking: Scotland has a wide range of purpose-built mountain biking centers dotted throughout the country, featuring dedicated all-weather trails, which are accessible to all levels of biker – from beginner (green trails) right through to aficionados (black and orange trails).
In addition and importantly, Scotland also has a myriad of natural singletrack trails on offer which take the experienced mountain biker into what sometimes feels like uncharted territory. These natural trails are the perfect complement to dedicated cent res and truly offer mountain biking for all abilities. Access to these trails is also enshrined in some of the most progressive access legislation in Europe which presents visitors with unambiguous opportunities to get into the wider countryside and go exploring off-the-less-beaten-track! Log on to www.visitscotland.com/adventure for more information.
Sea Kayaking: Scotland is a relatively small country. If you travel south to north as the crow flies – it’s only a few hundred miles! But if you undertake the same journey by sea kayak you’ll discover thousands of miles of coastline to explore. And that doesn’t include the islands anchored round the coast.
There are many perfect locations for sea kayaking around Scotland, but arguably some of the finest waters in the world for this activity are to be found on the west coast and on the very western edge of Europe, in the Outer Hebrides. Paddle through an elemental, awe-inspiring landscape taking in the amazing sights with some indigenous wildlife for company along the way. Log on to www.visitscotland.com/adventure for more information.
Walking: Scotland can offer adventurers an enviable diversity of walking options, from gentle forest walks to challenging mountain treks and epic adventures through some of the finest wilderness areas in Europe via formal, informal and visitor-devised long-distance routes and trails. The UK benefits from some of the finest landscape mapping in the world, which makes planning your own route all the easier and more rewarding. And the Scottish Outdoor Access Code again provides outdoors enthusiasts with unambiguous guidance on accessing wild areas responsibly. Log on to www.visitscotland.com/walking for further information.
Wildlife: Due to the wild and undeveloped nature of the landscape, Scotland is home to an abundant diversity of resident and visiting species and can offer the adventure traveler some great wildlife-watching opportunities as part of their visit.
Drift quietly on gentle currents to see minke whale, basking shark, dolphins, seals and porpoises. Sit patiently with some binoculars to catch a glimpse of the magnificent white-tailed sea eagle or golden eagle (as well as a much wider variety of birds of prey and birdlife in general) or tread warily to catch sight of magnificent red or roe deer, red squirrel, pine marten, otter and much more besides. Log on to www.visitscotland.com/wildlife for more information.
Green Tourism: VisitScotland has green and sustainable tourism at the very core of its operations. The organization adopted an environmental policy in 2006 which covers VisitScotland’s own green practices, how we communicate and educate visitors to green issues and also sets out how we promote environmental good practice and shared responsibility with the Scottish tourism industry.
VisitScotland has had a long involvement with the Tourism & Environment Forum (now the VisitScotland Sustainable Tourism Unit), which develops industry initiatives to increase the profile of green issues and how to tackle these. Further information can be found at www.greentourism.org.uk.
Green Tourism Business Scheme: Many Scottish tourism businesses and their patrons have long enjoyed the benefits and prestige that membership of the Green Tourism Business Scheme brings. This scheme was developed and introduced in Scotland in 1997 and is now the premier green qualmark for tourism businesses throughout the UK.
There are currently 2012 member businesses throughout the UK (over 700 of which are Scottish) and the scheme is a key tool in driving sustainable tourism in Scotland forward. Membership recruitment is a key focus for this scheme and further information about it can be found at www.green-business.co.uk.
The above gives a flavour of what Scotland is doing, but there’s so much more going on! To find out more contact the above or better still, come and visit and find out for yourself!
Mama Tembo Tours Inc
Vancouver, Canada-based Mama Tembo Tours Inc is owned and operated by Leslie Nevison. It grew out of 30 years of independent travel; 20 years of living overseas in eight countries – which includes Tanzania, Republic of Congo and Zambia – and a travel writing career. For the last ten years, Leslie has spent at least six months of the year in Africa. Currently, she splits her time between Canada, California, and Zambia.
MTT customizes private safaris for individuals and small groups, bringing to each her insider’s knowledge of the countries in which she has resided. She works in Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia and Central and West Africa. Several times a year she escorts small groups to her favorite destinations; or to new destinations she wants to share; or to destinations which require her help at the helm (such as the Republic of Congo). Leslie joins only a handful of operators who offer travel to Republic of Congo’s Nouabale-Ndoki National Park and Central African Republic’s Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, among Africa’s newest and most adventurous wildlife experiences.
It is rare that anyone returns home disappointed with their safari, but they might not be aware of what they didn’t see, how much better it could have been. Leslie wants to ensure that her clients are aware of every option for their African adventure of a lifetime, no matter how they define that adventure. She gives informed and honest advice; provides one-on-one support from the early days of safari selection, through the booking process, to departure day for Africa, to the day clients return home.
REI Adventures
REI Adventures is a global leader in worldwide guided active adventure programs since 1987. The company offers unique itineraries focused on sustainable, human-powder outdoor adventure; hiking, biking, kayaking, climbing and more. Guests experience iconic destinations as guides take them off the beaten path and provide opportunities to explore a destination, get to know the local people, their culture, the flora and fauna and discover things they would not be able to duplicate on their own or with another travel company. This may include a special viewpoint only known to a local guide, a stop at a small business, village or home they the guide has arranged on advance. We strive to provide guests with unique opportunities that impact their travel experience and often, their lives. For more information and available destinations, please visit www.rei.com/adventures.
Elemental Kite Club
Elemental Kite Club offers an adventurous kitesurfing experience on the tranquil shores of Costa Esmeralda in Veracruz, Mexico. The peaceful beach and ideal weather conditions make the location perfect for this fast growing extreme sport. The Elemental Kite Club has teamed up with Taboga, a beautiful eco boutique hotel, to provide facilities tailored to meet the needs of kitesurfers. Good wind, delicious food, lots of sunshine and gracious hospitality will entice visitors to stay long past their holiday.
Guests can pump kites up on the large lawn between the rooms and the ocean, also providing ample space for cleaning, drying and storing kites. There are miles of empty, hazardless beach to enjoy—one may find oneself solo on the beautiful sea. After a brilliant session, kiters can land their gear on the lawn in front of the palm-thatch Palapa Bar and rinse off with a fresh water shower before relaxing with a delicious snack or a mango margarita. Guests can finish the day with a dip in the lovely pool.
The windy season on this part of the Gulf of Mexico starts in October and continues through to June, with wind direction is mainly sideshore or side onshore. From November to February strong northerly winds “Nortes” are common throughout the season. The wind usually blows all afternoon so mornings can be spent relaxing by the pool, treating yourself to a massage in our spa, enjoying the local nature on one of our eco-tours or by taking a trip to the ancient ruins of El Tajin. These activities are ideal for non-kiting guests and low-wind days so there is always plenty of fun to be had. In the evenings, guest can enjoy a delicious dinner at the Mexican Fusion restaurant, chill out in the Jacuzzi, and then join us on the beach for a bonfire and endless stargazing.
Elemental Kite Club was created by two keen kitesurfing friends. La Costa Esmeralda is the perfect spot for adventurous kitesurfers from all over the world to get together and share their passion. Here kiters can enjoy excellent living facilities and great service in a safe environment, plus miles of coast to explore by kite or on foot. In the near future Elemental Kite Club will open a Kitesurfing School offering lessons to beginners and intermediate students, as well as an equipment rental service and a kite store.
Elemental Kite Club also organizes downwinders to and from our beach plus kite trips to nearby locations such as the huge Laguna Tamihua, a relatively unexplored spot combining flat water and strong winds.
If you are eager for great kiting and a peaceful holiday, come join us here on the Gulf Coast of Mexico! For more details, please visit www.elementalkiteclub.com
Rio y Montaña Expediciones (R&M)
Over the last 15 years, Rio y Montaña (R&M) has positioned itself as the household name in Adventure Travel in Mexico. We have catered to the most discerning clientele and our strongest marketing tool is still direct word of mouth. Today, we service over 12 thousand customers per year with over 180 hand-picked staff members in each of our three owned and operated adventure lodges in some of the Mexico´s most fantastic destinations.
Cascada Expediciones
Cascada Expediciones is a Chilean in-bound tour operator dedicated mainly to develop eco-friendly trips in the Patagonia, Chile, Argentina and Bolivia.
Extreme Ireland Hiking and Adventure Tours
Extreme Ireland is at the forefront for the adventure industry in Ireland. All of our staff have years of experience in the outdoor business… We specialise in hiking tours, all our guides are mountain leader qualified and certified outdoor first aiders i.e. REC 3 at a minimum.
