Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) To Hold Regional Meeting in Boston, February 19, 2010
The first in a series of the ATTA’s 2010 Regional Meetings in North America will be held during the trade-only day of the 2010 Boston Globe Travel Industry Conference on February 19th. The ATTA’s regional meetings are open to all travel industry professionals, typically creating peer-to-peer networking among tour operators, destination marketing representatives, specialty and adventure travel agents, and consumer and travel trade media.
ATTA’s Vice President, Chris Doyle, fresh from joining more than 500 executives representing nearly 50 countries at the association’s 2009 Adventure Travel World Summit in Quebec, Canada, will present an, “Adventure Travel Industry Briefing”, featuring current strengths and threats facing the industry along, backed up with recent industry survey results, market size data and a synopsis of emerging trends.
Then, the meeting will quickly shift to lively, rapid-fire group discussions on topics such as the economy, key market forces, marketing strategies & ideas, how travel agents and suppliers can work together more effectively, what lies ahead for the industry and more.
The ATTA’s Feb. 19th meeting is scheduled for 10:50AM – 12:20PM at the Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Seaport Boulevard in Boston, MA. Meeting participants will also gain access to the rest of the Travel Show at no charge.
For your free registration for the ATTA Regional Meeting in Boston, go to registration for the Boston Globe Travel Show. Use the code ATTA2010, select “Full Conference”, and finally check the box next to the session “OPEN MEETING – ADVENTURE TRAVEL TRADE ASSOCIATION- ROOM 3″.Adventure Travel Trade Association Selects Aviemore, Scotland to Host the 2010 Adventure Travel World Summit
(SEATTLE) – OCTOBER 29, 2009 – The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) announced its selection of Scotland as the host destination of the seventh Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS), the annual global assembly of adventure tourism executives, in 2010, which is scheduled for October 4-7.
During last week’s 2009 Adventure Travel World Summit in Québec, Canada, attended by more than 500 delegates representing nearly 50 countries, the ATTA announced its selection of Scotland. The ATTA decided on Scotland after a lengthy and detailed review, including several presentations and site visits, of destinations worldwide. Salta, Argentina, was the first runner-up in the bidding process.
“Hosting this summit is an excellent opportunity for both Scotland and the Adventure Travel Trade Association to highlight the many options for adventure travel, business and recreation in Scotland,” said Minister for Tourism Jim Mather. “It is vital that we continue to look at new and innovative ways of attracting new visitors to our great country through initiatives such as this, ensuring that Scotland continues to be one of the ‘must visit’ destinations in the world that is open for business all year round.”
Scotland’s successful bid hinged upon many factors, most importantly for VisitScotland’s enthusiasm, planning and strategic vision, for a supportive government at the highest levels, for the country’s commitment to sustainable lifestyles, for its world-class adventure travel resources, and its early and active engagement of regional partners to strengthen European involvement in the event. VisitScotland also secured the support of Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond, rallied several major country tourism boards to support the trade conference, and partnered with event venue, transportation and accommodation partners to ensure a high value, cost-effective event for delegates worldwide.
“With such incredible destinations stepping up to host our the adventure travel community’s annual gatherings, the Summit site decision-making process has become more and more challenging,” said ATTA President Shannon Stowell. “Scotland’s inventive approaches, understanding of the ATTA’s short- and long-term vision, and its commitment to our mutual success gave this emerging adventure travel destination the edge.”
The ATTA’s Summit conferences engage, enlighten, inspire, and energize the leaders of the adventure travel community with executive-level networking, business and professional development programs, educational seminars and emerging adventure destination product review opportunities. Among the special offerings slated for 2010, the ATTA will feature new “Transformative Thinking” plenary sessions, enhanced special programs dedicated to connect delegates with high quality journalists, and “Key Market Forces” and “Tactics for Today” sessions designed to help adventure travel organizations turn operational, marketing, partnership and prospect challenges and opportunities into results-oriented endeavors.
With its ATWS events, the ATTA and its Summit delegates, primarily tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, media, agents, adventure lodges, and service organizations (e.g., transportation, technology, marketing, etc.), influence the manner in which adventure travel is introduced, executed and sustained in any given destination worldwide. These adventure travel organizations collaborate to encourage the industry to adopt sustainability and best practices that give back to the people and places impacted by adventure travel.
Host destination of the 2010 Adventure Travel World Summit is Scotland. Registration is accessible at www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com.
Established in 1990, the Seattle-based ATTA (www.adventuretravel.biz) is a privately held, global membership organization dedicated to unifying, networking, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market. Host of the annual Adventure Travel World Summit executive trade conferences (www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com), the ATTA also makes possible www.Adventure.Travel, the traveler’s hub of physical, cultural and nature-based adventure travel and guide to trusted tour operators from around the globe.
Online Hub For Adventure Travel Businesses Gains Instant Following
Adoption of Online Social Networking Resources Fuels Networking, Business
(SEATTLE) – (March 4, 2009) – Blogs, Groups, Forums and Videos are fueling the rapid adoption of a vibrant new online networking hub for the global adventure travel community launched today by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).
Dubbed, “The HUB,” the ATTA’s central digital meeting space is offered to encourage its members to become more active in the global adventure travel community and to build partnerships, create new business opportunities and discuss pressing issues. The HUB is offered exclusively for adventure travel trade professionals representing nearly 500 corporate and organizational ATTA members covering six continents.
In its first two weeks since its ‘silent’ launch, The HUB has attracted more than 70 companies whose executives are sharing expertise and conducting business-to-business discussions. Additionally, users are posting Blogs, photos and videos on a range of adventure-relevant issues, projects and initiatives.
“Our HUB puts a new channel of relationship building and networking front and center for our members,” said ATTA President Shannon Stowell. “It allows our growing community to connect immediately, efficiently and cost-effectively on a very specific set of subject matter and vital business interests. Plus, it’s delivered in a format that offers members a creative, fun and productive way to stay engaged in between physical world networking events, trade shows and our Adventure Travel World Summit.”
In an industry where business progress often is heavily dependent on sharing stories, conveying powerful visual elements, negotiating complex matters, and regularly communicating through different cultures and languages, ATTA’s HUB offers powerful Web tools and features that allows for more effective communication between people. In particular, the integration of video and photo sharing helps users to convey special projects and initiatives that can offer others inspiration, guidance and new ideas to implement within their organization. Evidence already exists that geographic barriers are becoming less of an issue within The HUB. Leading executives from tourism boards and tour operators based in South Africa, Peru, Cambodia, Switzerland, Australia and North America have already connected and collaborated online with cross-continental colleagues.
Beyond serving as a more practical function for the ATTA with one-stop-access to association benefits, The Hub empowers site users to introduce new groups or forums for community consideration. Topics originally seeded in The HUB by the ATTA include: sustainable tourism, use of social networking tools, and indigenous tourism development. For the ATTA, a key objective of The HUB is to allow for organic growth and progression of industry dialogue on current news, issues and other matters of import to the adventure travel trade. New HUB users have recently initiated several discussion groups including such gathering spots as, “PR & Marketing Adventures,” “Adventure Travel Video,” “Adventure Twitters,” “Social Media Engagement,” and “Corporate Social Responsibility.”
Established in 1990, the Seattle-based ATTA (www.adventuretravel.biz) is a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, networking, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market. ATTA members include tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, specialty travel agents, guides, accommodations, media and service providers. Host of the annual Adventure Travel World Summit executive conferences (www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com), the ATTA provides professional support, development, education, research, marketing, career building, networking and cost-saving resources to its members.
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