Adventure Tourism Development Index 2009 Report

A joint initiative of The George Washington University, the Adventure Travel Trade Association and Xola Consulting, the Adventure Tourism Development Index (ATDI) ranks 192 countries based for their adventure travel competitiveness.

The 2009 ATDI Report, in three parts, is available below at no charge.

The methodology relies on hard data and expert surveys to asses countries in 10 pillars:

1. Sustainable Development
2. Health
3. Safety
4. Security
5. Cultural Resources
6. Natural Resources
7. Adventure Activity Resources
8. Infrastructure
9. Entrepreneurship
10. Image

The top three developing countries this year were the Slovak Republic, Israel and the Czech Republic. The top three developed countries were Iceland, Switzerland and New Zealand.

• Download full report: Click here.
• Download the pillar scores for developing countries: Click here.
• Download the pillar scores for developed countries: Click here.

Survey and other research data gathered to generate the ATDI rankings can be customized for a fee. Xola Consulting can create reports to help inform and support country adventure development and marketing objectives. Contact Xola for more information on custom reports.

Q1 2010 Adventure Travel Industry Snapshot

GIVE 10 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME AND GET THE SURVEY RESULTS FREE

Providing ATTA Members regularly with fresh research is a key objective of the ATTA. To help accomplish this, adventure travel tour operators are requested to complete this survey by Friday, February 19th.

This Industry Snapshot is a quarterly check-in on the state of tour operators in the adventure travel industry.

The ATTA will then compile the data in aggregate and report the results to ATTA Members and to all tour operators that complete the survey.

If your organization does not conduct tours, please do not take this survey as it will skew the data.

All survey responses are anonymous.

SURVEY CLOSED

New research confirms Mexico’s tourism will remain strong over long term

(August 10, 2009) — WTTC expects Mexico’s Travel & Tourism Economy GDP growth to average around 5% per annum over the next decade (2009-19), generating some 2 million direct industry jobs by the end of the period.

As the first country in the world to experience an outbreak of the now widespread A (H1N1) influenza virus, Mexico has been really hard hit in terms of tourism demand over the past three months. Preliminary estimates from the Mexican Government put the impact so far at around US$200-$300 million, but the final toll could well be much greater. More than 2,000 inbound flights were cancelled during the early stages of the crisis.

“Mexico should be applauded for the way it handled the swine flu crisis,” said Ufi Ibrahim, Chief Operations Officer of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), speaking at a recent media breakfast organised by the Mexico Tourism Board. “The Mexican Government and other stakeholders in the local Travel & Tourism industry have taught us all a lot because they have shown great leadership during their period of crisis, not to mention responsibility, timeliness and effectiveness.

“This was one of the clear messages that came out of our 9th Global Travel & Tourism Summit, held in Florianópolis, Brazil, in May 2009,” Ms Ibrahim added. “The virus and the need for the global Travel & Tourism industry to prepare for a pandemic were top of the agenda at the Summit, and Mexico’s responsible approach to reporting the outbreak and its impact impressed delegates from around the world.”

In 2008, international tourist arrivals in Mexico grew by 5.9% to 22.6 million while US dollar travel spending by all visitors rose 3.4% to US$13.3 billion. More significantly, WTTC’s research shows that the country’s Travel & Tourism Economy increased its contribution to 13.2% of Mexico’s GDP, growing by 3.8% – as against stagnation in Travel & Tourism Economy GDP posted by the Americas as a whole.

In addition and, even more importantly, given the global economic situation and rising unemployment around the world, an estimated 40,000 additional jobs were created directly last year by Mexico’s Travel & Tourism Industry, raising the total number of people directly employed in the sector to 1.7 million.

Mexico’s Travel & Tourism started 2009 on a positive note …

Despite the intensification of the global recession and continued drug-related violence in Mexico, international tourist arrivals continued to expand (+5.9%) in the first four months of 2009. However, the gains were concentrated in January and February, while April saw just a 0.2% year-on-year rise and the growth is estimated to have come mainly from lower-spending visitors staying near the US border.

For more on this story, visit WTTC’s Tourism News.

Canadian Tourism Industry Benchmark Study finds favourable performance compared with other sectors

In the hustle and bustle of the information age, with news and views cascading from the internet, the big picture can pass you by. However, the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) has just published a new in-depth report on the state of the Canadian tourism industry in relation to other sectors of the economy to redress that balance.

The Canadian Tourism Industry Benchmark Study: Where Do We Rank in the Context of the Canadian Economy? shows how the total tourism industry measures up. Using the most recent available data from 2007, the report reveals Canada’s tourism sector is performing favourably compared to other broad sectors of the economy. It ranked fourth in a composite analysis, behind: finance, insurance and real estate; wholesale and retail trade; and community, business and personal services.

It’s a strong and consistent performance over a broad range of economic and financial performance measures juxtaposed with other major economic sectors. The results suggest the tourism industry is certainly worthy of future investment considerations.

Meanwhile, the primary industries sector (agriculture, fishing and trapping, and forestry), which, like tourism represents 2% of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product, was the weakest performer in the report’s index.

The CTC commissioned The Conference Board of Canada to provide this benchmarking study on the vibrancy and competitiveness of the Canadian tourism industry.

Read the report in full here.

Outdoor Industry Association Survey Reveals Industry Cautious About Economic Recovery

Revenue and inventory plans appear appropriately conservative

Boulder, CO, – In a survey released June 1, 2009, by Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), small businesses reported they have lowered revenue expectations, reduced inventory levels, and believe their businesses will rebound later than they expected last fall.

OIA, in conjunction with Piper Jaffray Companies, recently surveyed industry executives with respect to their view of current economic prospects, recovery timeline, cost inflation, and the effect of tightened credit market on near-term business operations.  Results of that survey are now available in a new report entitled, The Piper Jaffray Outdoor Industry Survey.

This was the second survey conducted by OIA and Piper Jaffray in the past six months, and reflected a cautious and realistic picture of the economic situation facing the industry.

Nearly all respondents were independent businesses with revenues less than $50M annually, which provides an excellent gauge of the independent channel within the outdoor community.  The majority of respondents identified themselves as either vendors or retailers.

Among the highlights:
* Concern has grown:  When asked to indicate the level of concern surrounding current economic conditions affecting their business, 98% indicated they are “very” or “somewhat” concerned, up three percentage points from last fall.  The level of concern was higher with vendors, where 49% signaled they are “very concerned” versus 36% of retailers.  This is a marked increase in the past six months.
* Recovery expectations pushed back: Last fall, the majority of respondents said they expected the recovery to come in late 2009.  Nearly half said they believed business would turn in the second half of 2009 and 35% viewed the first half of 2010 as the inflection point.  However, based on the results of this more recent survey, that was an optimistic view.  Now, only 15% believe the recovery will take place this year.  Nearly fifty percent believe the economy will improve in the first half of 2010, one-fourth say the second half of 2010, and 15% believe it will not improve until after 2010.
* Vendors and Retailers are in sync:  Last fall, retailers were far more optimistic than vendors about the pace of economic recovery.  That disparity has dissipated in this survey with both vendors and retailers having similar perceptions about recovery expectations.  This more balanced view is leading to appropriate inventory levels in the channel, which should also lead to improved profitability and pricing integrity as revenues stabilize.
* Businesses prepared for slow-down:  Revenue expectations for 2009 have declined since last fall.  In the fall survey, more than three-quarters of respondents projected revenues in 2009 would be above 2008.  Now, only about one-third expect 2009 revenue to top 2008 and nearly one-fourth expect revenues to decrease significantly.
* Looking Back:  The majority of respondents indicated revenues were down over the last three months vs. the prior year.  This issue hit retailers harder than vendors, with a majority of retailers saying revenues were down and just over one-third of vendors registering a decline in revenues.
* Looking Ahead:  In general, expectations are higher for the next three months, with just under half of respondents expecting revenues to continue declining over the next three months.  Overall, we believe a slightly negative outlook on revenues is prudent given that the second quarter of last year was impacted by the federal stimulus package, the personal savings rate is now higher, and the current unemployment rate is higher than in the past.
* Lower sourcing costs:  Cost inflation concerns have declined since our last survey as the price of commodities and excess capacity has driven production costs lower.
* Inventory reductions on tap:  In response to these economic shifts, respondents report that they have taken appropriate steps in terms of inventory reductions.  More than one-half of all businesses are planning inventory levels below last year.  Inventory growth below the rate of future sales trends is critical in the current environment to help maintain profitability and keep price integrity.
* Stabilization in the credit markets:  There are some encouraging signs in the credit markets with interest rates at historically how levels and some company’s now accessing the market for liquidity.  More than three-quarters of all respondents observed no change in their ability to access capital with only a few expressing increased access to capital and 15% seeing a decrease in access to capital.

“This survey reveals that our smaller companies are taking appropriate steps to weather the economic storm,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, OIA President & CEO.  “These companies are critical components for our entire industry, and they have made appropriate changes that may accelerate the recovery timeline.”

As the report concludes, “In short, respondents maintain a realistic view of current business trends, sourcing costs, and inventory reductions which should benefit future profitability if sales trends remain stable or improve.  While revenue declines are prevalent throughout the sector, for both retailers and vendors, we believe employment reductions; cheaper goods and fewer markdowns will stabilize margins in the second half of the year.”

A copy of the full report, as well as all OIA research is available to members at www.outdoorindustry.org.

About Outdoor Industry Association

Outdoor Industry Association® (OIA) is a national trade association whose mission is to ensure the growth and success of the outdoor industry. OIA provides trade services for over 4000 manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, sales representatives and retailers in the outdoor industry. OIA programs include representation in government/legislative affairs, market and social research, business-to-business services and youth outreach initiatives. Educational events include the annual Rendezvous®, Outdoor University®, and the Capitol Summit. Outdoor Industry Association is based in Boulder, Colorado, and is the title sponsor of the Outdoor Retailer tradeshows. For more information go to www.outdoorindustry.org or call 303.444.3353.

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61% of Volunteer Travel Operators Expect Sales to Rise in 2009

Littleton, CO, May 6, 2009 – According to a recent survey completed by Lasso Communications, 61% of volunteer travel operators predict that their 2009 sales will exceed those of 2008. The purpose of the survey was to get an accurate pulse of the volunteer travel industry and the results show that the field is booming.

“Travelers have high interest in the kind of authentic, personal travel experiences available through volunteering, “comments Christina Heyniger of XOLA Consulting. “Add to this the stresses of the current financial environment and the desire to know travel expenditures have value beyond their immediate leisure benefits, and we see an excellent climate for volunteer tourism.”
Based on the 28 companies that participated in the survey, it was found that:
- 61% expect to send more volunteers abroad in 2009 than 2008
- 18% expect to send the same amount of volunteers in 2009 as in 2008
- 21% expect to send less volunteers abroad in 2009 than 2008

The total number of volunteers sent abroad from the US by these 28 companies was 20,089. The highest number of volunteers sent by one company was 3,400 and the smallest was 10.

Several of the companies that are down year on year have blamed bad strategic moves, poor
marketing or strategic shifts, as the reason for their lower numbers in 2009. The companies that are growing in 2009 tend to be the smaller to mid-size companies who find they are agile enough to adjust to the market’s demands and change their messaging to appeal to changing traveler motivations.

Of the 28 companies surveyed, the average number of countries offered per provider was 10, with Peru, Costa Rica and South Africa being the most popular countries. When grouped by continent, South America seems to be the leading continent of volunteer travel followed by Africa and Asia. The most popular volunteer activity for the majority of respondents was building and teaching, followed by community development and conservation.

The companies surveyed had to meet stringent criteria in order to obtain an accurate pulse of the industry. Travelers must pay to volunteer, the companies cannot be faith based, must have an office in the US and must offer travelers the chance to volunteer for 4 or more straight days. Research has been previously done on the total number of volunteers going abroad, but this is the first survey to get a specific indicator on the ‘pay to volunteer’ niche.

To read the full report visit: http://lassocommunications.com/research.htm

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Lasso Communications is a voluntourism consulting firm. At Lasso we try to further the volunteer travel field by helping companies with strategic decisions, marketing campaigns and research. Through the http://www.voluntourismgal.com blog we seek to help the field share best practices and learn from each other. To learn more visit: http://lassocommunications.com, call 303-898-3376 or email alexia@lassocommunications.com

April 2009 Survey Reveals That, in the Current Economic Downturn, Travelers Find Meaning in Volunteering Abroad

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, April 29, 2009 -Today GeckoGo releases the results of Volunteer Travel
Insights 2009, the largest international volunteer survey ever conducted.  Globally, 2481
consumers were surveyed on their opinions and motivations behind volunteer travel. The survey
was conducted in conjunction with Bradt Travel Guides and Lasso Communications in April
2009.

“This survey provides a great insight into the motivations of those looking to volunteer abroad.
Demographic as well as psychographic elements were analyzed and the result is a clear, and
sometimes surprising, picture of the volunteer traveler,” comments Alexia Nestora of
VoluntourismGal.com

Key findings include:

Volunteer vacationers help out at home too
A large number of people who volunteer abroad have also volunteered in their home country
(60%), with another 33% interested in volunteering who haven’t yet found the right opportunity

Females volunteer more than men
Sixty-four percent (64%) of females are currently volunteering or have volunteered before,
compared to only 51% of males.

Motivations for volunteering are altruistic
Travelers looking to volunteer abroad want to be useful (most important to 38%) and have a
personal learning experience (most important to 21%), while convenience is surprisingly not
important to 48% of the respondents. In terms of activities, 62% of respondents cited they
wanted to do humanitarian work, 56% wanted to do conservation and teaching, followed by
community development at 53% and building at 28%.

Volunteers stay abroad a while
For those that have volunteered abroad, the duration of their trip tended to be longer than
expected, with 51% of respondents going on a trip for more than one month and 76% traveling
for at least two weeks.

Volunteer solo
The majority of travelers went on their trip alone (57%), 31% traveled with friends (or church
groups), and only 9% traveled with a relationship partner.

Top volunteer destinations
The top overall volunteer travel destinations were Peru (23%) and Brazil (14%).  For Americans,
the top destinations were Peru (16%) and Costa Rica (15%).

Volunteers find their trips meaningful
Seventy-seven percent (77%) of respondents believed that their trip was very meaningful, 22%
found it was meaningful, and less than 1% felt that their trip was not meaningful in any way. A
constant battle in the voluntourism field is to effectively manage expectations of the volunteer –
the fact that almost 100% of respondents found their experience meaningful in some way shows
a major victory for the field.

Volunteer programs are not too commercial
On the subject of commercialization, 29% of respondents found that voluntourism has become
too commercialized, 23% thought that it should be more commercialized, and 48% thought the
level of commercialization was just enough. The reasons volunteers cited for wanting more
commercialization were related to the ability to recruit more volunteers to go abroad and
potentially reducing costs.

For a full report, visit http://www.geckogo.com/volunteer/report2009

About GeckoGo

Launched in October 2008, GeckoGo is a travel planning web site that helps travelers identify
what to do and where to go based on their interests.  It is the fastest growing source of unique
user generated travel content.  GeckoGo is based in Mountain View, California and Vancouver,
Canada.

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Alexia Nestora
303.898.3376
alexia@lassocommunications.com

http://www.geckogo.com

January Outdoor Sales Mixed Bag as Retail Prices Plunge, Internet Sales Strong

BOULDER, CO (March 11th, 2009) – January 2009 retail sales for all core outdoor stores (chain, internet, specialty)* started off the new year on a mixed note, according to the most recent edition of The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) Outdoor Topline Report, produced for OIA by the Leisure Trends Group.

According to The OIA Outdoor Topline Report, retail sales for all core outdoor stores (chain, internet, specialty)* gained 4% in dollars ($363,157,003) compared to January 2008 ($350,116,342), with the internet channel realizing a 35% gain in dollar sales while specialty stores (-2%) and chain stores (-8%), logged declines in overall dollars this month.

Internet Sales Continue to Grow
Online sales were very healthy in January. Retail prices plunged across the board as consumers took advantage of bargains and sales; however, the resultant increase in units was more than enough to make up the difference. The channel improved on last January’s dollar sales by double-digits in nearly every category and moved from 21% of total dollars sold last January to 27% this month. Carryover (defined as old and/or discontinued merchandise) sales leapt to record amounts in January, a significant factor in driving prices down and units up for the period.

Category Bright Spots
Although total sales dropped 2% in specialty stores this month, there were many bright spots. Categories with dollar growth in January included packs, climbing gear, winter equipment, hiking boots, winter boots, trail running shoes and multisport shoes. Accessories were especially hot sellers this month, as most equipment, apparel and footwear accessory categories enjoyed healthy growth compared to last January.

In chain stores, sales were driven by good deals and low retail-selling prices. The entire channel was up 5% in unit sales but fell 8% in dollars as plunging retail prices ate away gains from increased volume. Nearly every product category saw retail prices slip significantly from January 2008. Carryover product sales soared in almost every category, moving from 2% of all chain dollar sales last January to 7% this month and contributing to the overall decline in retail prices. The equipment accessory category was the only major product category to gain dollar sales this month, inching up 1%.

Positive Growth in Paddlesports
All paddle product sales from all three channels (specialty, chain, and internet) grew 7% in dollars this month. Compared to last January, specialty stores grew 6% in dollars, chain stores dipped 14% and internet grew 46% off an extremely small base. Boats, paddles and accessories each increased sales in specialty stores this month. As a whole, January is not a significant month for paddlesport sales; it typically accounts for about 2% of each year’s total sales and is traditionally the smallest month for sales. Nonetheless, the positive January growth was a welcome start to the calendar year.

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To access the OIA outdoor retail sales Topline data and to review trends by industry channel and category, OIA members can log in at www.outdoorindustry.org or call 303.444.3353 for assistance.

For additional brand growth and brand and model market share reports, please contact Leisure Trends Group at 303.786.7900 x107 www.leisuretrends.com.

*OIA Topline Report Outdoor and Paddle channels include: outdoor and paddle specialty, national outdoor chains, regional sporting goods chains and outdoor (and paddle) internet specialty merchants.

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About Outdoor Industry Association
Outdoor Industry Association® (OIA) is a national trade association whose mission is to ensure the growth and success of the outdoor industry. OIA provides trade services for over 4000 manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, sales representatives and retailers in the outdoor industry. OIA programs include representation in government/legislative affairs, market and social research, business-to-business services and youth outreach initiatives. Educational events include the annual Rendezvous^TM, Outdoor University®, and the Capitol Summit. Outdoor Industry Association is based in Boulder, Colorado, and is the title sponsor of the Outdoor Retailer tradeshows. For more information go to www.outdoorindustry.org or call 303.444.3353.

ATTA Adventure Travel Business Survey Reflects Resiliency, Rapid Adaption to Economic News, Traveler Preferences

Online Marketing, Catalog Elimination, Shorter Duration and Custom Trips on Rise

(SEATTLE) – (MARCH 12, 2009) – Radically changing booking forecasts and notable shifts in consumer preferences and their booking habits, combined with changes in businesses’ current and future marketing strategies, reflect a quickly adapting adventure travel community according to the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s first-quarter 2009 “Industry Snapshot”.

Two hundred and thirty-two tour operators from around the world, half from North America, completed the survey and combined represent approximately 1.3 million adventure travel customers.  Similarly, 47 adventure resorts and lodges also completed a similar survey.

“What we see in both survey results is what we’ve suspected since the economic turmoil hit – that while the adventure travel industry is not immune to the situation, our members appear to be weathering the storm better than some of the more mass tourism entities which are subject to the difficulties of being primarily price-oriented and more of a commodity,” said ATTA President Shannon Stowell.

Reflecting resilience in the adventure travel sector, 22 percent of the responding adventure travel tour operators anticipate an increase in bookings in 2009 over 2008 levels. Of those reporting increases, more than half anticipate growing up to 20 percent. Similarly, of the 47 accommodations responding, 22 percent indicated that bookings are expected to increase in 2009 over 2008.

The ATTA survey, conducted in February 2009, also reflects the difficulties of the current economic situation. Seventeen percent anticipate flat sales and sixty-one percent of tour operators and 57 percent of accommodations report anticipated bookings in 2009 will decrease compared to 2008, indicating that this specialty sector is less impacted than mainstream travel.

In addition to varied booking projections, open-ended narrative responses in the ATTA study indicate that characteristics among adventure travelers are changing. Adventure tour operators and accommodations most frequently noted that people are requesting shorter duration adventure options, asking for more customized trip options and special offers, and that the window between booking and traveling continues to radically diminish. Adventure companies also report a slight surge in demand for family adventure travel options. In terms of traveler destination preferences, closer-to-home options, especially in North and South America, also continues to climb according to the ATTA study.

In response to shifting consumer preferences, improvements in online marketing, and in-company demands to better manage operational costs, the ATTA survey reveals that businesses across the board are increasingly taking steps to better reach prospective travelers and to adapt to new and improved Web marketing opportunities. In fact, the vast majority of 69 tour operators and accommodations report an increase in their online marketing budgets. The root cause of this increase is attributed to the rising effectiveness of online marketing strategies. Forty-seven percent of tour operators reported that their email marketing is becoming “increasingly effective,” while 67 percent reported they will place a “higher priority” on search engine optimization (“SEO”) in 2009.

Meanwhile, in a dramatic shift for tour operators historically reliant on direct mail catalogs, 40 percent of tour operators report they are eliminating their traditional print catalog altogether, while 58 percent are reducing the total number of catalogs mailed, and 49 percent are reducing the catalog size. In contrast, 27 percent of companies report an increase in direct mail campaigns.

Concurrent with shifts in online and print marketing, new forms of discounting – in lieu of direct booking discounts – are on the rise. Fifty-nine percent of both operator and accommodation respondents reported that in the past six months they have used “new or different forms of discounting, special pricing or price combining” (e.g., pay-in-full discounts, refundable deposits, free hotel night, guaranteed departures, etc.).
Full survey results will be released today to ATTA Members and survey respondents.

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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Full survey results are available in PDF format: email info@adventuretravel.biz to request a copy.

EplerWood International Research Backs Solid Green Travel Marketplace

Burlington, VT - Mar 10, 2009 Concrete steps toward understanding the green travel economy were backed by business organizations in 2008, as this new/old paradigm shifted into high gear.

American Express and the US Travel Association, two heavy hitters in the U.S. and on the global travel stage launched Travelgreen.org — a new web portal with vital resources for greening mainstream travel. And the SEEP Network completed a year-long study of supply chains for small enterprise development in Central America.

Both relied on EplerWood International for consultation, expertise, and focused research — and Epler Wood’s 20-year history of guiding travel business toward successful green models of market-based, enterprise development.

“There’s been some outstanding progress in 2008 toward setting clear sustainability goals,” says Megan Epler Wood, “but finding the means for business and destinations to make these goals concrete, especially in this declining economy, is where all the due diligence is now required. It is my view that solid business and supply chain management will remain fundamental to the travel industry’s ability to meet sustainability goals.”

Travelgreen.org
Digesting all of the criteria, certification bodies, tools for greening the travel industry and resources available is no easy task. The US Travel Association backed by American Express set out on an ambitious journey to do so with a mission of aiding the broader tourism industry in its quest for sustainability.

Travelgreen.org is a portal with a wealth of information for industry players as well as the public showcasing association initiatives and private sector efforts in addition to tools and resources for greening the travel industry. Resources include best practice case studies, frameworks and certification programs, government policy, consumer and market research as well as definitions, links, and consumer travel tips.

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