In October, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) launched a new membership program tailored specifically for editorial media. The Adventure Travel Media membership program was created in response to several years of requests by editorial media seeking a more consistent way to be more involved with the ATTA community.
So far, 66 Adventure Media Members specializing in adventure and sustainable travel stories are now in active standing. Qualifying media include freelance journalists, professional bloggers, editorial photographers and videographers and on-staff writers and editors. By joining the ATTA, individual media members show a commitment to the values of adventure travel and sharing those values through their storytelling to reach a broad audience of travelers.
Prior to the creation of the Adventure Media Membership category, editorial media’s main opportunity for engagement was attendance at ATTA’s global events. The new membership category (developed with the assistance of ATTA’s Adventure Media Advisory Group) aims to provide valuable and useful ways to connect media to high-quality story ideas and increasing the reach of the resulting stories throughout the year.
“As a freelance journalist, I've found that there are more possibilities than there is time. Conferences, assignment travel, meet-ups, and events can fill my calendar quickly before I realize that I still need time to write, research, and live a life outside my work. Over time as a freelancer, I've had to prioritize high-value experiences over those that may still help my career, yet may not have quite the same level of value,” explains Jill Robinson, freelance travel journalist and ATTA Adventure Media Member.
“Since a large part of my coverage is adventure and the outdoors, ATTA programs easily count in those high-value experiences, and when the opportunity came to be a media member, it made perfect sense for me. Connecting with people in the adventure travel industry--whether outfitters, tour operators, destination representatives, or other journalist covering a similar beat--only serves to make my experience richer.”
A few of the Adventure Media Member benefits include:
- Journalist Alerts – Within the HUB, ATTA’s online member community, media members can post calls for sources or products for a story from other members in a group forum accessible by all members.
- Adventure.Travel Stories - ATTA’s consumer website publishes fresh, timely and positive stories that promote sustainable tourism and adventure travel to readers. Media members have the opportunity to write original content for the site and to share previously published stories on adventures destinations and experiences, which are often a result of connections made through the ATTA.
- Media Education – As with the media workshops held at ATTA global events, media members periodically contribute stories to AdventureTravelNews to help educate the adventure travel community how to best work with media. Recent examples include A Guide to Hosting Media, A Guide to Working with Online Influencers and 7 Pitch-Perfect Tips From a Media Pro.
To become an Adventure Media member, learn more here.
Related article: http://www.adventuretravelnews.com/atta-formalizes-relationship-with-adventure-media-through-new-membership-category