(SEATTLE) January 7, 2016 – The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA; www.adventuretravel.biz) is launching a membership category specifically for outdoor gear manufacturers and retailers. There are currently more than 1,000 members of the trade association, representing businesses around the globe dedicated to sustainable adventure travel. The goal of the new category is to match high quality travel and outdoor gear companies to the active and adventure travelers representing the $263 billion adventure travel industry.
The ATTA has a long history of partnering with the outdoor gear companies and has offered special partnership opportunities in the past to select gear companies, many of whom have been ATTA members for up to ten years, including: Eagle Creek Gear, ExOfficio, Columbia and Keen Footwear.
“We’ve had some very special ‘above-and-beyond membership’ type partnerships with gear companies in the past,” said ATTA President Shannon Stowell. “Our industries are definitely siblings and it makes sense for us to work more closely together.”
For instance, the ATTA has matched clothing companies with destinations for adventure travel-themed catalog photo shoots, introduced tour operators and gear companies who have partnered on sweepstakes, and found specialized travel gear companies to outfit press trips to help highlight a destination.
“The adventure travel and outdoor industries can do powerful things together,” said Stowell. “We partnered with the Outdoor Industry Association to help relief efforts in Nepal after the earthquake last year. It was definitely a learning experience but the natural affinity between these industries is very real and rife with potential.”
Gear members will have access to free adventure travel research reports, receive discounted rates on ATTA event registration and can use the ATTA’s PR and marketing channels as an outlet for their news. In addition to the benefits all ATTA members receive, gear members will have a dedicated section on the Adventure.Travel website, which promotes ATTA member trips, services and offerings to individual adventure travelers.
The new gear membership program was announced at the 2016 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Salt Lake City, Utah. Information about benefits and instructions for becoming a Gear Member of the ATTA are available on the ATTA website.
About Adventure Travel Trade Association
Established in 1990, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) serves more than 1,000 members in 90 countries worldwide. Members predominantly include tour operators, tourism boards, specialty agents and accommodations with a vested interest in the sustainable development of adventure tourism. The ATTA delivers solutions and connections that propel members towards their business goals and the industry toward a responsible and profitable future. Through its regional AdventureConnect events and annual Adventure Travel World Summit trade conference, the ATTA excels in professional learning, networking and partnering services. With expertise in research, education, adventure travel industry news and promotion, members of the ATTA receive competitive opportunities that help establish them as leaders in adventure tourism.
For more information:
- www.adventuretravel.biz
- Adventure Travel World Summit
- AdventureEDU
- AdventureConnect
- AdventureTravelNews
- Adventure.Travel – consumer portal to member tours