Joint Statement
The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and the ATWS Hokkaido Executive Committee are pleased to announce the success of ATWS2023, a sold out event and Asia's first on-site Adventure Travel World Summit.
And while both organizations gained much from the virtual ATWS2021, the in person event, ATWS2023, provided delegates with an opportunity to experience the beauty of nature, delicious food, diverse cultures, and the “Chowa (Harmony)” of these elements in Hokkaido and across Japan. As well, delegates made lasting relationships for future economic opportunities in adventure tourism for Hokkaido.
The ATWS Hokkaido Executive Committee, on behalf of relevant parties in Hokkaido and Japan, would like to thank ATTA for their efforts in organizing this Summit, and ATTA would like to thank Hokkaido and Japan for being such wonderful hosts. We also thank all the delegates who attended the Summit as well as all the staff who supported ATWS2023.
The ATTA and the ATWS Hokkaido Executive Committee are once again convinced that Hokkaido, Japan is a promising destination for Adventure Tourism. We also reaffirmed that the Asian market is promising and, in the current context of growing interest in tourism sustainability, Adventure Tourism, with its emphasis on local connections and environmental considerations, will increasingly become a global representative of sustainable tourism.
ATTA hopes to use ATWS2023, the first ATWS to be held in Asia, as an opportunity to continue to promote cooperation with relevants in Hokkaido and Japan and the development of initiatives across Asia. In addition, the ATWS Hokkaido Executive Committee and relevants in Hokkaido and Japan are committed to the establishment of a world-class Adventure Tourism destination so that more adventure travelers who will visit Japan in the future can experience and be satisfied by in-depth tours filled with intellectual curiosity and the hospitality that only Japan can offer. We will continue to work hard to establish Japan as a world-class Adventure Tourism destination utilizing ATTA’s expertise and resources. The ATTA and members of the ATWS Hokkaido Executive Committee will build a road-map for the future of Adventure Tourism in Hokkaido and Japan with Japan Tourism Agency and Japan National Tourism Organization.
Furthermore, we are determined to continue to work together for the development of the global Adventure Tourism globally. The ATWS Hokkaido Executive Committee and relevants in Hokkaido and Japan will work closely with ATTA on how to maximize the value for the whole country and make Japan a top Adventure Destination and one of the leading destinations in Asia-pacific.
Shannon Stowell
CEO of Adventure Travel Trade Association
Naomichi Suzuki
President of ATWS Hokkaido Executive Committee