Seattle, Washington – (May 26, 2020) – The Adventure Travel Trade Association is announcing a new Community Membership option as a way for individual people to become part of a thriving ecosystem of companies and organizations who share a common passion - to deliver adventure tourism experiences in a way that protects natural and cultural capital, while creating shared economic value. Community Members will learn from the leaders of the industry, stay in the loop on current industry news, jobs and best practices, and become part of a global collective building better tourism for the future.
“Our membership categories for businesses and organizations are important, but we also acknowledge and understand that the people within those organizations drive our community, so we wanted to provide an easier way for individuals to engage.” said Mira Anselmi, Community Director for ATTA. This new, free option for individuals is a lifeline for the many travel professionals who have been laid off or furloughed since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a way that individuals can stay connected, tap into industry knowledge and research, and contribute to the reimagination of tourism that is currently underway.
Community Members receive access to AdventureTravelNews articles, educational webinars, an industry specific job board, and invitations to free networking events around the world. As industry professionals and businesses learn more about our community and other membership, education, and networking options, they can progress and grow at a pace that is in line with their business recovery, their professional needs, goals, and objectives.
In addition to the rollout of this new free option, another new membership category will be announced this summer. Professional Membership will provide the next level of access and benefits for individuals such as professional guides, start-ups, students, researchers and others with a stake in the future of tourism. Together, these new membership options will serve as stepping stones for those building their careers in this industry, while also giving access to individual professionals in roles closely tied to tourism who have reasons to be connected.
“ATTA’s membership for businesses, destinations, gear brands, media outlets, marketing and PR companies continues to offer tremendous value in particular during this moment of crisis for the industry,” shared Casey Hanisko, President of the ATTA. “Our research team has kept a pulse on how the community is doing with regular reports on topics such as Financial Strategies & Tactics; the membership team has actively led focused Think Tank workshops on topics important to the industry, Meet The Experts webinars, Virtual AdventureConnect gatherings; and we have a COVID-19 resource page that consolidates results from this work.” The membership designed for businesses is the ATTA’s most robust offering, including access to additional tools to run your business and to promote your products or services; options for ways to secure new customers; and connections to a global business community through personal introductions, live events, and one-on-one meetings. “Since the crisis began, we actually stopped expiring our tour operator business memberships as we didn’t want anyone to lose access to the community or resources during this time. Now we are redesigning our membership programs from the ground up for tour operators in today’s market realities,” said Anselmi.
Adventure travel is well-positioned for the future, with experiences designed for small or private groups, taking place in nature and in less crowded, off-the-beaten-path destinations. It benefits communities, supports locals, and protects nature and wildlife, while providing transformative experiences for travelers. Our members include many experts in safety and risk management and together they are innovating and collaborating on stringent sanitation and hygiene protocols and policies to be a standard part of tour operations. When travel can resume, ATTA members will be prepared to share the remote and wild places of the world again.
Join us as a Community Member at adventuretravel.biz/community.
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About Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA)
Established in 1990, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) today is widely recognized as a vital leadership voice and partner for the adventure travel industry around the world.
Membership + Trade
The membership and trade organization is designed to be a force for the industry and exists to drive thought leadership, industry promotion, and opportunities to network and convene globally to create trade and business health. It currently serves more than 1,300 member organizations in 100 countries worldwide. The constituency is made up of tour operators, tourism boards, specialty agents, and accommodations all sharing a vested interest in the sustainable development of adventure tourism.
Adventure 360 - Business Services + Events
Through its growing business services division, the ATTA delivers a portfolio of strategic solutions and a robust ecosystem of events around the globe. Those events include AdventureNEXT which focuses on regional promotion and partnerships; AdventureELEVATE a North American-based educational conference; and the premiere adventure travel global conference, the Adventure Travel World Summit. With specialized expertise in research, events, education, media, and promotion, the ATTA business service division is able to provide valuable solutions to a broad set of partners across many verticals of business.
Adventure Travel Conservation Fund
In 2016 the ATTA partnered with other leaders from the adventure travel industry to start the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF), a nonprofit that provides funding, connections and an international spotlight on projects that protect the cultural and natural resources which underpin the adventure tourism industry. 100% of membership dues go towards funding these international projects. Each year members nominate projects, which are then vetted and finally voted upon by the ATCF membership.
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