(SEATTLE) – January 25, 2011 – The Adventure Travel Trade Association today named the Advisory Committee for the 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS), the adventure tourism industry’s annual gathering of executives set for October 17-20 in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
Comprised of leaders who bring diversity in expertise, geographic and sector representation, this year’s ATWS Advisory Committee includes:
- Scott Adams, Founder and President, Birchbark Media
- Dan Austin, Director, Austin-Lehman Adventures
- Stephen Austin, Executive Marketing Director, CPTM (PROMTOUR - Mexico Tourism Board)
- Ajeet Bajaj, Managing Director, Snow Leopard Adventures
- Kelly Bricker, Chairman – TIES (The International Ecotourism Society), Chairman of the Board – GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council), Associate Professor, Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, University of Utah
- William (Bill) L. Bryan, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Chairman, Off the Beaten Path
- Tullia Caballero, Director, S-CAPE Travel
- Maryann Fernandez, Founder & President, Philanthropy Indaba
- Lauren Hefferon, Founder & Director, Ciclismo Classico
- Alex Herrmann, Director Americas, Switzerland Tourism
- Andy Levine, Founder and President, DuVine Adventures
- Monica Malpezzi Price, Director of International Operations, ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours
- John Sheppard, Director, Outdoor Programs & Outreach, Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI)
- Ben Sherman, Medicine Root, Inc. & Co-founder American Indian/Alaska Native Tourism Association
- Jens Thraenhart, Co-Founder & President, Dragon Trail & China Travel Trends
- Bruno Giesemann, President, Argovia Finca Resort
Advisory Committee members reflect the core composition of the delegation, primarily international tour operators, tourism boards, destination marketing organizations and industry service partners. Selected annually, Advisory Committee members are tasked to provide advice and direction to Summit organizers to ensure their respective sectors of the industry are properly represented at the ATWS. Among their specific responsibilities, Summit advisors provide feedback on Summit plans and activities, facilitate ATWS sessions, and serve as ambassadors before, during and after the Summit.
Entering its seventh year, the ATTA’s Summit executive conferences engage, enlighten, inspire, and energize the leaders of the adventure travel community with networking, business and professional development programs, educational seminars and emerging adventure destination product review opportunities. Summit delegates, who also reflect ATTA’s membership composition, include tour operators and adventure travel ground suppliers, tourism boards and destination marketing organizations, media, travel agents, lodges, and related tourism service organizations.
Partners for the 2011 ATWS, delivered in English with sessions translated into Spanish, include the Chiapas Convention and Visitors Bureau, the State Government of Chiapas and the Tourism Ministry of Mexico and the Mexico Tourism Promotion Board.
Established in 1990, Seattle-based ATTA is a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, networking, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market. Host of the annual Adventure Travel World Summit, the ATTA also makes possible www.Adventure.Travel, the traveler’s hub of physical, cultural and nature-based adventure travel and guide to trusted tour operators.
Media Contact:
Chris Doyle, ATTA Vice President
916.847.0261 [email protected]