We are excited to bring you a new format for North American regional news! We hope you find it easy to read and navigate. With 2021 behind us (good riddance!), we began this year with positive news of eased travel restrictions in many destinations around the world. However, as I write this, the hope we felt was much subdued by what is happening in Ukraine. Our hearts and minds are with our communities, and your family and friends, that are directly and indirectly affected. Should you have information or stories you would like to share with the community, please submit them to [email protected]; we’d like to and need to hear from you.
The Latest from the ATTA and Members in North America
Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) Senior Research Manager, Heather Kelly, recently shared ten Adventure Travel Trends for 2022 including much of what we have seen in North America like the shift to domestic tourism, the rise of the “Nomad Economy,” and the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in adventure travel.
Last week, ATTA published a report in partnership with Switzerland Tourism on The Influence and Impact of Women in Adventure Travel. The research findings will be shared in a webinar today. If you miss the live webinar, the recording will be made available on this page (under On-Demand) after the event.
ATTA members in North America have shown great resilience and innovation over the past two years. A few examples include: The Sigmund Project, travel and tourism’s first digital not-for-profit dedicated to innovation and collaboration; international tour operators pivoting to offering domestic trips; Visit Florida investing in their local industry by offering ATTA EDU courses and training to their tourism ecosystem; and U.K./Boston-based Audley Travel making strong progress on sustainability.
If you are an ATTA business member with company updates to communicate, there are several ways to share with the adventure travel community.
Upcoming ATTA Events
AdventureConnect Rhode Island
We’ll be heading to Johnson & Wales University (JWU) for our first ever AdventureConnect in Rhode Island on April 13. The event will feature a panel discussion on "The Future of Travel - How you can make a difference.” Bruce Poon Tip (G Adventures) will receive an honorary doctorate degree from the university and present the first U.S. screening of the documentary “The Last Tourist.”
AdventureELEVATE 2022 in Eugene, Oregon
Join us at AdventureELEVATE in Eugene, Oregon from May 3-5, 2022. AdventureELEVATE is ATTA’s annual North America-based, 3-day intensive educational and networking conference, that brings together the adventure travel community to participate in collaborative learning, ideate on innovative solutions, and return home with meaningful ways to change the world for the better through travel. If you missed AdventureELEVATE 2021, you can get more insight into that event here. I also recommend this piece, “Reviving Travel: 20 Stories of Innovation from Destinations and Tour Companies,” written by media member Kristin Henning and inspired by AdventureELEVATE 2021.
Don’t miss your opportunity to sign up for our signature Day of Adventure at AdventureELEVATE 2022. The Day of Adventure offers event delegates an opportunity to explore the region and jumpstart the event in the language our travel community speaks best: outdoor adventures. Our host partner, Eugene, Cascades & Coast has worked with local tour operators to thoughtfully curate and craft the best adventures the region has to offer, and they can’t wait to show you around! There are four distinct regions with 16 trips split between Coast, Eugene area, Willamette Valley, and the Cascade Mountains. Registration opens 22 March 2022–dig into the details and see what fits your interests.
Russell Walters, North America Regional Director, and I look forward to connecting and reconnecting with the North America-based adventure travel community in Eugene. If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out. We'd love to hear from you.
ATTA is hiring!
I will close with the exciting news that the ATTA is hiring! We are seeking a dynamic new team member to take on the role of Community Lead for North America-based members and global travel advisor and media members. Learn more about this role and how to apply here.
Russell Walters, Region Director, North America and Eva Mossberg, Community Lead and Partner Coordinator, North America