ATTA and Adventure Council Announce Partnership
SEATTLE, WA, April 16, 2007. The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and the Adventure Council today announced an alliance that ushers in better opportunities for professional development, communication, networking and marketing for the global active and adventure travel community.
As a result of the alliance, adventure travel business leaders now have access to a professional adventure travel designation program for travel agents provided by Adventure Council, a single professional membership organization in the ATTA, an executive-level conference to serve the growing adventure travel community (The Adventure Travel World Summit) and the Adventures in Travel Expos - the leading series of active and adventure travel shows to educate the trade and consumers.
"Providing stronger and unified leadership to the adventure travel community is at the heart of our decision," said ATTA President, Shannon Stowell. "The decision recognizes the strength each organization brings to the industry and reflects the growth in adventure travel, its increasing share of the overall travel and leisure market, and its potential to more effectively influence critical issues such as sustainable development and responsible growth."
The alliance allows members of the Adventure Council (AC) to transition into the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), bringing the ATTA's membership to more than 350 corporate members. AC members will automatically receive ATTA membership status for the remainder of 2007.
Adventure Council will continue to focus primarily on building sales channels for adventure tour operators through its Adventure Travel Specialist Agent Designation program, which will be developed and expanded in partnership with the Adventures in Travel Expo (ATE). AC also will continue to organize all ATE conference consumer seminars and actively promote sustainable tourism practices.
"Our alliance is a natural progression of the evolution of our industry," said AC President Costas Christ. "Adventure Council and the ATTA share a common vision and opportunity to promote sustainable tourism practices worldwide. We're committed to working together and building on our respective strengths to make tangible progress on the matters that best serve the people and places upon which the adventure travel community depends."
Adventure CouncilTM, founded in 2005, actively promotes sustainable tourism practices, and in so doing, helps to protect the character, authenticity, and diversity of adventure destinations worldwide. In addition to the Adventure Travel Specialist Designation Program, the Adventure Council organizes consumer travel seminars for Adventures in Travel Expos.
Established in 1990, the Seattle-based Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) (www.adventuretravel.biz) is a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market worldwide. ATTA also is host to the annual Adventure Travel World Summit (www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com).
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