ATWS – what to expect

Seattle, WA – September 24, 2013 – The sold-out Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS) in Namibia is only one month away and adventure travel destinations and outdoor brands have rallied behind the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and taken advantage of all available partnerships. Namibia Tourism Board, host of the Summit, will be welcoming delegates with two events, one in Windhoek on October 26th, and another in Swakopmund on October 28th,  featuring a desert dinner.

Two of ATTA’s partners in tourism — Ireland, host of the upcoming 2014 ATWS, and Chile– will each sponsor a dinner allowing them to showcase their destinations to the 650 delegates, representing over 50 countries, who will be in attendance from October 26th through the 31st. Mexico and South African Tourism, both continued supporters of adventure travel, will be featured during lunches.

During the conference days, Ecuador, well-known for its adventure travel opportunities, will provide coffee breaks, while theSwitzerland/Lucerne Energy + Recharge Lounge will provide an area to relax and literally recharge phones, computers and ipads while viewing adventure videos from the 2012 Summit. For the 50 international media delegation, South African Airways will sponsor a media room allowing Summit journalists a space to write, correspond and interview, while Peru will sponsor the popular MediaConnect session for an opportunity to showcase Peru’s multitude of adventure activities while media meet with tour operators and destinations.

This year, for the first time, American tourism boards have stepped-up to put their destinations in front of the Summit delegation. Alaska will sponsor a new full day Peer-to-Peer Exchange while Snowmass Colorado will sponsor the ATWS Marketplace. Featured speaker, Pico Iyer, has been supported by Namibia and Visit Anchorage Alaska, a fitting partner due to Pico’s travel to Alaska and resulting feature article in Smithsonian magazine.

Evening events, ever-popular at the Summit, will include a cocktail sponsored by Brazil and the evening closing party on October 31st, will be co-sponsored by Jordan Tourism Board and adventure outfitter Columbia.

After flying to Namibia, with discounted options from sponsors Air Namibia and South African Airways, Summit delegates, have a chance to experience all that Namibia has to offer on the Two Days of Adventure. Namibia Tourism Board, and Namibia’s tour operators, have provided over 40 choices including adventures from cycling and kite surfing to visiting the Cheetah Conservation Fund to On the Famous Desert Express train. Namibia Tourism andNational Geographic Traveler have sponsored the adventures.

During and prior to the Summit, delegates will be encouraged to utilize the online site and app, Summit Connections, sponsored byBlue Mountains Lithgow and Oberon Tourism. Other sponsorships include Eagle Creek who will provide travel gear to delegates in their welcome reception package; VIP/Media reception byIndigenous Natural Products; Concurrent Session Room SponsorsSalta and Botswana; Summit badges by NamDeb Foundation; Storytelling team by Namibia Tourism Board; Tour Operator Scholarships by Rome McGuigan, PC (RMS Law), Summit program by Ripon Printing; and Northern Cape Tourism Authority from South Africa.

The ATTA’s Summit conference engages and energizes the leaders of the adventure travel community with networking, business and professional development programs, educational seminars and adventure destination product review opportunities. In addition to featured inspirational presentations, a cadre of experts will deliver content tracks over the course of the Summit, and ATTA’s hallmark peer-to-peer networking sessions and MediaConnect event allows for distinct partnering and knowledge-sharing opportunities with widely respected industry influencers.

Issued by: http://www.adventuretravelnews.com/