Reap the benefits: ATWS 2013

On Tuesday afternoon, Chris Doyle, the Vice President of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) joined Namibian representatives in the tourism and conservation sector in order to brief the industry on how to best reap the awards and benefits of hosting the ATWS 2013 event in October.

Chris Doyle

The meet gave the industry a golden opportunity to ask specific questions and get advice on how to leverage all the opportunities presented by Namibia hosting the summit – the first African country ever to do so.

Chris did not mince his words when he immediately launched great praise on Namibia’s tourism model – he described it as the most advanced and developed models in tourism today. 

He briefly summed up why the ATWS 2013 should be approached with fixed strategies in place.

After the launch of the ATWS in Seattle in 2005, 225 participants, most from North America, attended. A maximum of 20 countries were represented.

Jump to last year’s summit in Switzerland. Over 700 delegates (excluding their family and friends who joined them there) attended, representing more than 90 countries. 

Delegates represent tourism boards, public relations, technology, media, industry service providers, marketing firms, transport companies – basically anyone who is key to building the tourism industry in their countries and globally.

Doyle said that adventure tourism comes down to responsible and sustainable tourism. A tourism sector where the impact is at a local level and the money stays in the destination. 

ATTA, the organisation behind the summit, are the official training arm of the United Nations tourism sector. ATTA’s online presence reaches thousands of subscribers eager to learn about new destinations and unique travel opportunities. 

This year’s summit is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Namibia’s tourism sector to reach out and grab the attention of those who have never heard our story.