Real Travel Adventures International Magazine

Real Travel Adventures International Magazine

Check This Site

Vacation Rental : Search thousands of vacation rentals and vacation homes at vacationRentalDirect.com

Place Your Travel News Here

We average 20,000 hits a day.

Advertise

In Travel News

FREE Promotional Features and Ads for those who host us

On Home Page

"Latest Travel News For Great Travel Adventures"

Adventure Travel Industry Launches Global Benchmarking Standard to Gauge Adventure Market Competitiveness And Feature Adventure Destinations Assam, India and Peru

Adventure Tourism Development Index

(SEATTLE, WA) – The Adventure Travel Trade Association, in collaboration with The George Washington University and Xola Consulting, Inc., today announced the launch of the Adventure Tourism Development Index (ATDI), an assessment and marketing tool to support entrepreneurs and governments developing and marketing sustainable adventure tourism.

The ATDI, with its supporting Feature Adventure Destination (FAD) program, is an important initiative through which partners hope to mobilize the global adventure tourism industry around a competitive market standard. The ATDI standard is designed to support the creation of competitive markets that are sustainable and drive benefits for communities and the environment. In 2008, Feature Adventure Destinations Assam, India and Peru commissioned in-country, in-depth qualitative assessments and marketing support from the ATDI team to apply its 10 Pillars approach and demonstrate their commitment to sustainable adventure tourism market development.

The ATDI benchmarks the world's nations according to its 10 Pillars of Adventure Tourism Market Competitiveness, factors proven to be necessary for competitive, sustainable adventure tourism:

1. Government policies supporting sustainable development

2. Safety

3. Infrastructure

4. Natural Resources

5. Cultural Resources

6. Adventure Activity Resources

7. Entrepreneurship

8. Humanitarian/ Human Development

9. Health

10. Image

As a new industry standard, the ATDI's 10 Pillars of Adventure Tourism Market Competitiveness are helping reshape the global perception and understanding of adventure tourism as a viable means of fostering entrepreneurship and economic development.

Recognizing the important differences between competitive mainstream tourism markets and competitive adventure tourism markets, the ATDI emphasizes different aspects of market development more heavily - for example, the importance of entrepreneurship, a factor crucial to sparking business development in rural areas. In emphasizing different aspects of development, the ATDI offers tourism destinations with an alternative way of looking at market potential, investment, and development strategies. For travelers and tour operators, the ATDI signals destinations where there may be untapped potential for adventure travel.

The ATDI organizes countries into two categories: Developed and Developing. The 2008 ATDI, which benchmarks 27 Developed Countries and 164 Developing Countries, revealed top countries for competitive adventure tourism according to the sustainable criteria in the 10 Pillars:

Top 10 Developing Countries: Estonia, Chile, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Hungary, Botswana, Bulgaria, Jordan, Latvia, and Uruguay.

Top 10 Developed Countries: Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Spain, U.S., Norway, Germany, Iceland and France.

ATDI benchmarks are calculated by The George Washington University and the Adventure Travel Trade Association using economic and environmental data from institutions such as the World Bank, the World Economic Forum, UNESCO, and Transparency International among others, and adventure tourism industry survey data. A complete discussion of the methodology is available at www.gwu.iits/ATDI.htm.

2008 Feature Adventure Destinations

In Peru, PromPeru, the agency responsible for marketing Peru tourism, recognized that the underdeveloped North and Central regions could play a larger role in the country's tourism industry but wanted to find ways to market and develop these areas with sensitivity. Three Hotspots - Trujillo, Huaraz, and Chachapoyas - were selected for their mix of resources to appeal to adventure travelers – each with a compelling mix of natural, cultural, and adventure sporting resources. Additionally, these Hotspots were found to have a good base level of infrastructure and community support for tourism development. Itineraries for each Hotspot were suggested, as well as a unifying marketing theme for the three regions.

In Assam, India, state policymakers saw the opportunity to capitalize on India’s rapidly expanding tourism market to draw more visitors to the Assam. The state’s tourism department leaders requested not only recommendations for adventure product development, but also wanted to ensure that new products would reach an audience of tour operators and travelers to begin operating trips in the region. In addition, the state’s leaders were very concerned that any new market development initiatives encourage sustainable, responsible tourism. Seven adventure tourism zones or “Hotspots” and provided itineraries for each.

Excerpts of the report provided to state policymakers have been made available in the ATDI 2008 Feature Adventure Destination Report here: www.adventuretravelnews.com and www.gwu.edu/iits and www.xolaconsulting.com/atdi.php

Why The ATDI is Necessary

As more destinations and businesses enter the adventure tourism industry, there is a need for guidelines for responsible development. Through the ATDI’s 10 Pillars, ATTA, GW and Xola offer a set of principles to structure the adventure industry’s growth, ensuring that any new markets created will be sustainable, delivering benefits into the future for the local environment and people.

Industry participants and media are encouraged to visit gwutourism.org/iits/ATDI.htm or xolaconsulting.com/atdi.php for more information about the ATDI.

About the Partners

Established in 1990, the Seattle-based ATTA (www.adventuretravel.biz) is a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market worldwide. ATTA Members include tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, travel agents/agencies, guides, lodges/resorts/attractions, media, and service providers. Host of the Adventure Travel World Summits, the ATTA provides professional support, development, education, research, marketing, career building, networking and cost saving resources to its members.

The George Washington University’s International Institute of Tourism Studies has held a leadership role in tourism and hospitality education for over 30 years, building a global reputation for tourism research and academic programs. Today, IITS, located within GW’s School of Business, offers academic opportunities in tourism administration, event management, sport management, and sustainable destination management for undergraduate, master's, and professional students.

Xola Consulting, Inc. (www.xolaconsulting.com) provides consulting services to individual adventure tour company operators and tourism boards interested in adventure tourism development for the benefit of rural communities and the environment. Xola also specializes in supporting organizations seeking to blend adventure tourism and volunteer service. Xola consultants have in-depth experience in emerging markets around the world including Central and South America, North Africa and Asia, including Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), India, Nepal, Mongolia and China.

Travelers Giving Back™ Program Makes It Easy to Make a Difference 22 Sep 08

Boulder, CO, USA - More than ever travelers are willing to give back and support the destinations they are visiting, but their question is always — how? Sustainable Travel International (STI) is launching its Travelers Giving Back™ initiative today to answer that question. Offered in conjunction with philanthropic partner, GlobalGiving, STI’s program connects travel companies and their guests to more than 500 pre-screened grassroots charity projects around the world.

"There is an increase in the number of conscientious consumers who want to protect and positively impact the destinations they visit," said STI president Brian T. Mullis. "Our new Giving Back program is designed to make this as easy as possible for them, and ensure their contributions are truly going back to the destination."

"GlobalGiving is very pleased to support STI in offering this innovative program," said John Hecklinger, GlobalGiving’s Business Development Director. "Through this partnership, travelers will now have more options for supporting effective solutions to problems facing communities that they visit."

STI's Travelers Giving Back program allows travel companies to offer a range of services to guests, from gift cards to online donations that benefit pre-screened sustainable charity projects in destinations all over the world.

Gift Cards

• Perfect for events or guest thank you programs.

• 100% biodegradable and 100% tax-deductible (U.S.-based donors only).

• No fees other than nominal printing costs and the card’s value.

Online Donation Engines

• Assemble a list of pre-screened projects featured on a custom or standard online donation engine that meshes seamlessly with any existing Web site.

• Ideal for those who are trying to enhance their Web sites and those who want to brand the charitable component.

• Donations can come from guests, as a percentage of revenue, as a customer levy (e.g., $1 per booking) or as a voluntary opt-in or opt-out program.

Project Evaluation and Outreach Support

• STI assesses a company’s existing giving programs and undertakes the necessary due diligence to ensure that any given project is credible and achieves the desired results.

• Projects can then be featured on the STI Web site, on its partners’ Web sites, and through its clients’ online donation engines to attract more support.

STI is focused on attracting financial and in-kind support for sustainable development-oriented projects that contribute to the environment and local people, and support community self-reliance. To ensure the best results possible, each individual project is reviewed and vetted internally or through other credible third-party organizations.

"Our goal is to help travel companies integrate giving back programs into their operational systems," said Peter D. Krahenbuhl, STI vice president, "because we know that is what their guests are looking for right now. It has to be easy and authentic for the company and its customers. That is what STI supports."

For more information, call Sustainable Travel International at 800-276-7764, email info@sustainabletravel.com, or visit the non-profit organization's Web site.

About Sustainable Travel International

Sustainable Travel International (www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to promote sustainable development and responsible travel by providing programs that enable consumers, businesses and travel-related organizations to contribute to the environmental, socio-cultural and economic values of the places they visit, and the planet at large.

Travelers, Check This Section

just before you leave to learn the

Latest Tips for the area you are touring.

Attention Visitor and Convention Bureaus

Chambers of Commerce

Tourism Public Relations Agents

Send your monthly updates and upcoming events to this section.

We require that you provide a Reciprocal link to this site and Notify us where to find it. We would greatly appreciate knowing if your email has been virus scanned with up to date virus protection. Thanks...it protects us all! The tool to use is provided here:

Please send travel info copy-ready up to 1,000 words in body of email, NOT as Attachments.

Contact Us Here!

Subscribers:So that your free subscription is not mistaken for spam,

Please copy & paste our E-mail address into your address book: mail@realtraveladventures.com

It's that simple!

Real Travel Adventures International Magazine

Adventure Travels in your Free Ezine

Free Monthly Subscriptions

Home Next Page

Peace for Everyone

If any links don't work

PLEASE NOTIFY US

EXCITING NEWS!

CLICK HERE TO HEAR US LIVE

on Destination Worldview

11:30 A.M. (NY time) some Wednesdays

EVERY Wednesday get Latest Travel Tips and views while you work on your computer

Streaming Internet broadcast on WWW.TTRN.COM "Talking Travel with Roy Lowey and Friends"

Every Wednesday 11 A.M. (New York Time)

Thanks for visiting us!

Real Travel Adventures International Magazine

Real and Armchair Travelers: Enjoy best trip reviews, travel features, and excellent travel photos in RealTravelAdventures.com, your FREE on-line international magazine. Send your funny or outrageous travel experiences & photos and get published!

Visit or dream of fascintating places with Real Travel Adventures e-zine! This site offers travel humor, photos, stories, helpful guidebooks, and more. Visit for fun or to seek tips for your next travel adventure...and then share your own stories with us here at

realtraveladventures.com, your free online travel magazine, where you'll find great book reviews, international travel adventures magazine, airline tickets, real travel adventures, camping, RV travel, RV's, Cruises, restaurant reviews, RVing, FamilyTrips, traveling with kids and children, Nature and eco trips, ecology, international travel, Ski Trips, Spas, Spiritual Retreats, interviews with Special People, Travel Humor, Travel News, Unbelievable, WeddingTrips, restaurant reviews and advisor, traveling adventures, adventure travels, travel, virtual and armchair travel, Back Roads, off the beaten path, where to go Camping and enjoy RV trips, where to Dine and Sleep, fun Family Trips, our Favorite Finds, Arts and Crafts, cruises and cruise vacations, romantic trips, traveling tips, travel stories, audio book reviews for your travels, books reviews, good books for a trip, wedding trip planner, wedding Trips, Honeymoons, Unbelievable adventures, Travel News, humorous travel stories, spas and retreats, spiritual retreats, meditation retreats, ski trips, week-end trips Near You, nature's Best places, ecology trips, travel guide books, traveling with children, e-zines, FREE Ezines, Free travel magazines, magazine, free online magazines, internet magazines, free magazine subscriptions, web magazines, true stories, humorous articles, funny features, human interest features, nature photos, environment photographs, photos, adventurous stories, real true stories, true adventrues, camping gear, vacation, holidays, safaris, Caribbean vacations, cheap hotels, great places to go, nature hikes, nature photography, family vacations, family holidays, trip planner, great trips, scenic photos, holiday vacations, holidays, holiday stories, foreign destinations, International travel trips. And you can Get published here too! Send us your travel stories and pictures.

If you wish to use our features or photos you must first contact us