If there is one thing we have learned over the last 17 years and especially over the last 17 months, it’s that community matters deeply and a strong one can carry you through anything. The ATTA community that we know today began in 2004 when ATTA CEO Shannon Stowell took on the little known organization with hardly more than a big dream and a lot of heart. He and other team members, volunteering their time, faced a mountain of challenges and many serious doubters, but a few believers jumped on board and offered support, wisdom, and expertise.
Today, 17 years later, we’re proud to say we still have 32 of those original members from 11 different countries and we are honoring them with a new title, Adventure Champions.
These founding members joined in 2005 and 2006 and have stuck with us continuously for more than 15 years, no matter what was happening in the economy or the world. Each year we will recognize members who reach the milestone of 15 years of membership by honoring them as Adventure Champions.
The saying goes “The world is run by those who show up” and these organizations and their leaders exemplify this. The founding Adventure Champions include two exemplary adventure travel destinations, Greenland and Switzerland; one Industry Partner leader in risk management, Global Rescue; and incredible tour operators who have cared for the communities, wildlife, mountains, jungles, forests and rivers of Turkey, Ecuador, Australia, Canada, the US, Egypt, Chile, Costa Rica and Peru; and have been with us from the beginning. The world of travel is a better place because of the commitment of these organizations to doing adventure travel right. We salute them!
ATTA Adventure Champions are the vanguards of the adventure travel industry. In a world where the temptation in the tourism industry is to focus on volume, these leaders chose quality and care for the people and places they take their guests. They’ve chosen the often more challenging terrain of responsibility and sustainability over easy profit. They are true believers in the power of adventure travel and have made an impact on the direction of ATTA and on the industry as a whole. We honor their commitment to their ethos and lasting contribution to the adventure travel industry.
See the founding Adventure Champions.