Greetings, North America ATTA Friends and Colleagues!
Welcome to the latest edition of the Regional Newsletter from your North America ATTA team. Who are we? Read our newsletter to meet our team and learn about what we have been working on since our last newsletter in March.
Meet ATTA’s North America Regional Team
- Russell Walters, Regional Director
- Mira Poling Anselmi, Global Community Director
- Eva Mossberg, Partner Manager for North America and Global Gear Brands
- Jalila Williams, Community Lead, North America
Welcome, Jalila Williams!
Jalila Williams has been with the ATTA team since May 2022 and has developed great knowledge about the adventure travel industry. While serving the USA and Canada regions, she leads member communications through email and video calls and builds relationships with industry colleagues, members, partners, and outside organizations.
Jalila was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and spent the first six months of her life in Rwanda before moving to America. She was raised in a small town outside of Southeast Washington, D.C. called Temple Hills, Maryland. When Jalila was 19, she took a year off of college and went to live in Rwanda. This was her first experience living abroad and it was life-changing as it developed another part of her identity by understanding and learning more about her mother's country and culture. Most recently, Jalila lived in Thailand from 2018-2021 where she worked as an ESL instructor. She loves art, music, nature, and cultural travel, particularly in Indigenous communities.
Jalila graduated in 2010 from Clark Atlanta University with a bachelor's degree in Mass Media Arts and is a certified Hatha-Vinyasa Yoga instructor. She strives to make an adventure with every new opportunity!
Updates from ATTA North America
This newsletter is part of ATTA’s continued effort to better serve you – the ATTA community. We aim to bring to your attention interesting information and updates. This issue will focus on ATTA’s work in North America, networking opportunities, and highlights from members of the ATTA community. We hope it will also serve as a reminder to let us know what your needs and expectations are from us, the ATTA in North America.
- AdventureELEVATE 2022 held 3-5 May 2022 in Eugene, Oregon was as success! Check out the event wrap-up page to view the final report and photos from the event.
- We’ve held several AdventureConnects over the past few months including AdventureConnect Providence, AdventureConnect Seattle, and AdventureConnect Denver, and look forward to hosting more in the coming months. Watch the AdventureConnect page and make sure you have signed up to receive notice about AdventureConnects for your region.
- Outdoor and ATTA Survey: Outdoor Enthusiasts Share Their Perspectives on Climate: In a recent consumer survey developed by ATTA and market researchers at Outside Inc., 4,747 outdoor enthusiasts shared their upcoming travel plans along with their views on climate and travel. Responses were gathered from Outside Interactive’s media brand audiences between 19 April and 3 May 2022.
- ATTA at Outdoor by ISPO - Gergana Nikolova, Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, and Eva Mossberg, Partner Manager for North America and Global Gear Brands, represented the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) at Outdoor by ISPO in Munich, Germany, the leading trade fair for the outdoor industry which took place 12-14 June 2022. The 3-day event drew 300 international exhibitors and approximately 8,000 participants.
The ATTA’s Continued Work in Florida
At the end of August, Eva Mossberg, North America Partner Manager, and Russell Walters, Regional Director of North America, presented a one-day workshop in collaboration with VISIT FLORIDA's 2022 Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism.
The workshop is a continuation of the past three years of community-building workshops and events the ATTA has been conducting in Florida. More than 60 participants from the region were introduced to the opportunity to develop a Florida Adventure Travel Network and discussed the benefits and goals of this new network.
Walters and Mossberg presented results from a recent Florida Stakeholder Survey and shared a network mapping exercise alongside examples of similar industry networks from Quebec, Italy, and Colombia.
The year-long program will involve participants in a collaborative process of building a common vision for Florida adventure travel as they develop critical regional and activity-based collaborations and shared short and long-term objectives.
The next event in the series is an industry webinar on 10 November, followed by a hands-on workshop in February 2023.
For more information on the Florida Adventure Travel Network please feel free to contact either Eva or Russell directly.
News from Members in North America:
- Welcome new ATTA gear members: LEKI, Eagle Creek, Toad & Co, Osprey Packs, Turbat, and Tenson.
- The Indigenous Tourism Collaborative of the Americas Announces a Call for Resources: The Indigenous Tourism Collaborative of the Americas (ITCA) is asking travel industry leaders to help build the largest database of Indigenous tourism resources ever created. The Indigenous Tourism Resource Portal will be a comprehensive online platform that offers resources and tools to help Indigenous peoples, their stakeholders, and partners develop and manage tourism. The new portal is a keystone of ITCA’s action agenda as the tourism industry recovers from COVID-19.
- Huttopia: 23 Years of Innovation in the Glamping Industry: Ever since its beginnings in 1999, when a small campground was opened in France, Huttopia has been inspired by the beauty of our world and the pleasure of sharing simple moments with loved ones. Since then, this family-owned business has continued building camps in natural sites all while respecting the nature and culture of the territory. Its goal: to allow city dwellers to disconnect from the distractions of everyday life and reconnect with both nature and their loved ones.
Upcoming Events + Networking Opportunities
Virtual Member Connects:
Don’t miss the opportunity to join the upcoming virtual Member Connects to learn more about how to maximize your ATTA membership and meet other members. Our next virtual Member Connect will be on 12 October at 9 am PT/1600 UTC. ATTA Business and Professional members can register here.
On the Road:
- NY International Travel Show, 28-30 October
- AdventureConnect Seattle, 4 November
Now that we're able to meet again in person, we have a full dance card for the remainder of 2022 and 2023, including AdventureWEEK Ecuador, AdventureELEVATE 2023 in Portland, Maine, and Adventure Travel World Summit 2023 in Hokkaido, Japan, plus a few more events that will be announced soon. If you have an interest in these partnerships or any other opportunities with the ATTA please do not hesitate to be in touch. We look forward to finding the best solutions for you - and with you!
We also hope we get to connect with you soon on the road; and at ATWS 2022 in a few short weeks!