The Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS), the signature annual international conference hosted by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), is nearing sell-out capacity months before the event is set to take place. A healthy indicator of a booming travel industry, this milestone signifies that interest and engagement in adventure travel is quickly returning to pre-pandemic levels. The Adventure Travel World Summit will take place in Lugano, Switzerland, from 3 - 6 October of this year.
Over 750 delegates from over 50 countries will attend, making this event one of the biggest international gatherings of the adventure travel community. Every sector of the industry will gather at the annual ATWS, including tour operators, tourism boards, gear partners, travel advisors, and industry partners. Those attending the event will also include over 40 international travel media, ranging from photographers to writers, content creators to filmmakers, with whom delegates will have the opportunity to meet with and pitch stories during the MediaConnect sessions.
“We can’t wait to welcome the global adventure travel community to Lugano this autumn. We proudly host the ATWS 2022 to remind travellers that great adventures can be so close, right in the heart of Europe. Together with our partners, we strive to make this year’s ATWS even better than the one in Lucerne 10 years ago, with complementary train travel, over 40 Day of Adventure options and fun events. It will also be the most sustainable - or, as we like to call it, swisstainable – Summit yet,” added Alex Herrmann, Director UK & Ireland, Director Europe West of Switzerland Tourism.
Centered around the theme of Air, Water, Fire, and Earth, this year’s ATWS is part of a two-year collaboration between the ATTA and Switzerland Tourism focused on sustainable tourism. Guided by the concept of “Swisstainability,” event initiatives include water conservation, plastic use reduction, food waste avoidance, reduced energy consumption, green transportation, and carbon removal and offsetting, each aimed at helping delegates maximize benefits to the local environment and community and minimize negative impacts. Beyond their personal footprints, delegates may also engage in thought-provoking and industry-leading accelerators and presentations including: Adventure Needs Nature: Assessing Your Biodiversity Impact, Moving Into Climate Stability: Transitions In Transport, The First Mile Of The Journey To Net Zero, and Funding Conservation.
Beginning on the first day of the Summit on 3 October, the Day of Adventure further offers ATWS delegates a first-hand opportunity to explore the true depth and strength of Switzerland’s “Swisstainable” mindset, with activities ranging from paragliding over Lake Lugano, mountain biking on Monte Brè, uncovering the cultural history of Monte Verità, or climbing one of the highest artificial climbing walls at the Diga di Luzzone Dam.
“Switzerland’s dedication to sustainability and adventure travel development is clear from their 15 years of ATTA membership and leadership presence at events,” shared ATTA’s president, Casey Hanisko. “With sell-out imminent, the adventure travel community is clearly ready to return to Switzerland, now ten years after our 2012 Adventure Travel World Summit in Lucerne. Our industry has always been strong, resilient, and driven never to let barriers get in the way. We are the perfect community to tackle sustainability because good business - for people and the planet - is in our DNA.”
The ATTA’s annual Summit event draws hundreds of industry professionals from around the world for several days of educational programming, a marketplace, lauded keynote speakers, ample time for one-on-one networking including a focused session with attending media, and exploration of the host destination. This will be the first in-person ATWS since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, signaling the importance of adventure travel in the reemergence of the travel industry.
Registration remains open for a limited time. To secure a space, register here. To view the latest list of delegates and media registered to attend, visit both https://events.adventuretravel.biz/summit/lugano-2022/delegate-list and https://events.adventuretravel.biz/summit/lugano-2022/media.