AdventureNEXT Near East Continues to Strengthen Relationships, Generate Business in Second Year

May 7, 2018

Kempinski Ishtar Dead Sea, Jordan - For the second year in a row, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) is proud to partner with the Jordan Tourism Board and the Jordan Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to bring the AdventureNEXT Near East event to Jordan, 7-9 May 2018. Designed to put emerging adventure travel destinations on the map, the event continues to support the development of eco-tourism and active travel in the Middle East and North Africa region by bringing together local suppliers, international buyers, and media.

For destinations seeking to increase domestic and international travel, adventure travel is a favorable alternative to more traditional forms of tourism - it's exotic, sustainable, inherently one-of-a-kind, and fittingly perfect with the zeitgeist of the moment. As experienced adventure-focused businesses have long understood, matching adventure travel with cultural tourism is a powerful driver for attracting travelers. By hosting AdventureNEXT Near East and with continued investment from the Jordanian business community in adventure and eco-tourism products such as the Jordan Trail, Feynan Ecolodge, and a wide variety of tour providers, it's no wonder the region is receiving notable attention from the adventure travel industry. An audience of over 50 million has been reached through international print, digital, and social media as a result of the inaugural 2017 AdventureNEXT Near East event, including features in National Geographic Traveler, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, Travel + Leisure, Fairfax Traveller, and The Telegraph. Jordan's remarkable combination of ancient preservation and modern culture matched with outstanding culinary experiences and warm hospitality sets it up for continued success within the adventure travel market.

AdventureNEXT Near East bridges the East with the West, creating a forum to showcase the wider region's growth as a desirable destination within the adventure travel industry. “What we have seen is vast support from the international community: local operators offering novel itineraries throughout the region; tremendous support from our partners at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Jordan Tourism Board, and many other key strategic partners,” says Shannon Stowell, CEO of the ATTA. “The fact that over 200 delegates came last year to support and learn about the ongoing development of adventure tourism in the Near East is testament of growing demand for this region.”

This year shows an increase in support from countries throughout the region as well; Palestine is a key partner, conducting the first post-adventure, a familiarization tour after AdventureNEXT. Tour operator representatives from Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt, and Greece are attending, as well as the UAE tourism board - CEO Ras Al Khaima and his team - who are also participating in Marketplace meetings.

Overall, more than 200 delegates, including 48 buyers, 37 suppliers, and 34 global media, will engage in two days of “Empowering Connections” through onsite networking, workshops, and knowledge-sharing to build strong and dynamic relationships. Hosted byers and media will attend nine separate pre-adventures leading up to the event. Nearly 700 pre-scheduled meetings will take place with the hope to surpass the 78% of 2017 participants who reported that AdventureNEXT Near East resulted in new partnerships with companies in the Near East region. Eleven of those instances were featured in AdventureTravelNews as case studies.

More information about AdventureNEXT Near East 7-9 2018--along with the program guide and guest speaker biographies--can be found at: https://www.adventuretravel.biz/events/adventurenext/near-east-2018/

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About Adventure Travel Trade Association

Established in 1990, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) today is widely recognized as a vital leadership voice and partner for the adventure travel industry around the world.

Membership + Trade

The membership and trade organization is designed to be a force for the industry and exists to drive thought leadership, industry promotion, and opportunities to network and convene globally to create trade and business health. It currently serves more than 1,000 members in 100 countries worldwide. The constituency is made up of tour operators, tourism boards, specialty agents, and accommodations all sharing a vested interest in the sustainable development of adventure tourism.

Adventure 360 - Business Services + Events

Through its growing business services division, the ATTA delivers a portfolio of strategic solutions and a robust ecosystem of events around the globe. Those events include AdventureNEXT which focuses on regional promotion and partnerships; AdventureELEVATE a North American-based educational conference; and the premiere adventure travel global conference, the Adventure Travel World Summit. With specialized expertise in research, events, education, media, and promotion, the ATTA business service division is able to provide valuable solutions to a broad set of partners across many verticals of business.

Adventure Travel Conservation Fund

In 2016 the ATTA partnered with other leaders from the adventure travel industry to start the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF), a nonprofit that provides funding, connections and an international spotlight on projects that protect the cultural and natural resources which underpin the adventure tourism industry. 100% of membership dues go towards funding these international projects. Each year members nominate projects, which are then vetted and finally voted upon by the ATCF membership.