Editor's Field Notes ~ March/April 2006 Edition:

Welcome to the March/April 2006 edition of the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s AdventureTravelNews™!

Central to this edition of AdventureTravelNews™ is the topic of Risk Management. While this issue’s Risk Management articles are specifically centered on U.S. based tour operators, ATN™ plans to cover European risk management issues in the May/June 2006 edition and later in the year will explore other regions’ approaches.

Two key articles presented here – the first in a series slated for 2006 presented by ATTA Member experts – are provided to stimulate understanding and dialogue within our community. These are foundation-building articles to help our community begin developing solutions for their operations and for their clients, all wrapped within a commonly shared vernacular. Looking ahead, the ATTA, along with its members, seek to gain influence and buying power to shape how insurance providers service our community.

To further deal with Risk Management, the ATTA is hosting its first Member’s Only phone conference on Tuesday, March 21st: “Back to Basics: Creating a Risk Management Plan through Four Critical Steps,” designed to help owners, risk management officers and tour operators tackle risk identification, evaluation, treatment and implementation. Not a member? Visit ATTA Membership for more details.

New ATTA Member (self-authored) profiles greet this March/April issue, along with new Research & Trends news bytes, and special offers for the ATTA’s new Career Center. Also, take a gander at ATTA News and learn where ATTA’s leaders are showing up and how membership continues to grow. I won’t do this often, BUT, I plead each of you to take the time to read the “Must Read” piece on Wade Davis – it’s a compelling wake-up call about the probable mass extinction of cultures and languages – within our lifetimes. The threat is real. Within the linked NPR interview lays provocative food for thought, as well as the kernels of wisdom that could help us create potential opportunities to reduce the threat.

Looking ahead to the May/June 2006 issue, AdventureTravelNews expects to move to a subscription-based model. While some content will remain free to all, feature stories, tools, resources, new market research and more will only be available free to ATTA Members. Subscriptions will be available for purchase to non-ATTA Members.

As always, I look forward to your thoughts, ideas, constructive feedback and contributions.

In the spirit of adventure,

Chris Doyle

Send news tips, news releases, story ideas, pioneering undertakings, unusual industry occurrences, issues, partnership ideas and just plain fun stuff to me ( 916.791.9409). We intend to cover topics that could use some open-forum dialogue and questions that the lion’s share of our readers may find timely and compelling. Additionally, if you’re interested in contributing a by-lined story, an opinion, photography and/or other creative elements, I’ll also carefully consider your offer(s).

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