Editor's Field Notes ~ July 2005:

Welcome to the July 2005 edition of the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s AdventureTravelNews™!

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As a marathon runner, I continually seek ways to improve my performance. In May 2005, I ran across a book by Danny Dreyer, an esteemed running coach and a nationally ranked ultra-marathon runner, called, “Chi Running, A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running.”

In no uncertain terms, this book has improved every aspect of how I think about running, my concentration, my overall performance, my pace, and the list goes on. The most important take-away, learning about dan tien, which in T’ai Chi, refers to one’s center (I like to think of it as my core.).

The emphasis on "center" piqued my interest because it has particular relevance to the adventure travel industry. For years, there’s been no real “center” to speak of. And, that’s precisely what the Adventure Travel Trade Association is working toward, providing a “center” or focal point to help propel sustainable growth for our industry. When an industry, generally speaking, moves together from a core, or “centered,” vision, positive performance and focus tend to follow.

And, during marathons, beyond my inward efforts to center, focus and perform, I rely upon planning and strategy. More importantly, I rely heavily upon support crews, from my family to the volunteers passing me water and bananas, to the event organizers who care for runners’ safety and enthusiasm.

The adventure travel industry requirements aren’t much different – it requires, in addition to centering, focus and strategy, teamwork, support and a coordinated effort to bring about success. In this month’s issue of AdventureTravelNews™, we feature a host of topics geared toward focusing our industry. Specifically, the “Adventure Travel World Summit Releases Visionary, Practical Agenda,” piece lays out what to expect from the Adventure Travel World Summit (www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com), which is designed to create a shared, centered vision for our industry.

Along with one’s dan tien, one must be present, in the moment and engaged. I urge others to be actively present and engaged in industry initiatives, to participate in the development of our industry’s future, to contribute to upcoming editions of this online newsletter. Only with your assistance can we deliver on your ever-changing hopes and expectations.

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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