Free ATTA Good Practices Sessions for Tour Operators

First of Three Begins April 21st

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. October 14, 2008

SEATTLE, WA, August 18, 2007. Under a new partnership between the Adventure Travel Trade Association and Conservation International to improve environmental and social practices of international adventure tourism operators, industry professionals worldwide are invited to participate in a new, three-part Web-based seminars series - provided at no cost - dedicated to good practices for those operating in sensitive mountain, tropical rainforest and marine ecosystems worldwide.

The 'Webinar' series starts Tuesday, August 21, 2007, at 10:00AM PDT with, "A Practical Guide to Managing the Environmental and Social Impacts of Mountain Tours".

ATTA/CI's August 21st "...Mountain Tours" Webinar program begins with an introduction to mountain ecosystems and communities, and an overview of typical tourism and tour activities in these areas. The associated economic, social and environmental impacts of these activities will be summarized and the importance and benefits of adopting good practices highlighted. Next, operators are offered information on good practices in both broadly applicable areas of mountain tour operations and for specific recreational activities that may be part of any particular tour.

Operators interested in participating in this Webinar may register at the following link: http://adventuretravel.qm4.net/a/0/2430166/300895/default.aspx.

Topics addressed in each of the ATTA/CI's Practical Guide to Good Practices (PGGP) Webinars for each ecosystem will emphasize practical suggestions about general activities tour operators can adopt to contribute to biodiversity and nature conservation. The next two seminars, including registration information are as follows:

Tropical Rainforest Ecosystems -- Thursday, September 6 - 10AM PDT

o Register at: http://adventuretravel.qm4.net/a/0/2430166/300896/default.aspx

Marine Ecosystems -- Tuesday, September 18 - 10AM PDT

o Register at: http://adventuretravel.qm4.net/a/0/2430166/300897/default.aspx

In addition to the Webinar PowerPoint presentations provided, following each of the Webinar sessions, adventure travel businesses will receive access to free downloadable PGGPs, which include an overview of the key issues to consider, the rationale for good practice, practical suggestions for improving performance in that area, and examples of what other operators around the world are doing. Additionally, in the PGGP, operators will receive a self-assessment sustainability checklist that will help operators identify areas of business activity that need improvement and choose business partners and suppliers based on sustainability criteria.

About the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA)

Established in 1990, the Seattle-based ATTA (www.adventuretravel.biz) is a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market worldwide. ATTA Members include tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, travel agents/agencies, guides, lodges/resorts/attractions, media, and service providers. Host of the annual Adventure Travel World Summit (www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com), the ATTA provides professional support, development, education, research, marketing, career building, networking and cost-saving resources to its members.

About Conservation International (CI)

Conservation International (www.conservation.org) applies innovations in science, economics, policy and community participation to protect the Earth's richest regions of plant and animal diversity in the biodiversity hotspots, high-biodiversity wilderness areas and key marine ecosystems. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., CI works in more than 40 countries on four continents. For more information about CI, visit www.conservation.org.