ADVENTURE EXPO IN TRAVEL

From left to right the TravelSafe Insurance staff at the Adventure Travel Expo: Cynthia Perry, Deb Grove, Steph Reimert, Jerry Lepping

Adventure Travel is on the rise, it generates more than $115 billion annually in the US alone, and attracts singles, couples, families, and vacationers of every age group? Soft adventure travel offers a robust and resounding answer to questions about how the economy and travel safety concerns will affect the future of the travel industry

Over 400 exciting destination vendors from around the world were at the Javits Convention Center January 9 to 11th in New York City including OSSN that held work shop seminars on "Working As A Home Based Travel Agent and How To Develop Your Niche Market".

Adventure travel is poised to become among the biggest drivers of growth in the travel industry. Two-thirds of Americans participate in outdoor recreation each year, and in fact they spend $125 billion annually on outdoor recreational equipment-a number that tops even the $50 billion US consumers spent annually on adventure travel itself. Capacity at major national parks such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Zion is fully booked months in advance of the summer travel season. National forest use also has skyrocketed-from 560 million recreation days in 1980 to 860 million recreation days in 1996. Capitalizing on the trend, nearly 8500 tour operators in the US have added adventure travel trips to the vacation options they offer to their customers.

"The idea of spending time off the beaten path appeals to a growing number of travelers," says ATE Executive Director Jim Cohen. "They're discovering a sense of satisfaction and even a new sense of themselves in trying something new, testing their physical and athletic abilities, and reconnecting with nature and the great outdoors. The breadth of experiences encompassed by soft adventure offers these benefits to people regardless of their level of athleticism. Whether they opt for a local destination or one that's half a world away, soft adventure travelers have the opportunity to savor new experiences, new cultures, and new dimensions of themselves."

The show was a great hunting ground for travel agents to help develop their "niche" markets and meet suppliers who want to work with the home-based travel agency market. This show was the first of its kind in the travel industry and OSSN is told that their will be new and exciting niche shows like this one for OSSN members to take advantage of this year. OSSN will post these show dates as they are available into the Calendar of Events section.

Royal Caribbean displays their new blow up cruise ship theater. OSSN N. New Jersey Chapter Director at the Adventure Tour Expo Travel Agents visit the Adventure Travel Expo Shelley Grant, Lee Island Visitor & Convention Bureau, OSSN Allied Member

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