Empowering Connections at AdventureNEXT: Near East

by Katherine Vallera
Last updated: 12:00 PM ET, Sun May 27, 2018

Earlier this month, 255 travel industry delegates from 33 countries convened on the shores of The Dead Sea to participate in AdventureNEXT Near East. The conference, organized by the progressively driven Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) in conjunction with the Jordan Tourism Board, took place on May 7th-9th at the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar in Jordan.

Reflecting many of the organization's core values, the theme of the conference was Empowering Connections. Another mission of the ATTA is to advocate for the development of sustainable tourism, an ever-present concept that was visited throughout the symposium.

In an effort to lead by example, it was decided that AdventureNEXT: Near East would be a plastic-free event. One way in which this was accomplished was to provide attendees with reusable water bottles upon check-in and encourage them to secure refills from a water station.

Keynote speakers at AdventureNEXT: Near East included author and filmmaker Leon McCarron, who opened the event with a presentation entitled "Human Diversity and the Path to Success". Also in attendance was the ATTA's very own Shannon Stowell, who concluded the program with the discourse of adventure travel as a catalyst for change.

Yet, it was an inspiring speech delivered by Tracy Edwards-captain of the first all-female yacht crew to successfully compete in the Whitbread Round the World Race-that seemed to captivate the audience with a poignant message that resonated amongst attendees.

Also lending her voice to AdventureNEXT: Near East was Jordanian Minister of Tourism, Lina Annab. The conference offered various workshops, as well, which inspired participants to interact and engage in further discussion.

One such workshop was entitled, "Be a Storybuilder-Influence your Customer through Storytelling". By mapping characters and drawing a storyboard, Genevieve Hathaway, photographer/filmmaker and founder of ArchaeoAdventures empowered participants with creative devices to employ in order to change the narrative about travel.

Another noteworthy workshop was called "Overcoming Regional Stereotypes with Product Design, Marketing, and Sales". Utilizing flashcards with questions intended to spark a dialogue, founder of Black Mount Ltd Jack Delf challenged participants to consider their approach to clients with concerns about safety and security abroad.

Aside from training and educational seminars, AdventureNEXT played host to a marketplace that encouraged one-on-one meetings between professional delegates. It was a valuable opportunity to network and build new travel industry partnerships. In attendance were familiar tour operators like Abercrombie & Kent as well as regional vendors and suppliers catering to a variety of destinations in Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

While the conference unfolded in a matter of days, most attendees participated in various pre-adventures in Jordan that were organized by local tour operators. There was also a post-adventure to Palestine organized by the Holy Land Incoming Tour Association (HLITOA), intended to connect participants with local Palestinian enterprises like the Siraj Center and Masar Ibrahim. By developing this market, this post-adventure was a great way to close AdventureNEXT: Near East as it aligned with the ATTA's commitment to sustainable tourism.