TourRadar’s CEO and Co-founder Travis Pittman on Adventure Together 2023
BOB MOWAT
Whether you like your adventure in-person or virtually, TourRadar is bringing the organized adventure industry together in Vienna, Austria to hear from thought leaders from around the globe as they explore some of the industry’s more pressing issues.
Set for Oct. 18 and Oct. 19, TourRadar’s CEO and Co-founder Travis Pittman explains that: “Adventure Together 2023 promises to be an unforgettable experience,” providing those attending with “a thought-provoking and insightful exploration of the organized adventure travel landscape.”
Pittman said that Adventure Together is an event that was “missing in our lives,” pointing out that while there are events like WTM, ITB and others, that are “all for more mainstream travel,” but none are focussed on multi-day, organized adventure travel.
TourRadar’s CEO and Co-Founder observed that: “We feel there’s so much more product than just adventure out there that is being run by operators and so we weren’t satisfied so we went out and created our own.”
He continued: “We did the first [Adventure Together] during the pandemic, which was purely virtual and this is the third year that we’re doing it – so bigger and better than ever.”
With close to 200 VIPs in Vienna for the in-person event, Pittman said that: “We’re trying to bring the industry together to learn and collaborate. How do we make it [the organized adventure niche] bigger and better because we’re still such a small niche of the overall travel pie.”
Pittman added that: “Our vision, as TourRadar, is to drive mainstream adoption” and convince people to consider an organized adventure when they talk to their travel agent.
“So, Adventure Together is a way we’re trying to put more of a spotlight on it [the organized adventure niche/segment] and grow the whole category,” he said.
The event will feature conversations about travel and technology, as well as a symposium about AI, sustainability, and business growth. And while the focus is on the entire organized adventure industry, there will be tracks exclusively for travel agents and operators.
‘Community Building: How We Shape the Future of the Industry’ is one of the most highly anticipated panels at the event and will feature James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel; Scott Nisbet, Global CEO of the Globus Family of Brands; and Travis Pittman, CEO and co-founder of TourRadar.
The trio will dive deep into the pivotal role of community and collaboration in ensuring the longevity and sustainability of the organized adventure industry.
Other planned sessions include:
- Former NIKE Chief Marketing Officer, Greg Hoffman, and Christian Wolters, TourRadar’s CMO will speak on ‘How To Build a Distinctive Brand for the Long Run: Unveiling Marketing Strategy from Nike’s former CMO’
- Graeme Jackson, Head of Strategic Partnerships at The Travel Foundation will speak on ‘The Need for Collaborative Innovation in Times of Climate Emergency: Challenges and Opportunities of Sustainable Transformation of the Industry.’
- A coffee chat with Steph Lee, founder of Host Agency Reviews to reveal insights on booking trends and agent preferences. TourRadar will also share a product roadmap: a sneak peek into the Adventure Booking platform for 2024.
For the full agenda, click here. To sign up, click here.
The TourRadar Adventure Booking Platform (ABP) allows travel advisors to discover and book private, tailor-made, and group tours and adventures. Travel advisors can sign up here to use TourRadar’s ABP.
The 2023 Adventure Together event sponsors include Globus, Intrepid, The Travel Corporation, Europamundo, Colette, Air Canada, Explore!, Travel Talk, and Wastik India Journeys.
