(SEATTLE) - For ITB's third Corporate Social Responsibility Day since its introduction at ITB in 2009, ITB convention organizers selected Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) President Mr. Shannon Stowell to moderate the session, "Luxury and Environmental Sustainability: Friends or Foes?".
Stowell, who leads the adventure tourism industry's global trade association which advocates for the responsible and sustainable development of the growing sector, will navigate discussions about the seeming contradictions between luxury vacations and environmental sustainability. Using worldwide best practice examples, session contributors will, in addition to illustrating how luxury and sustainability can be a match for each other, explore how the eco-resorts market segment is developing and discuss whether the pioneering experiences of specific resorts are transferable to the rest of the tourism industry.
According to the director of the ITB Berlin Convention, Dr. Roland Conrady, "With Shannon moderating, it will be interesting to work out how sustainable product and service concepts can be made attractive for consumers. He brings with him the perspective of the ATTA's diverse global membership representing millions of travelers from a progressive tourism sector, which seems to be a critical step in drawing the sustainability approach out this niche and into the mainstream."
Session panelists include: Enrico Ducrot, Managing Director, Eco Luxury; José Dominique, Managing Director, CGH Earth experience hotels, India; and a top executive, to be named, representing Temes S.A./Costa Navarino.
"For years, the traveler has been moving toward a softer or more luxurious experience. We've even seen this in the outdoor activity sector. This makes the subject germane for today's professionals in the travel space," said Stowell. "How do we responsibly grow and where do luxury and sustainability work together?"
The sustainable tourism session, to be moderated by Stowell, is scheduled for Thursday, March 10, 2011, from 03:00 - 03:45PM. Simultaneous translation in German and English will be provided.
The International Tourism Exchange ITB Berlin has become the world's leading travel trade show, hosting over 110,000 trade visitors as well as 11,000 exhibitors. Part of the ITB Berlin is the professional convention 'ITB Berlin Convention', the Leading Travel Industry Think Tank, which has turned into one of the most important trade visitor magnets in the tourism industry, pulling over 12,000 visitors in 2010.
The ATTA also will exhibit during the trade-only ITB Berlin Convention March 9-11, 2011, in the Experience Adventure & ECOtourism Hall 4.1.
Established in 1990, the Seattle-based Adventure Travel Trade Association, with nearly 700 members worldwide, serves as the adventure tourism trade hub for tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, specialty travel agents, guides, accommodations, media and service providers. Host of the annual Adventure Travel World Summit executive trade conferences, the ATTA, dedicated to unifying, networking, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market, also publishes AdventureTravelNews.com the adventure trade's news source and makes possible Adventure.Travel, the traveler's hub of physical, cultural and nature-based adventure travel and guide to trusted tour operators from around the globe.
