The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) has announced a new partnership with The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), dedicated to researching and building a responsible adventure market.

Announced at the 9th Adventure Travel World Summit in Lucerne, Switzerland late last month, the new partnership will include collaboration in research, quality and education and training to create promote the knowledge and value of adventure travel while creating a quality enhancement and sustainable development of adventure travel products.

In an email ATTA president Shannon Stowell told e-Travel Blackboard her believes the agreement was an “indicator of a sea change” in tourism and will impact all businesses working within the sector.

“The adventure travel segment may not be the biggest piece of travel today, but it’s one in which the people who operate it are on the front lines and they know that if they do not protect their local wildlife, environments and their cultures and make sure that local people are involved and benefitting from tourism, then their business is gone,” ATTA president Shannon Stowell said.

At the Summit last month, ATTA also became the first US-based association to sign the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct, an initiative designed to protect children from trafficking and sexual exploitation in travel and tourism. 

“We recognize there are dark sides to tourism,” ATTA’s president added.

“With such recognition comes great responsibility to take meaningful and immediate steps to eradicate harmful activity.

“This is our first measure to address this issue, and most certainly not our last.”

Other tourism companies to have signed the conduct include Accor Hotels, Carlson Companies, Delta Air Lines, Hilton Worldwide, Sabre Holdings and Wyndham Worldwide.