Adventure and Active Travel Outfitters and Guides Association
February 28th 2008

	America Outdoors Association Media Kit
	AMERICA OUTDOORS ASSOCIATION   AMERICA OUTDOORS ASSOCIATION   Company: America Outdoors Association Address: P.O. Box 10847 City: Knoxville State/Province: TN Zip/Postal Code:  37939 Country: USA Phone: 865.558.3595 Fax: 865.558.3598 Web Site: www.adventurevacation.com Email: dbrown@americaoutdoors.org Information: 800-524-4814 Executive Director: David Brown Media Contact: David Brown Contact Phone: 865.558.3595     Fact Sheet Table of Contents MISSION STATEMENT GET OUTSIDE: FOR FUN AND HEALTH KID FRIENDLY AND MOM APPROVED: FAMILY TRIP EXPERTSTYPES OF OUTFITTED TRIPS: BURGEONING OF INTERESTSUNCONVENTIONAL THEME TRIPS: IMAGINE IT, DO IT PLANNING YOUR ADVENTURE VACATION: SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS HOW TO CHOOSE AN OUTFITTER: BEST PRACTICES BENCHMARKS   MISSION STATEMENT America Outdoors Association’s mission is growing, protecting and supporting America’s outfitting businesses. GET OUTSIDE: FOR FUN AND HEALTH!    Getting children out in nature on short, easy explorations from a very young age not only enriches their lives and yours, but sets the foundation for a lifetime of active healthy involvement in the outdoors.  Medical and social research demonstrates people derive significant health and wellness benefits from outdoor recreation and nature-based experiences.  America Outdoors Association, through its consumer-focused site adventurevacation.com, has launched a new online resources area for consumers to learn about this research and what to do to improve their wellbeing. You don't need a National Park in your back yard to get outdoors regularly. Everyone lives close to a natural area, city park, national forest, or lake, river, or greenway trail where they participate in outdoor activities and enhance their physical and mental capacity. Outdoor adventure vacations are the best way to combine the benefits of the outdoors with exciting adventure activities and pure fun for families and adults.  Professional outfitters take all the hassle and logistics work out of planning a successful vacation tailored to your interests and needs.  KID FRIENDLY AND MOM APPROVED: FAMILY TRIP EXPERTS  Families who share adventures together build strong, resilient, and respective family units.  The experiences you share last far beyond the actual trip, and studies show that kids grow up and repeat those experiences for their own children, because they have such fond memories of them. AOA outfitter members are experts in planning and operating family trips. Many of them developed their trips based on their own families’ experiences.  These outfitters understand what parents want in a family vacation, and what activities, food, and experiences kids of each age group really like. Many outfitters even have special guide staff in charge of leading kid-friendly exploration and learning and fun on family trips.  TYPES OF OUTFITTED TRIPS: BURGEONING OF INTERESTS  America Outdoors Association members represent a who’s who of the best outfitters in the Americas. Many companies are still run by the pioneers of their respective adventure activities. Over 500 members offer specialty adventure trips in 43 states and 74 foreign countries.  America Outdoors Association’s outfitter companies have been in business an average of 26 years.  AOA's outfitter members  are subject to a code of ethics that underscores their quality approach to adventure travel operations. v  Code of Ethicsv  Industry professionalismv  Sustainable Recreationv  ConservationMembers match the public’s interests in most outdoor adventure activities. Their trip portfolios include the time-honored activities from canoeing, backpacking, and horseback riding, to whitewater rafting, rainforest eco-tours, sea-kayaking expeditions, fly-fishing backcountry trips, hut-to-hut ski trips, and much more. v  Bird watching and interpretive toursv  Canoe Tripsv  Educational/Eco-tourism Tripsv  Fishing Tripsv  Guest and Dude Ranchesv  Hiking trips, including Llama trekkingv  Horseback Riding/Horse packing/Cattle Drivesv  Hunting Tripsv  Mountain Biking/Bike Toursv  Scenic Float Tripsv  Sea Kayaking/Recreational Kayak Touring Tripsv  Whitewater Kayaking Tripsv  Whitewater Rafting Tripsv  Wildlife Safaris and Toursv  Winter trips: skiing, snowshoeing, dog sleddingMany outfitters also offer lodging, from luxurious inns and cozy cabins to traditional camping, along with restaurants, retail stores, gear, and equipment. Adventure resorts will have a combination of all of these services and amenities.  Outfitters also provide shuttle services, motorized outdoor recreation like jet boat trips, ATV tours, snowmobile tours, and instructional trips of all kinds. For those do-it-yourself vacationers, outfitters are also a wealth of knowledge about outdoor recreation in their local areas.  UNCONVENTIONAL THEME TRIPS: IMAGINE IT, DO IT  Each year AOA's outfitter members offer additional unconventional and exciting trips with special themes to enrich your vacation experience. Some of these include:v  Girlfriend Getaways and Mancationsv  Historical and Cultural Tours v  Naturalist Interpretive Tours v  Experiential Education Programs for Schoolsv  Learn to Fly Fish, Kayak or Ride Horsebackv  Teen Age Skills Campsv  Culinary Experiences: Wilderness and Internationalv  Wine Tasting ToursCustom trips can also be an exceptional value and huge success for your family or group. Most outfitters are readily able and willing to create a custom trip exactly to your group’s wishes, if you don’t see what you want in their standard departures. Custom trips usually require a minimum number of participants, so be sure to find out what that is.  PLANNING YOUR ADVENTURE VACATION: SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS  Whether you are a first time adventure traveler or a veteran to adventure vacations, America Outdoors Association has a tremendous resource to help you find the experience that is exactly right for you. With the knowledge base and experience of over 500 professional outfitter members, and access to descriptions of all the locations, activities, and trip types they cover, AOA is the first place to go for in-depth research on what kinds of trips are available and for insightful trip planning tips, for families and individuals. Using adventurevacation.com to help plan your adventure vacation and identify the right outfitter to meet your needs sets you up for success. A great vacation with family and friends - now that's priceless!  HOW TO CHOOSE AN OUTFITTER: BEST PRACTICES BENCHMARKS  An outfitter or an "outfitted trip" means that you will be using the services of a professional to provide instruction, to guide your trip, or to provide the supplies and equipment that you will need. There are fully outfitted trips and adventure vacations where the guide(s) stays with you for the duration of the travel experience and leads your trip. There are also partially outfitted trips where an experienced operator might rent you equipment, help you get into the backcountry, and set you up to enjoy the experience on your own. Selecting the right outfitter can be a time-consuming and overwhelming task if you've never been on an adventure travel trip before. America Outdoors Association makes it easy with our extensive Checklist for Choosing the Right Outfitter. Put years of adventure travel experience and best practices in every imaginable outdoor activity to work for you when you most need it, at your vacation planning stage! Set yourself up for success.