ADVENTURE TRAVEL WORLD SUMMIT
place： Akan
Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS)
The Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS) is an adventure travel industry event hosted annually by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).
Tour operators,media professionals, tourism boards, gear partners, and industry partners gather in the annually selected host destination to learn and network through the Marketplace, MediaConnect, keynotes, networking time, and adventure discovery (Pre-Summit Adventure, Day of Adventure).
Our efforts to bring the ATWS to Japan bore fruit and the ATWS 2023 was held in Hokkaido in September 2023. Hokkaido Tourism Organization played the role of host as a member of the ATWS Hokkaido Executive Committee, and thanks to the support and cooperation of many people in and outside of Hokkaido, the event closed on a high note, with words of gratitude from the organizer ATTA, buyers and media from overseas, and other participants.
We consider ATWS not as a goal but as a starting line for adventure travel in Japan. We will continue to work on various projects so that people can learn about what Hokkaido has to offer and enjoy adventure travel in Hokkaido.
ATWS2021
- ATWS Virtual - Hokkaido, Japan
- 20-24 September 2021
Hokkaido was due to become the first country in Asia to host ATWS. However, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, changing the face of the global travel industry and making it impossible to hold the event in-person. As such, the event was held for the first time in a virtual setting, attended by 617 people from 58 countries and regions. During the event, adventures offered by Hokkaido were presented through a series of 8 30-minute films, which were well-received by attendees.
ATWS2022
- ATWS Lugano, Switzerland
- 3-6 October 2022
Inbound tour operators and destination representatives from Hokkaido will attend the summit to strengthen the region’s relationships with outbound tour operators around the world, and promote Hokkaido’s AT products.
ATWS2023
- ATWS Hokkaido, Japan
- 11-14 September 2023
The 2023 ATWS was held in Hokkaido, Japan, on the 11-14 September. This summit was Hokkaido’s first opportunity to welcome adventure travel professionals in-person following the virtual event in 2021. The delegates including the official media and buyers from around the world enjoyed adventure travels in Hokkaido and other regions of Japan by joining PSA and DOA.
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Over 750 people from 64 countries attended the Summit. Of these, approximately 50 travel-related media and content creators from 17 countries and 111 buyers (tour operators handling outbound travel) from 21 countries visited Japan. In addition, more than 280 people from Japan, including tour operators, guides, and tourism related organizations who are committed in adventure travel throughout Japan, participated in this event.
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The theme of the summit is "chōwa, or Harmony". "In Japan, Chōwa or Harmony is most often used to describe the collective spirit that connects people together. While the word has layers of meaning, as a cultural concept, 調和 (chōwa) is a reminder to look beyond our individuality. It asks us to place higher value on our community as a whole." says ATTA in the official site of the summit.
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The words "sustainability," "low carbon," "eco-friendly," "over tourism," and "responsible traveler" appeared as themes and keywords in the keynote speeches and breakout sessions held during the summit. It was a great opportunity for us to learn about the idea that tourism is a means to solve problems and make the world better.
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