admin A quick search on “Millennials and travel” produces hundreds of hits about this younger generation’s travel preferences and behaviors. While their specific demographic details as consumers are certainly triggering changes in the adventure travel industry, there is another aspect of the rising Millennial generation receiving less attention: the fact they are also the new entrepreneurs, leaders, and employees who will influence how the travel industry addresses the challenges of its future.
“I knew I wanted to work in adventure travel after returning from a long trip to Hawaii and having to go back to the office environment of an advertisement agency and face 10+ hours of work in front of a computer every day. I knew that the travel industry was the right choice for me. This way I could not only help myself but also create a positive impact in the world.” – Diego Arelano
This year the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) launched a strategic initiative focused on youth leadership. What is behind the idea of promoting young leaders? It all started with the realization that the adventure travel industry needs to proactively engage and attract young people to its community. This is important for three main reasons.
First, the industry needs fresh talent more in tune with cutting-edge technology and new social dynamics, and can enhance the sector’s preparedness to work with new generations of travelers. Second, the ATTA and adventure travel community need to attract young entrepreneurs and innovators who will be excited to bring their entrepreneurial thinking and intelligence to the field, ultimately creating the next generation of adventure travel companies. The fast-changing market realities require ongoing innovation and new ways of thinking that come naturally to this generation. In fact, these young entrepreneurs are behind the launch of some of the biggest disruptors in the travel industry from the last decade, such as Airbnb and Uber.
Finally, to ensure the industry remains relevant and vibrant, the ATTA needs to nurture and grow its next generation of industry pioneers and leaders who will carry and promote the values of adventure travel into the future. “The ATTA has been a force for good in adventure travel for many years now and, as such, it has both the responsibility and desire to continue to push the industry forward,” said Nikola Mladenovic, the ATTA’s event operations coordinator and one of the team’s young leaders. “Attracting courageous, innovative, and bright minds to our industry is one of the ways in which the ATTA can ensure the adventure travel industry continues to develop in the best possible way in the years to come.”
To respond to these realities and enter into the rigorous competition for young talent with many other ambitious sectors, the young leaders initiative is aligned with the ATTA’s key activities, putting an emphasis on young leaders and taking the lead in proactively attracting and promoting young leaders through its programs. The initiative’s overarching goal is to become a platform drawing young talent, creativity, and entrepreneurship to the adventure travel industry. To make this happen, the ATTA formulated three objectives:
- To raise the industry’s awareness on the importance of engaging the next generation of industry leaders and entrepreneurs;
- To demonstrate the value young people can bring to the present and future of the industry;
- To attract young talent to the sector (and nurture the future leaders of the travel industry).
Though efforts in this area started just a few months ago, specific ideas are bringing the initiative to life. By the end of 2018, the ATTA hopes to launch some pilot activities promoting young leadership in the industry.
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