The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and Expedition Cruise Network (ECN) have announced a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening links between the adventure travel and expedition cruise sectors.
The move comes amid rising demand for immersive, nature-based travel, with both organisations highlighting strong growth across their markets, particularly in polar expedition cruising, where agents are reporting strong bookings.
The partnership will see ATTA and ECN share research and expertise, while creating new opportunities for members to collaborate and develop more diverse itineraries. It will also give agents and suppliers greater access to specialist knowledge across both sectors.
Responsible tourism is at the heart of the collaboration, with both organisations committing to promote best practice and support sustainable industry growth.
ECN CEO Akvile Marozaite said: “We are incredibly excited to announce ECN’s partnership with ATTA, the world’s leading adventure travel trade association. Expedition cruising has always been a natural part of the adventure travel landscape, and this partnership reflects our shared commitment to education, collaboration and the responsible growth of our industry.
“Together, we hope to deliver educational initiatives, knowledge-sharing opportunities, joint events and industry insights that benefit both of our communities. Just as importantly, we want to help showcase expedition cruising as an integral part of the global adventure travel ecosystem, while introducing our members to the breadth of experiences, destinations and partnerships that exist across the wider adventure travel world.”
ATTA CEO Shannon Stowell added: “We are thrilled to work with ECN in a strategic way to further both organisations’ opportunities and initiatives.
“What really caught our attention was their commitment to responsibility in expedition cruising. Having recently taken a small-ship expedition cruise, it is definitely a form of adventure travel when done well. We look forward to supporting each other in the coming year and beyond.”
Further initiatives, including joint events and education are set to be rolled out as the partnership develops.
