Austin Adventures Acquires Go South Adventures, Expanding Tour Portfolio and Expertise in Latin America

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Released on Thursday, 26 July 2012 11:03

This Marks Fourth Such Acquisition in Austin Adventures’s 38-Year Legacy 

Billings, MT, July 26, 2012– Award-winning tour operator Austin Adventures (ALA - http://www.austinlehman.com/), the active travel company setting adventure vacations standards on five continents, on Aug. 1, 2012, is acquiring Latin America specialist Go South Adventures (GSA -  www.go-south-adventures.com). 

The acquisition expands ALA’s tour portfolio for South American adventures by more than 20 percent and opens up opportunities to grow group, custom and FIT visits to the region. This is ALA’s fourth active travel company acquisition. The others were Backcountry Tours (2000), Euro-Bike Tours (2008) and Croatia Bicycle Tours (2010). 

The announcement was made by Dan Austin, ALA’s founder and director. 

Along with the acquisition, GSA’s owner, Troy Glennon, will join the ALA staff as its Latin American expert, enhancing the company’s program development team as well as supporting the sales team. Glennon has worked for over a decade guiding travelers through the region and developing sustainable tourism experiences. 

“By acquiring Go South Adventures, its brain trust excellent connections and stellar reputation, we are also giving our loyal clients the opportunity to travel more extensively with Austin Adventures in the Galapagos and mainland Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Antarctica,” says Austin. “The major factors making this transaction possible are existing similarities between our two companies including our joint passion for providing service and learning opportunities and 'behind the scenes' access, as well as our dedication to flawless itinerary planning.” 

In addition to its tried and true small group and custom programs, ALA plans to expand its capability of fulfilling requests of solo travelers, couples and very small groups who want independent self-guided (or escorted) travel with all the logistics and arrangements made and booked ahead. 

Austin explained that GSA’s website, remaining intact, will be converted to a South American travel content and resource site with links to ALA’s website.  

“We are thrilled to keep the legacy we’ve built alive and vibrant for years to come by joining the Austin Adventures family,” says Glennon. 

The Austin Adventures forte is to give guests a comprehensive and authentic insider’s view of regions visited. The new South American programs will remain primarily multi-sport and cultural. Traditionally Austin Adventures has featured multi-activity trips with activities like biking, hiking, sea kayaking and white water rafting. 

“Our programs are about the luxury of learning, stimulating activity and the tender loving care we lavish on our guests,” says Austin. 

About Austin Adventures

Austin Adventures, with a 38-year legacy, provides adventure vacations on five continents building an international reputation for small group active travel to destinations in The Americas, Europe, the Pacific Rim and Africa. The company specializes in adult and family multi-sport, hiking, and biking vacations that emphasize history, culture and nature’s charms.  Small group trips feature exceptional regional dining, distinctive accommodations and all-inclusive rates and services. In addition to scheduled group departures, ALA offers customized trip planning and a money-back satisfaction guarantee. 

In the March 2012 issue of Travel + Leisure, Austin Adventures was recipient of the 2012 World’s Best Values Award for Tour Operators.  ALA has also received Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Tour Operator Award (a Top 3 finisher) for four consecutive years from 2009 to 2012. In 2011 the company was honored with the Global Vision Award for its Wheels of Change bicycle empowerment initiative. For a comprehensive 2012-2013 catalog, call toll-free 1.800.575.1540, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries log onto: http://www.austinlehman.com/. 

About Go South Adventures and Troy Glennon

For over 10 years, Troy Glennon has led Go South Adventures in creating “Trip of a Lifetime”, small group adventures to Latin America. Troy has experienced South America from both sides of travel, as a solo adventurer and as a group tour leader in Peru, Bolivia and Chile. He studied in Mexico and has a degree in Spanish Literature and Culture from the University of Washington. He has traveled extensively throughout Central and South America, and returns regularly to update and expand his knowledge of new and classic Latin American destinations. His passion, observations and experiences gained from exploring Latin America are evident in each itinerary offered by Go South Adventures. 

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Austin Adventures, World Wildlife Fund Sponsor Sept. 6-16 Tourism Exchange Bringing Namibian Delegation to Montana

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Released on Tuesday, 24 July 2012 10:07

Western Ranchers, Native American Tribal Leaders, Recreation Professionals to Host 14 Community and Tourism Leaders from Namibia - Where Resource and Land Conservancy Initiatives Help People and Wildlife Thrive 

Billings, MT, July 24, 2012– A cross-cultural “no borders” exchange between US-based land owners, Native American tribal leaders, government representatives and park conservationists and their counterparts from Namibia will gather in September in Montana to share ideas on how tourism fits into their respective ideologies and onto their lands. 

Delegates will meet with property owners, managers and government officials to explore how they manage wide open spaces and incorporate sustainable adventure tourism activities such as biking, rafting, wildlife viewing and horseback riding. In turn, the international guests will discuss how their land conservancy model works in Namibia and how it might work on reservations, public and private lands. The 10-day tour will wrap up in Bozeman with an American football game as guests of Montana State University. See: www.austinlehman.com/namfam. 

Facilitating the Sept. 6-16 exchange with the World Wildlife Fund and others is Billings, MT-based Austin Adventures (ALA - http://www.austinlehman.com/), the active travel company setting adventure vacations standards on five continents, including Africa. 

The delegation of 14 Namibian tourism industry representatives, including four conservancy representatives (some of whom are members of the Himba and Herrera tribes), will experience a tour of southeastern Montana and Yellowstone National Park. 

Participants include ALA, Conservancy Development Support Services (CDSS), Namibian Association of Community Based Natural Resource Management Support Organizations (NACSO), including members of the Himba and Herrera tribes, World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), and award-winning safari operator Wilderness Safaris. 

The foreign visitors will learn about adventure tourism, inclusive of such issues as client safety, security and liability, and sustainability as practiced by ALA, an established adventure tour operator conducting business worldwide. Along the way they will be exposed to the guiding practices and interpretation techniques that comprise a significant part of the visitor experience while on an adventure travel tour. 

In Yellowstone National Park they will learn from park officials as well as representatives of Xanterra Corporation, the largest US National Park concessionaire, about how they manage their environmental footprint, including management of such issues as clean water, sewage, solid waste, energy and wildlife. 

Cross-cultural exchanges between the Namibians and Native American tribal leaders from southeast Montana will delve into how to establish and operate indigenous tourism experiences, while Montana state officials will discuss how to establish and manage a dedicated fund to support small and medium tourism enterprises. 

Because of the sheer volume of Namibia’s tourism joint ventures, Dan Austin, ALA’s founder and owner, says Namibia offers a true education into how private and public sectors collaborate with host communities. All the joint ventures in the communal conservancies combined represent 1,356 bed nights, over 900-plus full-time jobs and over 250 seasonal positions. 

“In the process, not only are communities benefitting in ways previously unimaginable, but the national tourism product is being redefined in more equitable and sustainable ways,” notes Austin, pointing out that nearly half of the country’s 76 registered conservancies are adjacent to national parks or in key corridors between protected areas.  Wildlife-friendly land uses adjacent to and between parks are enhancing the viability of Namibia’s protected area network.  The recovery of prey species, combined with an increased tolerance of community, is facilitating the recovery of high-level predators on a landscape level in north-western Namibia. 

Namibiais the only country in Africa where black rhinos are being translocated out of a national park to communal conservancy land areas, in stark and dramatic contrast to the poaching taking place in neighboring countries.  Its free-roaming lion population is expanding thanks to a dramatic decrease in poaching. 

As this country repeatedly undertakes the largest road-based wildlife count in the world, its conservation success stories stand out in sharp contrast to most African countries where wildlife populations and habitats are rapidly declining. 

“Namibia very well may be the greatest African wildlife recovery story ever told,” believes Austin whose company has run multi-sport vacation opportunities here since 2008. 

About Austin Adventures

Austin Adventures, with a 38-year legacy, provides adventure vacations on five continents building an international reputation for small group active travel to destinations in The Americas, Europe, the Pacific Rim and Africa. The company specializes in adult and family multi-sport, hiking, and biking vacations that emphasize history, culture and nature’s charms.  Small group trips feature exceptional regional dining, distinctive accommodations and all-inclusive rates and services. In addition to scheduled group departures, ALA offers customized trip planning and a money-back satisfaction guarantee. 

In the March 2012 issue of Travel + Leisure, Austin Adventures was recipient of the 2012 World’s Best Values Award for Tour Operators.  ALA has also received Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Tour Operator Award (a Top 3 finisher) for four consecutive years from 2009 to 2012. In 2011 the company was honored with the Global Vision Award for its Wheels of Change bicycle empowerment initiative. For a comprehensive 2012-2013 catalog, call toll-free 1.800.575.1540, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries log onto: http://www.austinlehman.com/. 

NOTE TO EDITORS / WRITERS: Please contact Widness & Wiggins PR (below) if you are interested in covering this cultural exchange. 

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Contact Widness & Wiggins PR for photos, interviews and more information:

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A Personal Message and Update from Dan Austin

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Released on Tuesday, 10 July 2012 10:02

July 10, 2012

Dear Friends,

2012 is on pace to be the most monumental year in Austin Adventures history! There is just so much happening that I decided to give you some bullet points right away before my PR team has the chance to run with it.

• We are still tingling from the news we received just last Friday. Once again, Austin Adventures was voted one of the Best Tour Companies in the World by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine! We are honored to have been chosen #2, runner up to our Trusted Adventures alliance partner ROW Adventures. That’s four consecutive years of being named a top three finalist.

• We are excited to officially announce that on August 1^st Austin Adventures will acquire Go South Adventures, a leader in Latin American adventure travel for over a decade. Owner Troy Glennon will join our R&D and sales team as our expert on Central and South America travel.

• Namibia / Montana “Tomorrow’s Tourism Exchange” - In September in conjunction with the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) and Tourism Namibia, we’re hosting a delegation of WWF and Namibia land conservancy leaders and partners (including from the Himba and Herrera tribes) on a "No Borders Tour" of Montana and Yellowstone National Park. Delegates will meet with property owners and managers to explore how they share these wide open spaces and incorporate activities like biking, rafting and horseback riding. In turn, our guests will share the Conservancy model and how it works in Namibia and how it might work on our native reservations, meeting with Crow and Cheyenne tribal leaders and government officials. The tour will wrap up in Bozeman with an American football game (my son Andy plays on the Montana State Bobcat football team).

• Business is booming! On the last week of June we set a record for the total number of staff and guests in the field at the same time. Four dozen ALA guides and several hundred guests experienced 24 global adventures from Alaska to Utah on the domestic front, Provence to Austria in Europe, Costa Rica to Patagonia in Latin America and Morocco to Cape Town in Africa! Once again, U.S. National Park adventures led all trips in total guests participating.

• To help us succeed in our quest for increased client diversity, the Tampa, FL-based Outings & Adventures serving the LGBT community has named ALA their preferred adventure travel partner and supplier to serve a membership of 15,000 throughout west and central Florida. The first adventure will be biking, paddling and hiking in the California Wine Country. In 2013 they are planning adventures that will include including rafting, biking and zip lining in Costa Rica and hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

• We continue to “pay it forward” with a third shipment of donated bikes set to depart Billings in September to restock Wheels of Change’s Bicycle Empowerment Center in Namibia. Again this year a $100 per guest donation on all 2012 Arches to Moab Multisport Adventures will go to benefit Canyonlands National Park and the Canyonlands Natural History Association as part of our 3rd-annual Preserve a Park initiative. In 2013, Crater Lake National Park has been chosen to be the beneficiary.

• We have finalized negotiations and ALA will become the official adventure travel partner of Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS). Clients of both companies will benefit from the alliance as EMS will refer customers to ALA for their active adventure tour needs and Austin Adventures will in turn direct tour participants to EMS for fulfillment of apparel and equipment needs.  Watch for a press release soon on this mutually beneficial arrangement.

• You are the first to know! A sneak peak at 2013 reveals new expedition cruising in the Antarctic being added to ALA’s growing small ship cruising portfolio; a new wellness spa and retreat package in Utah; cycling trips in new destinations such as Scotland, Ireland, and Arizona; expansion of our Africa programs (both pre-set departures and customs) in Namibia and Botswana through a new partnership with Wilderness Safaris; the creation of new multisport adventures at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon and in Nicaragua and Turkey; and an expansion of set departures and exclusive private group people-to-people programs in Cuba.

There you have it, and the year’s only half over! I’d love to assist in any way I can in helping you develop the above stories. Please contact me or our media relations team, Widness & Wiggins PR, if we can provide any assistance and support.

Happy summer!

Dan Austin, Founder and Director    

Austin Adventures

800.575.1540

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Gay Active Travel Provider Announces Engagement To Global Adventure Travel Partner Austin Adventures

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Released on Monday, 02 July 2012 16:10

TAMPA, FL, JULY 2, 2012 – Florida’s Outings & Adventures http://www.outingsandadventures.com/, founded as a social alternative for the gay community takes its journeys global partnering with a Travel + Leisure magazine ‘World’s Best’ Tour Operator, Austin Adventures.

”It’s all about who you partner with, just like dating!” quips Outings & Adventures, Chief Adventure Officer, Robert Geller. ‘We were attracted to each other from the start.’

Out Tampa entrepreneur, Robert Geller, created Outings & Adventures in May of 2008, the same month he was laid off at the corporate office of a Tampa Bay based national restaurant chain. ”It was the push that got me to pursue my passion. I went back to my roots, developing a concept of which a personal need wasn’t being met in the market place. I wanted a venue where likeminded gay men could interact outside of the bar scene,” says Geller an avid cyclist and adventurer who biked the Ironman course and hiked the Na Pali Coast recently while vacationing in Hawaii.

Not ready to be satisfied just with his new company’s highly successful local gay outings that attracted a member audience of 15,000+ throughout west and central Florida, Geller sought an even bigger thrill in gay active travel. Past activities have included sunset kayaking, group bike rides, stand up paddleboarding with manatees, zip lining and community service projects.

In the works for over two years, Outings & Adventures is now repositioned as a gay active travel brand offering fully guided and supported multi-sport adventures that dot the globe. “We’re very excited about being engaged with Austin Adventures and our first adventure as a new couple is coming in September – we’re biking, paddling and hiking in the California Wine Country and we want to invite all our friends to go with us. Plus, we’re already planning adventures for next year as well, including rafting, biking and zip lining in Costa Rica and hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu,” explained Geller.

Austin Adventures (http://www.austinlehman.com/) founder and director Dan Austin couldn’t be happier about the new relationship. “When Robert first approached us about being their preferred adventure travel provider I was intrigued. After a closer look, their good name and reputation gave us confidence that we’d be able to collaborate successfully together.”

“Being “hooked-up” with Austin Adventures means our adventures are anything but typical. We’re not going to be sitting in a motor coach looking out the window watching the sites go by,” states Geller. In contrast, Outings & Adventures guests will be immersed in the locales they visit experiencing their foods and culture with the support of some the best guides in the industry.

”Finding a partner that you click with on so many different levels, someone that really gets you, just doesn’t come around every day,” states Geller on his quest to find an adventure travel partner. Geller’s interactions with Dan Austin, owner of Austin Adventures, his family and team based in Billings, MT, solidified the partnership.

”They know adventure travel!” exclaims Geller. ”I expect us to be together for a long time.” Austin Adventures’ thirty-eight years of adventure travel know-how, five star guest experience and countless accolades from National Geographic Traveler, Outside and Travel + Leisure magazines sealed the engagement to create the powerhouse gay active travel brand, Outings & Adventures powered by Austin Adventures.

Outings & Adventures powered by Austin Adventures kicks off their alliance with an inaugural itinerary to the California Wine Country where adventurers will bike across the architectural marvel Golden Gate Bridge, hike through the towering Redwoods of Muir Woods, paddle the tranquil waters of Tomales Bay, bike and hike through Napa and Sonoma and of course tour and taste at beautiful wineries. For all the details go to: http://outingsandadventures.com/2012/03/23/ca-wine-country/.

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Austin Adventures Announces New Partnership with Wilderness Safaris: Expanded Portfolio to Now Offer Southern Africa’s Top Eco Camps and Safaris

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Released on Monday, 21 May 2012 09:30

Billings, MT, May 21, 2012– Award-winning tour operator Austin Adventures (ALA - http://www.austinlehman.com/), the active travel company setting adventure vacations standards on five continents, will expand its footprint in Southern Africa and offer distinctive African adventures operated by Wilderness Safaris (http://www.wilderness-safaris.com), southern Africa’s leader in responsible travel.

The new relationship will greatly expand ALA’s current Africa tour offerings, adding four active luxury safari itineraries with pre-set departures in Namibia and Botswana. ALA is now fully enabled to offer private, custom safari planning services utilizing Wilderness Safari’s vast network of camps, guides and overland safaris in Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, the Seychelles, Kenya and the Congo. 

“While we have been offering our guests Africa for some time now, we are excited about teaming up with Wilderness Safaris to enhance our African programming. It was a natural for us to forge a close relationship with like-minded folks who also share our vision and small group commitment to quality, value and giving back to the local communities we visit,” explains Dan Austin, ALA’ founder and director.  “We are thrilled to now be aligned with Africa’s most experienced and trusted name in expedition travel and responsible tourism.”

Austin notes that Wilderness Safaris is part of the Wilderness organization, a group of ecotourism companies supporting conservation and community development initiatives that together endeavor to use tourism to build sustainable conservation economies in Africa.

“Matched with our own efforts with our nonprofit Wheels of Change organization, our safari guests will travel with confidence knowing that their extraordinary adventures in Africa will serve to enrich and benefit the communities and individuals we encounter,” Austin said.

This month Austin will travel to Namibia with Wilderness Safaris and representatives of the World Wildlife Foundation to investigate additional ways to engage local communities in wildlife conservation, ecotourism and sustainable development. Austin says that he will also be on the lookout for expanded partnership opportunities and ways his company might continue to make a difference in Africa in collaboration with Wilderness Safaris. 

Austin Adventures website now lists four unique southern Africa safari itineraries from Wilderness Safaris affording maximum diversity of guest activities, seclusion and authentic experiences specifically designed for the discerning ALA guest. They include: 

Botswana - Migration Routes – Tracing through Botswana’s most renowned regions, participants bear witness to the stunning beauty and continually moving game of northern Botswana from walking on islands in the jewel of the Kalahari, the Okavango Delta, to the diverse, wildlife-filled Linyanti concession, with its seasonal elephant herds. 10 days/9 nights from $4, 978 per person.

Botswana - Great Wilderness Journey –This offers an opportunity to explore Botswana's contrasts and extremes in prime wildlife viewing areas where few people travel. This is a nostalgic, first class camping / lodge safari that recreates the sense of a game-viewing adventure reminiscent of the great African explorers. 11 days/10 nights from $7,898 per person.

Diverse Namibia– This is an active adventure exploring the iconic areas of the vast Namibian countryside – its dunes, desert, plains and superb wildlife – enhanced by exclusive accommodation in private reserves and concessions. 10 days/9 nights from $3,768 per person.

Namibia - The Great Journey – From the dunes of Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert, the stark beauty and diversity of the Skeleton Coast, amazing marine life just off Swakopmund, the volcanic rock-strewn landscape of Damaraland and the game-filled Etosha National Park make this an unforgettable adventure. 13 days/12 nights from: $7,548 per person.

Privately guided and tailored family and small group explorations can also be crafted for the most personalized and ultimate African guided experience.

See: http://www.austinlehman.com/new-2012-safari-tours-pages-622.php

About Austin Adventures

Austin Adventures, with a 38-year legacy, provides adventure vacations on five continents building an international reputation for small group active travel to destinations in The Americas, Europe, the Pacific Rim and Africa. The company specializes in adult and family multi-sport, hiking, and biking vacations that emphasize history, culture and nature’s charms.  Small group trips feature exceptional regional dining, distinctive accommodations and all-inclusive rates and services. In addition to scheduled group departures, ALA offers customized trip planning and a money-back satisfaction guarantee.

In the March 2012 issue of Travel + Leisure, Austin Adventures was recipient of the 2012 World’s Best Values Award for Tour Operators.  ALA has also received Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Tour Operator Award for three consecutive years in 2009 to 2011. In 2011 the company was honored with the Global Vision Award for its Wheels of Change bicycle empowerment initiative. For a comprehensive 2012 catalog, call toll-free 1.800.575.1540, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries log onto: http://www.austinlehman.com/.

About Wilderness Safaris

Established in 1983, Wilderness Safaris is a conservation organization and ecotourism company that specializes in memorable wildlife experiences in some of the most remote and pristine areas in southern Africa. In this way, it offers its guests private access to southern Africa’s finest wildlife reserves, while remaining fiercely committed to protecting our planet’s precious natural and cultural resources. Recognizing that conservation is as much about people as about the environment, the company has pursued important goals through its Children in the Wilderness program, as well as through the Wilderness Safaris Wildlife Trust, which have helped change the face of nature-based tourism in southern Africa.

Wilderness Safaris is privileged to operate privately on over 3 million hectares (8 million acres) of southern Africa's finest wildlife reserves in more than 70 lodges and camps. The company employs approximately 2,800 staff members across seven countries, 85 per cent of whom hail from neighboring communities. The company operates via regional offices in each country as well as its head office located in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Contact Widness & Wiggins PR for photos, interviews and more information:

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Leading Family Adventure Tour Operator Discovers Only 20 Percent of Children Involved In Family Vacation Decisions

Details

Released on Friday, 20 April 2012 11:23

Kids-Only Focus Group Reveals Travel Expectations of Teens and Under 

Billings, MT, April 20, 2012– Award-winning tour operator Austin Adventures (ALA - http://www.austinlehman.com/), the active travel company setting family adventure vacations standards in The Americas, Europe, Africa and Caribbean, learned recently during an online focus group for kids that few children (20 percent) have a say in family vacation planning, that children want most to see new places on vacation (as opposed to spending quality time with their family) and that if a guide is involved, the Pied Piper must have a generous sense of humor. 

These tidbits came out during ALA’s on-line focus group on April 15 that engaged over 50 youngsters ages 8 to 15 for 55 minutes on “What Kids Want on a Family adventure Vacation.”  

“New findings will be incorporated into this year’s spring guide training and into future trips,” said Dan Austin, ALA’s founding director.  “The purpose of this focus group was to stay ahead of the pack, improve upon what we’re already doing great and keep up with new trends and learn what these age groups most want and sometimes fear when going on an active family vacation.”  

Although children are excited about adventure travel, they’re also concerned that activities may be too hard and beyond their abilities, said Austin. “Knowing this is a major concern, on the welcome day on a trip, our guides will now be instructed to speak directly to the kids to help them put their anxiety and fears aside.”  

Preferred activities ranked by response are swimming, snorkeling and bike riding. Favorite destinations are, in order of preference; the beach, mountains and a national park. They prefer active games such as soccer and volleyball over board games.  

Austin Adventures’ newly appointed CEO (Chief Entertainment Officer) Kasey Austin led the young-people-only discussion focused on eight questions presented in an interactive online survey. 

“This is an ongoing research project and dialogue between ALA and its guests, fans and family to constantly improve and enhance the ALA trip experience,” said Austin. “Our summer guests will benefit from the ideas that come out of this focus group discussion.” Findings will be integrated into ALA family trip programming and orchestrated with guides during ALA's annual spring Guide Training May 31-June 4 in Billings, MT. 

About Austin Adventures

Austin Adventures, in 2012 with a 38-year legacy, provides adventure vacations on five continents and has built an international reputation for small group active travel to destinations in North, Central and South America, Europe, the Pacific Rim and Africa. The company specializes in adult and family multi-sport, hiking, biking vacations that emphasize history, culture and nature’s charms.  Small group trips feature excellent regional dining, distinctive accommodations and all-inclusive rates and services. In addition to scheduled group departures, ALA offers customized trip planning.  ALA offers each traveler a money-back satisfaction guarantee.  

In the March 2012 issue of Travel + Leisure, Austin Adventures was recipient of the 2012 World’s Best Values Award for Tour Operators.  ALA has also received Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Tour Operator Award for three consecutive years in 2009 to 2011. In 2011 the company was honored with the Global Vision Award for its Wheels of Change bicycle empowerment initiative. 

For a comprehensive 2012 catalog, call toll-free 1.800.575.1540, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries log onto: http://www.austinlehman.com/. To access a digital version of the 2012 catalog go to: www.austinlehman.com/2012catalog  

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For photos and/or more information on Austin Adventures please contact: Widness & Wiggins PR:

Sara Widness / 802-234-6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins / 303-554-8821 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Follow Widness & Wiggins PR on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/BoulderDave

Leading Family Adventure Tour Operator Invites Ages 7-17 to Participate In April 15 Online Focus Group to Determine Family Adventure Travel Preferences

Details

Released on Tuesday, 03 April 2012 09:53

Billings, MT, April 3, 2012– Award-winning tour operator Austin Adventures (ALA - http://www.austinlehman.com/), the active travel company setting family adventure vacations standards in The Americas, Europe, Africa and Caribbean, will engage youngsters in a 45-minute online and call-in focus group webinar at 4 p.m. EST on  Sunday, April 15. See: http://www.austinlehman.com/kasey-webinar-pages-612.php  

The purpose of the focus group is, said Dan Austin, ALA’s founding director, “to stay ahead of the pack, improve upon what we’re already doing great and keep up with new trends and learn what ages 7 to 17 now look for on an active family vacation.”  

Austin Adventures is inviting offspring of alumni, prospective guests and the general traveling public to explore “What Kids Want on a Family Adventure Vacation”.  Newly appointed CEO (Chief Entertainment Officer) Kasey Austin will lead the young-people-only discussion focused on eight questions presented in an interactive online survey. 

“This is an ongoing research project and dialog between ALA and its guests, fans and family to constantly improve and enhance the ALA trip experience,” said Austin. “Our summer guests will benefit from the ideas that come out of this focus group discussion.” Findings will be integrated into ALA family trip programming and orchestrated with guides during ALA's annual spring Guide Training May 31-June 4 in Billings, MT.  

Austin urges kids to sign up early online. The first 25 participants will receive a “certified cool” ALA gift and goody bag. Their family will receive a $250 trip voucher good for any 2012 ALA trip.  

The eight multiple choice questions they will debate are:  

1)    What is your favorite outdoor activity that you like to do on vacation?  

2)    If you could think back to any past vacations you’ve taken with your family, what was the best part of that vacation?  

3)   Where do you like to go most on vacation?  

4)   What trait is most important in the perfect family tour guide?  

5)   Sometimes we have long van rides to get from one place to another. What could make these van rides more fun?  

6)    What kinds of games (indoor or outdoor but video games don’t count) do you like to play?  

7)    What is the animal you most want to see in the wild?  

8)    How does your family go about planning a summer vacation?   

 To register for the online focus group kids are instructed to go to: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/571338808.  After signing up and confirming they have their parent’s permission to participate, kids will receive a confirmation email containing information about being part of the Webinar. 

About Austin Adventures

Austin Adventures, in 2012 with a 38-year legacy, provides adventure vacations on five continents and has built an international reputation for small group active travel to destinations in North, Central and South America, Europe, the Pacific Rim and Africa. The company specializes in adult and family multi-sport, hiking, biking vacations that emphasize history, culture and nature’s charms.  Small group trips feature excellent regional dining, distinctive accommodations and all-inclusive rates and services. In addition to scheduled group departures, ALA offers customized trip planning.  ALA offers each traveler a money-back satisfaction guarantee. 

In the March 2012 issue of Travel + Leisure, Austin Adventures was recipient of the 2012 World’s Best Values Award for Tour Operators.  ALA has also received Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Tour Operator Award for three consecutive years in 2009 to 2011. In 2011 the company was honored with the Global Vision Award for its Wheels of Change bicycle empowerment initiative. 

For a comprehensive 2012 catalog, call toll-free 1.800.575.1540, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries log onto: http://www.austinlehman.com/. To access a digital version of the 2012 catalog go to: www.austinlehman.com/2012catalog  

# # #  

For photos and/or more information on Austin Adventures please contact: Widness & Wiggins PR:

Sara Widness / 802-234-6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins / 303-554-8821 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For a Portfolio of Past News Releases Visit: http://www.travelnewssource.com/

Follow Widness & Wiggins PR on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/BoulderDave

Austin Adventures Inaugurates New Cruise Division Offering in 2012 Four Active Vacations On Small Ship River / Sea Expeditions

Details

Released on Thursday, 15 March 2012 10:27

Billings, MT, Mar. 15, 2012– Award-winning tour operator Austin Adventures (ALA - http://www.austinlehman.com/), the active travel company setting land-based adventure vacationsstandards in The Americas, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, announces the addition of four cruise programs inaugurating a new cruise division utilizing small expedition ships. 

“Our past guests asked us to bring more small ship adventure cruises into our mix, and this is just what we’re doing,” says Dan Austin, ALA’s founding director. Beyond current offerings in the Galapagos, Glacier Bay and the Amazon, he says Antarctica is on the 2013 radar. The company has tested a cruise product in the Galapagos for several years. This year ALA added a land and sea Galapagos combo program, as well as cruises in southeast Alaska and on the Amazon River in Peru. http://www.austinlehman.com/activities/small-ships/index-pages-578.php 

A new Ecuador / Galapagos Land & Sea, is an 8-day / 7-night tour that includes five nights aboard the M.C. Athala II, a private 16-passenger luxury yacht visiting the islands of Santiago, Bartolome, Isabela and Fernandina. While cruising, the sundeck is great for whale and dolphin spotting or relaxing in the Jacuzzi. In the evening there is no better place for stargazing. Upon reaching Santa Cruz Island guests transfer to the Galapagos Safari Camp, a luxury tented camp nestled in the lush highlands. For the remaining two days guests can choose to relax in the infinity pool or go active and take in the many personalized activities that the Camp offers. From $5,498 plus internal air and park entrance fee. http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/ecuador-galapagos-combo-tour-trips-122.php  

Alaska- Northern Passages & Glacier Bay:  The 76-guest Wilderness Explorer is an expedition vessel that allows exploration of little frequented bays and coves of, among others, Glacier National Park, where passengers can explore the wilderness and traverse the richest whale waters in Southeast Alaska. A multi-activity program includes kayaking, hiking, skiff explorations, stand-up paddle boarding and whale watching. The 8-day/7-night cruises are from $3,862 per person (double), with weekly departures plying the waters between Sitka and Juneau. See: http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/alaska-cruise-nothern-passage-glacier-bay-tour-trips-121.php  

“Austin Adventures is proudly offering this trip in conjunction with InnerSea Discoveries, offering an alternative to traditional cruises by taking guests into areas that are not accessible to larger ships and on excursions that are exclusive, private and unavailable to most other travelers,” Austin says. 

Peru- Amazon River Cruise: This 5-day/4-night cruise departs Iquitos, Peru, to romance the river and stop at riverbank communities of indigenous peoples. Passage is aboard the 14-passenger Delfin II offering casual and refined elegance with dining room, observation deck, bar, entertainment center, library and a hammock sun deck. This is a multi-activity cruise offering swimming with pink and gray river dolphins in the El Dorado River; spotting parrots and macaws in Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, the largest protected wetland reserve in the world; a nocturnal safari searching for spectacled owls, fish bats and caimans; and fishing for piranha.The rate is $3,000 per person (double) exclusive of internal air.  See: http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/amazon-peru-tour-trips-99.php 

Ecuador- Galapagos Islands: Guests can select their own best time to travel on weekly 8-day/7-night year-round departures on a 20-passenger luxury yacht. New this year are two separate cruise itineraries, each maximizing opportunities to witness the magic and majesty of land, air and aquatic life in a mindful manner that minimizes stress on this fragile environment, notes Austin. One itinerary covers central and southern islands and the other northern and western islands. The point of departure and return for both trips is Quito, Ecuador. The per person (double) rate is from $3,550 (children age 12 and under receive up to 30 percent off). The rate does not include internal air and park entrance fees, transit cards and optional pre/post cruise lodging and tour packages. See: http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/galapagos-islands-ecuador-tour-trips-36.php 

About Austin Adventures

Austin Adventures, in 2012 with a 38-year legacy, provides adventure vacations on five continents and has built an international reputation for small group active travel to destinations in North, Central and South America, Europe, the Pacific Rim and Africa. The company specializes in adult and family multi-sport, hiking, biking vacations that emphasize history, culture and nature’s charms.  Small group trips feature excellent regional dining, distinctive accommodations and all-inclusive rates and services. In addition to scheduled group departures, ALA offers customized trip planning.  ALA offers each traveler a money-back satisfaction guarantee. 

In the March 2012 issue of Travel + Leisure, Austin Adventures was recipient of the 2012 World’s Best Values Award for Tour Operators.  ALA has also received Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Tour Operator Award for three consecutive years in 2009-2011. In 2011 the company was honored with the Global Vision Award for its Wheels of Change bicycle empowerment initiative. 

For a comprehensive 2012 catalog, call toll-free 1.800.575.1540, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries log onto: http://www.austinlehman.com/. To access a digital version of the 2012 catalog go to: www.austinlehman.com/2012catalog  

# # #  

For photos and/or more information on Austin Adventures please contact: Widness & Wiggins PR:

Sara Widness / 802-234-6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins / 303-554-8821 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For a Portfolio of Past News Releases Visit: http://www.travelnewssource.com/

Follow Widness & Wiggins PR on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/BoulderDave

Austin Adventures’s New Cuba Tour Emphasizes Max of Just 12 Guests on All Departures In Order To Secure Intimate, Meaningful, People-to-People Exchanges

Details

Released on Monday, 05 March 2012 14:17

BILLINGS, MT, Mar. 5, 2012– Award-winning tour operator Austin Adventures (ALA-http://www.austinlehman.com/), the active travel company setting cultural and adventure vacations standards internationally, reports limited availability remaining on three of its six 2012 9-day / 8-night small group cultural tours of The Real Cuba introduced for the first time in February. 

These remaining scheduled departures are April 28-May 6, May 26-June 3 and June 9-17. However ALA anticipates that 25 percent of its Cuba travel bookings will come from custom itineraries with travelers requesting their own private group dates.  The per person (double occupancy) rate on a set departure is from $4,498 inclusive of a roundtrip charter flight from Miami to Havana.  Required visas are coordinated and handled by ALA that is among a handful of adventure tour operators granted a special license to engage in travel-related transactions involving Cuba. http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/cuba-tour-trips-107.php 

“Our trips are true people-to-people exchanges, accomplishing what the U.S. Treasury Department- issued license for U.S. tour companies is intended to do,” reports Dan Austin, founder and owner. As a result of his own recent experiences guiding a handful of guests on the inaugural tour in Cuba, he has recommitted to a maximum of just 12 participants on all future Cuba adventure vacation packages. “Moving forward our tours will have the distinction of being the only American people-to-people tour groups capped at just 12 participants and staffed by two English-speaking guides.”  

“The key to the most meaningful experiences is to keep our groups small so that we can comfortably access exclusive and rewarding people-to-people exchanges. Small groups really are the only way to truly get behind the scenes,” he says. He said other U.S. people-to-people tour groups are averaging between 20 and 40 participants or more.    

“This number, of course, will limit other companies’ tours to larger venues and make home and small business visits impossible logistically,” Austin notes.   

Examples of exclusive people-to-people exchanges available to ALA guests include a visit with Elsa de Zayas, an 86-year-old aunt of ALA guide Michael de Zayas. The aunt “vividly remembers Cuba before Castro, the chaos during the revolution and through the past 50 years of communist control and U.S. embargo,” notes Austin. ALA guests meet her extended family in an outdoor garden for a traditional pig roast, complete with live music. The de Zayas family has a rich Cuban history including Alfredo de Zayas y Alfonso(1861–1934) who was a Cuban lawyer, poet and President of Cuba from May 20, 1921 to May 20, 1925. 

ALAguests also are treated to an exclusive tour of a tobacco plantation, viewing the drying process along with demonstrations of cigar rolling directed by Hirochi Robaina, grandson of the Cuba’s most legendary grower, the late Alejandro Robaina, renowned by cigar aficionados everywhere as Cuba’s top tobacco farmer. Annually 80 percent of Robaina’s tobacco harvest is deemed fit for use as wrapper leaf for Cuban cigars (compared to only 35 percent for other plantations). In 1997, Habanos SA honored the family by launching a new line of cigars bearing the name of this famous farmland, Vegas Robaina cigars.  

In addition, guests explore entrepreneurial ventures possible for the first time in nearly 50 years due to the lifting of a Cuban government ban on such activities. In a small neighborhood in Old Town Havana there’s now a school for barbers with an associated shop offering training and reasonably priced haircuts. But the vision goes beyond just training Cuba’s future hair stylists, notes Austin. There’s a plan for a barber-themed playground and a similarly themed coffee shop. Artists have come to the area to set up small galleries and workspaces all assisted by micro loans from the barbershop and school.  

“This is a prime example of the ‘new’ and changing Cuba. No other tour groups will be offering this exclusive opportunity,” Austin says. ALA has posted a number of fresh videos and blogs about the Cuba adventure here: http://www.austinlehman.com/blog/expert-in-adventure-tourism  

About Austin Adventures

Austin Adventures, with a 38-year legacy, provides adventure vacations on five continents, has built an international reputation for small group active travel to destinations in North, Central and South America, Europe, the Pacific Rim, Africa and now the Caribbean. The company specializes in adult and family multi-sport, hiking, biking vacations that emphasize history, culture and nature’s charms.  Trips are limited to 12 guests (18 on family departures) and feature excellent regional dining, distinctive accommodations and all-inclusive rates and services. In addition to scheduled group departures, ALA offers customized trip planning.  ALA offers each traveler a money-back satisfaction guarantee.  

In the March 2012 issue of Travel + Leisure, Austin Adventures was winner of the 2012 World’s Best Values Award for Tour Operators and has been the recipient of Travel + Leisure World’s Best Tour Operator Award for three consecutive years in 2009, 2010 and 2011. In 2011 the company was honored with Global Vision Award for its Wheels of Change bicycle empowerment initiative. 

For a comprehensive 2012 catalog, call toll-free 1.800.575.1540, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries log onto: http://www.austinlehman.com/. To access a digital version of the 2012 catalog go to: www.austinlehman.com/2012catalog  

# # #  

For photos and/or more information please contact: Widness & Wiggins PR:

Sara Widness / 802-234-6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins / 303-554-8821 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For a Portfolio of Past News Releases Visit: http://www.travelnewssource.com/

Follow Widness & Wiggins PR on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/BoulderDave

Austin Adventures’ “Sensational Seven” Cycling Routes of Europe

Details

Released on Tuesday, 31 January 2012 11:18

Great for a Do-It-Yourself Weekend Escape or As Part of a Weeklong Escorted Tour 

Billings, MT, Jan. 31, 2012– Award-winning tour operator Austin Adventures (ALA-http://www.austinlehman.com/), the active travel company setting adventure vacations standards in The Americas, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, shares its favorite pedal routes through Europe gleaned from over 38 years of operating small group cycle tours. 

ALA’s European expert and cycling director, Ron Van Dijk represents a legacy dating back to 1974 as the first European tour operator to offer cycling tours to American travelers.  

“It was a fun challenge for me to go back through nearly four decades of cycling to pick my all time favorite pedal routes of Europe. I call them my Sensational Seven,” explains Van Dijk. “I hope to inspire others to slow down, get on a bike and enjoy a Europe adventure on two wheels either on their own or with a small group tour such as those offered by ALA.” 

Austin Adventures Adventure’s European bike tour season begins in April of each year and runs through October. An advantage to travelers booking Europe bike tours with Austin Adventures is the fact that Van Dijk’s knowledge and expertise are imbued in every trip. 

The following favored stretches, many of which are included in ALA multi-day tour itineraries, are suggested for daylong or weekend outings:  

For a full list of favorite bike rides see: http://www.austinlehman.com/besteuropebikerides 

• France: The Dordogne between Argentat and Beynac (110 miles). Says Van Dijk, “A favorite for its authenticity, the peace, the great food, the old Romanesque churches, the castles and the history (such as the Hundred Years War between France and England). Make sure to divert from the valley every now and then to visit villages like St-Céré, Autoire, Loubressac, Rocamadour, as well as the lively town of Sarlat.”
• Italy: South-Tyrol from Reschen Pass to Merano (50 miles). Van Dijk says from the top of the pass “it’s all pretty much all downhill for about 50 miles on specially marked bike paths, and you’re always surrounded by some of the most majestic mountains of the Alps. Pass by villages, lakes, meadows, apple orchards and end your ride in the noble spa town of Merano.” See: http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/innsbruck-to-lake-garda-italy-austria-tour-trips-88.php
• Spain: Rioja vineyards between Logroño and Haro (35 miles). Van Dijk suggests October when the leaves are turning, roads are peaceful and hospitality including tapas bars in Haro a blessing after tackling a few hills. See: http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/la-rioja-spain-tour-trips-110.php
• Germany: Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz (132 miles). This is a four-day stretch through steep vine-clad hills with stops at villages for sips of Rieslings. This is a gentle, downhill trip past Roman sites in Trier and castles and ruins around every bend of the Mosel. See: http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/mosel-valley-germany-tour-trips-75.php
• Austria: Salzach Valley from Gerlos Pass/Krimml to Salzburg (115 miles). With the snowcapped Grossglockner, this is a highly scenic descent from Gerlos Pass (1628m = 5340 ft) to Salzburg (443m = 1450 ft), notes Van Dijk. See: http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/alps-to-salzburg-austria-tour-trips-56.php
• Netherlands: Tulip, hyacinth and narcissus fields near Keukenhof (Best in April: 20 miles). See: http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/netherlands-highlights-holland-tour-trips-72.php
• Denmark: Danish Riviera between Copenhagen and Helsingør (30 miles). Bike paths along Denmark’s “Gold Coast” reveal villas, fishing villages, and museums such as the Karen Blixen Museum (author of Out of Africa), the Nivagaard art museum and the supreme Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in an incredible setting overlooking the Sound, advises Van Dijk. See: http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/danish-isles-denmark-tour-trips-92.php 

ALA reports that bookings on their cycling trips were up 26 percent from 2010 to 2011 and year-to-date compared to last year they are already up 10 percent. To accommodate the projected up trend, ALA added three new trips and additional departures representing a 15 percent increase in capacity from 2011 to 2012. The trips new for 2012 are

• France – Burgundy  http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/burgundy-france-tour-trips-109.php
• Spain – Rioja  http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/la-rioja-spain-tour-trips-110.php
• Denmark Family Adventure: http://www.austinlehman.com/tours/danish-isles-denmark-family-tour-trips-116.php

 About Austin Adventures

Austin Adventures, with a 38-year legacy, provides adventure vacations on five continents, has built an international reputation for small group active travel to destinations in North, Central and South America, Europe, the Pacific Rim and Africa. The company specializes in adult and family multi-sport, hiking, biking vacations that emphasize history, culture and nature’s charms.  Trips are limited to 12 guests (18 on family departures) and feature excellent regional dining, distinctive accommodations and all-inclusive rates and services. In addition to scheduled group departures, ALA offers customized trip planning.  ALA offers each traveler a money-back satisfaction guarantee.  

For a comprehensive 2012 catalog, call toll-free 1.800.575.1540, or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries log onto: http://www.austinlehman.com/. To access a digital version of the 2012 catalog go to: www.austinlehman.com/2012catalog  

# # #  

Austin Adventures Company Contact:

Dan Austin, Director / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it./ 800-575-1540 / 406-655-4591 / www.austinlehman.com  

For photos and/or more information on Austin Adventures please contact: Widness & Wiggins PR:

Sara Widness / 802-234-6704 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dave Wiggins / 303-554-8821 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For a Portfolio of Past News Releases Visit: http://www.travelnewssource.com/

Follow Widness & Wiggins PR on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/BoulderDave