Episode 114
Traveling to Kurdistan with ATTA’s CEO Shannon Stowell
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A Force for Good
Shannon Stowell is the CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, an organization for travel industry partners that believes travel can be a powerful force for good in the world.
Shannon has spent over 30 years working in adventure travel, e-commerce, outdoor retail, and environmental science. Shannon and I met in person on a trip to Jordan this February, and we immediately connected around our shared belief about what travel could be.
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What you’ll learn in this episode:
How Shannon defines adventure travel
Shannon’s trip to Kurdistan in 2017
What living off the grid in nature is like
What Maslow's hierarchy of needs has to do with modern depression
Must-see places for people who've already traveled a lot
The impact of media on destinations
Meeting the current moment: travelers' role in times of strife
The story of “To kill a white person”
What gives Shannon hope right now
If I could summarize this conversation with one phrase, it would be something Shannon said:
“When people meet each other they find out that the other is not so other.”
Learn More about Kurdistan
In 2017, Shannon traveled to Iraqi Kurdistan with his son. Check out our full interview on YouTube →
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ATTA holds adventure travel events and workshops around the world and issues an industry newsletter
Featured on the Show
Learn more about the Adventure Travel Trade Association
Check out Explore Mesopotamia tours in Iraqi Kurdistan
Check out Shannon's book, Riding The Hula Hula to the Arctic Ocean
Learn more about the Tomorrow’s Air initiative
Follow ATTA on Instagram
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