The First and Still the Best - AdventureWomen Celebrates 25 Years of Adventure Travel for Women

Over 500 trips and 25 years ago, Susan Eckert’s AdventureWomen opened for business in Chicago as the first adventure travel company designed especially for women over the age of 30. The year was 1982. Ronald Reagan was president and the U.S. was experiencing the worst recession since the Great Depression. “I figured if I could make it through at least a year in such a bad economy, and in a women’s travel market that didn’t yet exist, then I had a good chance of staying in business!” says Susan, reflecting on her start up years.

And the rest is history. Today, working out of her office located in the Bridger Mountains near Bozeman, Montana, Susan marvels at the vitality of her company. “AdventureWomen was the pioneer in women-only adventure travel, which is now THE fastest growing segment in the travel industry. Baby Boomers, like me, are reshaping the travel market, and will continue to do so.”

When asked what makes AdventureWomen different from the hundreds of other companies that now offer vacations for women, Eckert says it’s the personal details. “For 25 years I’ve never lost my focus and my passion for new and exotic adventures, and I select destinations that I’ve always dreamed of exploring. I keep my groups small. I personally research and plan every detail of each trip and I’ve hand-picked all of my guides, outfitters, associates, and trip escorts, who set the tone for each adventure.”

Many of her clients have become lifelong friends, with her and with each other. “One of the best parts of owning an adventure travel company,” Eckert says, “is that as the business and I have grown older, my repeat client base has grown to nearly 70%.” AdventureWomen’s loyal customers continue to travel, even as they endure economic challenges, terrorism, illness, divorce, and other personal crises. “These truly adventurous women, most of them middle-aged, are not intimidated by a changing world or challenging circumstances. In fact, the more exotic and adventurous a trip sounds the faster they sign up!”

And Eckert never disappoints her repeat clients. Over half of her trips each year are newly created with her stamp of originality.

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, AdventureWomen is offering one-of-a-kind, custom-designed trips all over the world. Among the most exciting and exotic adventures planned for 2007 are six new international trips: Intriguing Myanmar (Burma) and Laos; Bhutan “100,000 Dakini Trek;” Discover Dubai – Land of Captivating Contrasts; Amazon River Journey – The Greatest Voyage in Natural History; The Edge of the World, From Yunnan to Tibet; and Zambia Bush Skills – Ranger 101.

Influenced by her years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa, Eckert has developed what she calls AdventureWomen’s “humanitours.” The company has offered trips in Vietnam and Bhutan that are “cultural and humanitarian” adventures—opportunities to “give back” to people in other cultures.

For more information about all the exciting domestic and international adventure vacations offered in 2007, visit AdventureWomen’s extensive and colorful Web site at www.adventurewomen.com, or call 800-804-8686/406-587-3883.