By Nancy Dorrans
All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go… and while I hate to leave you in September, another adventure awaits…
The 2023 Adventure Travel Trade Association “World Summit” is September 10th through 14th in Hokkaido, Japan, and I’m on my way… Originally scheduled for 2021 (due to that unwelcomed pandemic, the Summit was held virtually), we’ve been anxiously waiting for the real thing ever since.
The Hokkaido virtual summit’s theme was “Build, Back, Better,” and because of the pandemic we had time to pause and think about how to do that. The experience was stimulating and thought provoking. Some thoughts from my notes: “Cultivate meaningful collaboration… Humanity has never ceased its wanderlust… Live with respect for nature creates a virtual cycle of renewal… Travel has the power to touch hearts. Travel can be a force for good… Who’s got land?… Be present. Place, space & people. Mind, body & spirit… All things have purpose and names. Storytelling = connection.”
At one point during a break in the schedule of this three-day virtual event, a Zoom link was provided to access a Q&A session. I clicked on the link and was transported into a room with at least twenty young Japanese men all talking fast and loud in Japanese. Obviously I had access to the wrong room. HA! There was a lot of logistical coordination going on. My mind wasn’t the only thing spinning…
The travel industry, like others, was doing its best to survive and come back better.
Hiking Hokkaido
It is one thing to Zoom with people from around the world, attend workshops, have one-on one meetings, and listen and learn about Hokkaido, an out of the ordinary adventurous part of our world. But it is a whole different ballgame to get to go. ATTA Members from close to sixty countries will be in attendance!
This year the theme is 調和 – Harmony, describing the collective spirit that connects people together. While the word 調和 has layers of meaning, as a cultural concept, it is a reminder to look beyond our individuality.
Since I’ve never been to any part of Japan, and it is a long way to go, I’ll be in Tokyo for a few days ahead of the summit. A few ATTA friends from Chile, Mexico, Italy, and Canada are joining. We’re excited to explore and learn more about the cities within the city of Tokyo.
Then we’ll head off on different PSAs or “pre-summit adventures” around Hokkaido. I’m attending PSA #10, Japan’s Far North 5 Day Hiking Tour, on the northern most islands of Hokkaido
I’m promised to have my thirst for adventure quenched on this five-day island-hopping guided hiking tour to Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park, the northernmost national park in Japan. We’ll be hiking on islands at the very top of Hokkaido. The southern tip of Sakhalin Island, Russia, is only 25 miles away – this is as far north in Japan as you can get!
Tour highlights:
- Island hop in Japan’s northernmost National Park.
- Hike on the “floating flower garden,” Rebun Island.
- Hike on Mt. Rishiri, a stratovolcano towering 1,721m (5,646ft) above the ocean.
- Savor the Northern Islands’ seafood-oriented gastronomy.
The conference held in the city of Sapporo will be a whirlwind of (thankfully) in person workshops, presentations, one-on-one meetings, social networking events with old and new friends from around the world.
Then after all of that, I’ve been selected to join the Post Summit Adventure in Daisetsuzan, the largest national park in the center of the island of Hokkaido! Only a few select members will spend our last three nights and four days to “Experience the Blessings of Nature and Life in the mountains – A Hiking and Cycling Exploration of Daisetsuzan!”
The ATTA is a very cool adventurous global organization! I think I found my tribe.
Stay tuned for stories about my adventures in Tokyo and Hokkaido.
Jikai made (Until next time),
