2. In business since 1982, AdventureWomen, Inc. is the oldest worldwide adventure travel
company for active women over 30. The company offers small, congenial adventure
vacations for women of all ability levels. These small group vacations are perfect for
women who are traveling solo, or with sisters, mothers, daughters, and friends.
AdventureWomen's trips are carefully researched and designed, and combine safety and
comfort with luxury and adventure. The company encourages women to follow their
passions for action and personal growth while offering guests some well-deserved R & R
and a chance to rediscover their fun-loving, confident selves. Women that travel with
AdventureWomen, Inc. discover the exhilaration of personal achievement, the deep
spiritual enrichment that occurs when one encounters diverse cultures and wildlife for the
first time, and the joy of camaraderie and spontaneous laughter as one learns new things
about themself, their companions, and the world.
3. AdventureWomen’s History and Heritage
AdventureWomen's heritage--which has always been
pioneering adventure travel trips designed especially for
women travelers--began in 1982 in Chicago, Illinois. Fresh
out of graduate school and after a three-year stint in the
Peace Corps, Susan Eckert took her life savings and
launched AdventureWomen, Inc. when the adventure travel
industry was still in its infancy. Targeting women over 30,
Susan thought that it was time for women to benefit from
the same travel opportunities as men who seemed to be
having all the fun hunting, fishing, and golfing with their
“buddies.” AdventureWomen has since grown from offering
a few trips a year—where Susan functioned as program
director, cook, guide, dishwasher, driver, and financier—to
offering adventure vacations that span the globe. Based out
of her log house in Bozeman, in Montana’s Bridger
Mountains, AdventureWomen has inspired a loyalty among
its clients which is truly remarkable.
4. Hands-On Research and Planning
Having been in business since 1982, Susan Eckert
understands that it’s important to know exactly what her
guests want out of their women’s adventure vacation.
She takes care in planning the details of each adventure
to create a truly unforgettable travel experience for each
Adventure Woman. Susan knows that many women
have never traveled by themselves, which is why she
tries to make it a simple process. All it takes to plan an
AdventureWomen, Inc. vacation is a telephone call or
email, and in some cases, an additional call to the
company's air agent to book flights. Susan Eckert
personally researches and travels to each destination,
and meets face-to-face with her suppliers, guides, and
outfitters. Guests can be assured that each trip runs as
smoothly as possible.
5. AdventureWomen, Inc. offers unforgettable, once in a lifetime adventures throughout
the year for women of all ability levels. With both domestic and international
adventure vacations, AdventureWomen offers something for every woman. To see
the current line-up of AdventureWomen vacations, click here….
There is something for everyone:
• Food & Wine
• Wildlife Safaris & Environment
• Cultural Immersion
• Hiking, Horseback Riding, Rafting, &
More
• History and Heritage
• Humanitarian Adventures
• Photography
• Barge Cruising
• Luxury Travel
6. Who Is An Adventure Woman?
While AdventureWomen’s clients are primarily Baby Boomers (the average age is 55),
the company's client base includes women who range in age from 30s through 60s and
better. The only criteria is that you be over 30, and in very good physical condition.
Adventure Women are flexible and self-sufficient with a good sense of humor, since
adventure vacations necessitate being a good-natured realist. She may be traveling solo,
often for the first time, but may also share the fun with friends, mothers, daughters,
sisters—an opportunity for a much deserved “girlfriend getaway.” Interested in an active
vacation, meeting new friends, challenging herself with a new activity or skill, she has an
adventurous spirit and is not intimidated by a changing world or challenging
circumstances in her own life. In fact, the more exotic and adventurous a trip sounds, the
faster they sign up! From everywhere in the U.S.A. and from all over the world, 70% of
Adventure Women are repeat customers!
7. Talented, Fun, and Knowledgeable Guides
Each guide that is associated with AdventureWomen, Inc. is carefully chosen by Susan
Eckert because of their expertise in their given destination. Most guides have more than 15
years of professional guiding experience, and some have worked with Susan for more than
20 years. They live in or speak the language of the destinations where they are guides, and
they have intimate knowledge of the local culture. They set the tone for every vacation, are
always prepared to take care of guests, and are trained in wilderness first aid and CPR. All
guides are selected for their good-natured personalities and their abilities to interact with
groups of people. In addition to outfitting and running their own specialized adventure
vacations, AdventureWomen has built strong relationships with professional outfitters
around the world. However, if a trip is not directly outfitted by AdventureWomen, guests will
always be accompanied by a guide, associate, or escort from the company.
AdventureWomen's goal is to provide guests with adventure travel opportunities that are fun
and safe. Vacation packages are designed with the first-time traveler in mind, but they are
also exciting enough to thrill even the most seasoned travelers.
8. Promoting A Healthy Lifestyle
Promoting a healthy lifestyle is one of
AdventureWomen’s core philosophies.
The company encourages women to
stay active as they age, to confront
challenges and to create personal
goals, and to be open to learning---
both spiritually and culturally---during
their travels while confirming or
rediscovering their fun-loving and
confident selves. In 1995,
AdventureWomen became the first
adventure travel company to go 100%
“non-smoking.”
9. Cultural Interaction and Humanitarian Adventures
Influenced by her years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, Susan Eckert believes that it’s
important to “give back” to people of other cultures who have welcomed travelers.
AdventureWomen now offers “Humanitours“ that have an emphasis on giving back to local
communities. AdventureWomen has offered trips in Vietnam, Bhutan, and Kenya that are
“cultural and humanitarian” adventures—opportunities to give back to people in other
cultures. In addition to hiking, cultural exploration, and sightseeing, special humanitarian
projects are sensitively integrated into these trips. In Bhutan, AdventureWomen guests
donated warm blankets and jackets to an isolated Buddhist nunnery, sponsored a special
prayer ceremony at a remote temple, and donated children’s books to elementary schools. In
Vietnam, participants donated a cow to help a Vietnamese family till their rice fields, and a
boat to a newlywed Vietnamese couple so they could take their vegetables to market. In
Kenya, books and school supplies were donated, and Kenyan children with the best grades
were taken on safari for one day with the AdventureWomen group, to show them how
important tourism is to their country and their economy. With any AdventureWomen
international tour, the opportunity to connect with people from other cultures in a very
personal way is one of the most memorable and life-changing aspects of these tours.
10. Media Contacts
Stephanie Norby
Adventure Media
snorby@adventuremedianews.com
254.423.2568
Susan Eckert
trips@adventurewomen.com
406.587.3883