Elkton, MD (April 14, 2008) - As the summer travel season begins, W.L. Gore & Associates, a leading manufacturer of advanced technology products including the GORE-TEX® brand, today announced the Top 10 GORE-TEX® Footwear Summer Travel Destinations for 2008. The destinations were identified by Gore as this summer's top locations where travelers can experience the diversity of both outdoor adventure and urban leisure travel. The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) helped Gore identify the Top 10 destinations by analyzing industry-wide resources.
In tandem with the Top 10 list, Gore is launching the 'GORE-TEX® Footwear Diamond in the Rough' contest, which challenges U.S. travelers to uncover a hidden GORE-TEX® brand logo (the GORE-TEX® logo is diamond shaped) in the participating destinations. Each winner will receive $500 in GORE-TEX® gear.
Throughout the campaign, Gore will showcase its latest travel footwear styles from Ara, Clark's, Ecco, Kenneth Cole, Merrell, New Balance, Stuart Weitzman and Timberland. These styles have GORE-TEX® fabric technology to help keep feet comfortable regardless of activity or ground conditions.
"We are honored to have the ATTA place its stamp of approval on our list of Top 10 GORE-TEX® Footwear Summer Travel Destinations, which further underscores our commitment to providing travelers with information about the best destinations and gear to help them experience more on their vacations," commented Brian Gallagher, global marketing footwear strategist for Gore. "The contest is a great way to engage travelers, encourage them to explore the destinations and experience more with GORE-TEX® footwear. With GORE-TEX® fabric technology inside of today's shoe fashions, travelers can experience everything from hiking and sightseeing to a night out on the town while wearing a versatile, waterproof and breathable shoe that will manage the micro-climate inside their shoes to keep them comfortable."
Gore compiled the Top 10 list to highlight destinations where travelers can experience the diversity of both outdoor adventure and urban leisure travel. The ATTA, a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market worldwide, was pivotal in helping Gore identify the destinations. The ATTA utilized worldwide trade and consumer travel studies regarding the popularity of destinations and combined those results with a unique set of qualitative factors and filters concerning destinations' compelling assets, special environmental and cultural considerations, to help create the below list (listed in alphabetical order):
"By closely monitoring worldwide travel trends and by bringing the ATTA's first-hand insights and experiences from many corners of the globe to the table, we were able to help Gore create its specialized list of the Top 10 GORE-TEX® Footwear Summer Travel Destinations for 2008," commented Chris Doyle, vice president, ATTA. "This list will help travelers identify thrilling destinations for their summer vacations -- destinations that are sure to offer every individual an unusual, authentic and environmentally and culturally rich experience."
The Top 10 list serves as the setting for the 'GORE-TEX® Footwear Diamond in the Rough' contest, which challenges U.S. travelers to find a hidden GORE-TEX® brand logo in chosen destinations. To set out to find a 'GORE-TEX® Footwear Diamond in the Rough,' travelers can visit the contest website (www.gore-textravelfootwear.com) to gather clues as to where the logos are hidden in the chosen destinations. Travelers who find the hidden logos will win $500 in GORE-TEX® gear. Consumers can participate in an online write-in contest, explaining why they want GORE-TEX® Footwear for their upcoming vacation. The top entries will win a free pair of shoes.
Perhaps best known for its consumer products like GORE-TEX® fabric and ELIXIR® guitar strings, Gore is a leading manufacturer of thousands of advanced technology products for the electronics, industrial, fabrics and medical markets. The company is headquartered in Newark, Delaware, posts sales of approximately $2 billion, and employs almost 8,000 associates at 50 facilities throughout the world.
Established in 1990, the Seattle-based ATTA is a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market worldwide. ATTA Members include tour operators, destination marketing organizations, tourism boards, travel agents/agencies, guides, lodges/resorts/attractions, media, and service providers. Host of the annual Adventure Travel World Summit, the ATTA provides professional support, development, education, research, marketing, career building, networking and cost-saving resources to its members. See www.adventuretravel.biz.
GORE, GORE-TEX, WINDSTOPPER and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.