| This is the candid and illuminating story
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| | wanted.
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| of how Kevin Warren turned his travel
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| | Kevin's Baja surfing tour company grew
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| passions into substantial profits, fun
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| | into a diversified and profitable
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| and adventure.
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| | multi-sport soft Eco-Adventure Baja
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| Back in august of 1970, the Warren
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| | travel company, by asking his guests what
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| brothers Kevin, Steve and Tim moved with
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| | they wanted in their active vacations,
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| their family from Chicago, Illinois to
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| | Many tourism professionals Kevin has met
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| San Diego, California. As teenagers they
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| | over the last 15 plus years - or those
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| grew up surfing, riding dirt bikes,
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| | wanting to get into tourism - also seek
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| camping, flying hang gliding and
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| | to combine their passion for travel,
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| ultra-light airplanes, traveling to the
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| | sport, adventure, the outdoors and make
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| backcountry and nearby Baja, Mexico.
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| | good money too.
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| It's true.
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| | Does this sound at all like you?
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| They were all energetic "slightly
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| | Or something you are dreaming of…?
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| challenged youths".
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| | Kevin's tourism business and income have
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| One of the schools they attended was the
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| | earned him two eco-adventure resorts in
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| Athenian School in N. California; a
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| | Baja, Mexico, a new big 5-bedroom house
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| college prep, coed boarding school with
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| | in San Diego, 4 airplanes, a lovely wife
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| an emphasis on academics and the
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| | and three beautiful daughters.
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| outdoors. Their first rafting trips, snow
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| | Kevin's material success is only a small
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| camping, backpacking trips, and x-country
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| | part of the more valuable rewards of:
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| skiing trips, as well as extreme
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| | appreciating life, living your dreams and
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| skateboarding, building a bamboo hang
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| | experiencing joy daily in your tourism
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| glider out of bamboo, secret beer-making
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| | profession.
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| experiments under the bed and many other
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| | Success and quality of life - however you
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| adventures, all happened at Athenian.
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| | define it - is what you can have as
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| Part of their graduation requirements was
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| | tourism professional if you take the
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| a 28-day survival and outdoors skills
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| | right steps.
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| "outward bound-type" training in the high
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| | Follow this link to read the second part
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| Sierra Nevada Mountains.
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| | of this real-life tourism business and
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| It was fantastic!
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| | hospitality marketing case study - and
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| And yes, between adventures, they studied
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| | hear a "Secret to Their Success"
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| too.
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| | Interview Series, more best practices and
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| It was clear. They loved the outdoors,
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| | resources that have absolutely increased
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| flying, adventure and novel business
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| | the bottom line and quality of life for
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| adventures…
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| | Kevin and so many tourism projects around
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| Fortunately, None of them died, was not
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| | the world.
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| expelled and they eventually graduated
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| | The travel business has been good to
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| from Athenian.
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| | Kevin and sharing these articles and tips
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| Back in San Diego, being adventurous,
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| | is a way to give back to the industry.
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| young and entrepreneurial, Kevin started
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| | Starting, promoting and running any type
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| a business towing aerial advertising
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| | of tourism business or destination -
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| banners low and slow along the beaches of
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| | takes a lot of time and work. So all
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| North County San Diego with our
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| | articles, tips, resources and news - will
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| ultralight airplane around 1978.
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| | be in short "readers digest" versions.
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| He was getting $175 for 1/2 hour to pay
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| | Upcoming Tourism Business Categories and
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| for our hobby. How cool, getting paid for
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| | Resources
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| what he loved to do!
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| | Future contributions will include topics
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| In the early 80's Kevin's passion for
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| | on:
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| flying continued. He wanted to fly for
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| | Sales
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| the airlines and started flying buddies
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| | Marketing
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| into remote areas of Baja, Mexico to
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| | E-marketing
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| surf, build his flying hours and share
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| | Search engine Optimization
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| the cost. He started getting calls from
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| | Pay per Click Advertising
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| people he never met with questions like
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| | Online Reservation & Distribution Systems
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| this,
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| | E-mail newsletters and databases
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| "My buddy Jeff flew into Baja and went
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| | Advertising
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| surfing with you. Sounds fantastic! How
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| | Management
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| can I go too?"
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| | Home-based travel agencies
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| Kevin thought, "Could I get paid to do
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| | Operations
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| some of the things I most love; surfing,
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| | Development
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| flying and travel?"
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| | Finance
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| ---------The Answer Was a Big YES
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| | Risk management
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| ---------
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| | Communications
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| What started as a hobby, turned into a
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| | Strategic planning
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| life changing tourism career for him with
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| | Media and media relations
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| the launch of Baja AirVentures in 1985.
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| | Working with suppliers
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| Kevin's early trips focused on 4-day
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| | Trade show marketing and much more.
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| fly-in surfing expeditions into remote
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| | Not only will you learn what business and
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| dirt strips on Baja's isolated Pacific
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| | marketing strategies work, but how-to
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| coast. Empty and perfect waves, pristine
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| | avoid critical mistakes that spell
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| nature, catered camping - just what
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| | disaster.
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| mostly professional men who loved to surf
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|
