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