Media Center
P.O. Box 81025
Billings, Montana 59108-1025
Telephone: 406-655-4591
info@austinlehman.com
www.austinlehman.com
Toll-free Reservations: 800-575-1540
FACT SHEET
| Company Name: | Austin-Lehman Adventures, LLC Headquartered in Billings, Montana USA |
| Founder/Director: |
Dan Austin - dan@austinlehman.com |
| Company Profile: |
The choice provider of active vacations, ALA specializes in multi-sport, hiking, biking and family travel experiences that are immersed in history, wildlife, culture and geography’s natural beauty. The company has built a reputation for exclusive, small-group active travel (limited to 12 guests, 18 for family trips), with a distinguished roster of trips to over 30 countries in the Americas, Europe, Africa, South Pacific and the Middle East. It earned the #1 ranking as the world’s top tour operator by the readers of Travel & Leisure magazine in 2009 (and #2 in 2010) and holds top accolades as one of the finest adventure tour specialists in the industry. • All ALA vacations feature exceptional dining, access to distinctive accommodations and all-inclusive rates and services. • A team of passionate, enthusiastic guides facilitate memorable and authentic excursions, at one’s own pace, off the usual tourist track. Guests enjoy “insider’s knowledge” and a local, close-up perspective that cannot be replicated independently. • In addition to scheduled group departures, ALA offers customized, trip planning for families, solo travelers and adults-only. • ALA offers all travelers a money-back guarantee, a rarity among adventure travel companies, to reflect its commitment to the highest levels of guest service. |
| History: |
With a legacy going back nearly 40 years, the company evolved into Austin-Lehman Adventures under the helm of entrepreneurs Paul Lehman and Dan Austin. • 1994 -- Dan Austin purchased Montana-based Backcountry Tours, a well–recognized purveyor of small group, multisport tours throughout the western US. This was his second major foray in adventure travel since 1976, when he was a partner in a rafting company in the Pacific Northwest. • 1997 -- Dan Austin sold his interest in Backcountry and created Adventures Plus, a provider of adventure tours with a commitment to exceptional client service. • 2000 -- Dan joined forces with Paul Lehman, a fellow entrepreneur and adventurer. These two passionate travelers merged their philosophy on company vision, goals and direction to form Austin-Lehman Adventures. Their shared vision created a company that provided unparalleled service and an active, experiential travel experience. • 2001 – Dan Austin and Paul Lehman acquired Backcountry Tours further expanding their operations and loyal client base. • 2008 -- The company acquired Euro-Bike Tours. Originally founded in 1974 in DeKalb, Illinois, by Dutch natives Dr. Hendrik and Ellen Hoeve and Wim van Dijk, Euro-Bike was the first U.S. bike tour company to establish operations in Europe. Wim’s son, Ron van Dijk, joined the operations, and based in Amsterdam, Holland; he became an owner/partner in Austin-Lehman Adventurers. • 2010 -- Paul Lehman announces his departure from ALA to pursue new personal adventures in his life. •2011-- For the third year in a row ALA was ranked as one of the top adventure tour operators in the world by Travel + Leisure Magazine •2011-- ALA is awarded Global Vision Award by Travel + Leisure Magazine for their corporate innovation with Wheels of Change. |
| Philosophy: |
Specializing in small-group, high-end adventure travel, ALA immerses its guests in one-of-a-kind, enriching experiences that capture each destination’s unique sense of place. By integrating activities like hiking, biking and rafting, each traveler experiences a destination in a highly memorable, fun and engaging way, to go beyond just “seeing” a destination.
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| Types of Active Travel: |
Multisport, biking, hiking and family. |
| Adventure Trips: |
Offered in 2011: Austin-Lehman Adventures features 60 unique itineraries with more than 200 scheduled departures to 28 countries worldwide. * Designates new trips in 2011 Adventure Vacations: Alaska – Kenai Peninsula British Columbia – Whistler *Washington – San Juan Islands Alberta – Banff to Jasper Montana – Big Sky, Yellowstone & Paradise Valley Montana – Glacier National Park Yellowstone National Park Wyoming – Yellowstone/Teton *Wyoming – Jackson Hole to the Tetons Arizona – Grand Canyon & Sedona Arizona – Havasupai Utah – Bryce/Zion Utah – Arches to Moab Austria – Alps to Salzburg *Croatia – Dalmatian Coast Greece – Athens & The Cyclades Islands *Belize – Maya to Moho Cay *Chile/Argentina – Patagonia Costa Rica – Arenal to Tortuguero Ecuador – Galápagos Islands Cruise *Ecuador – Galápagos Land Based *Peru – Amazon to Machu Picchu Peru – Machu Picchu Peru – Salkantay Lodge to Lodge *Israel/Jordan – Tel Aviv to Petra *New Zealand – South Island *Morocco – Fez to Marrakech *Namibia – Etosha to Okaukuejo South Africa – Cape Town to Kruger
Biking Tours: South Dakota – Black Hills to Mt Rushmore Austria/Czech Republic – Vienna to Prague *Denmark – Danish Isles France – Brittany/Normandy France – Loire Valley France – Provence Germany – Mosel Valley Germany – Romantic Road Holland – Haarlem to Odoorn Holland – Netherlands Highlights Holland/Belgium – Brussels to Gent Italy – Tuscany *Italy/Austria – Innsbruck to Lake Garda *Slovenia – Julian Alps Switzerland/Germany – Lake Constance to Zürich
Family Vacations: Alaska Family – Kenai Peninsula British Columbia Family – Whistler Alberta Family – Banff to Jasper *California Family – Yosemite *Idaho Family – Salmon River Raft Montana Family – Big Sky, Yellowstone & Paradise Valley Yellowstone National Park Family Wyoming Family – Yellowstone/Teton *Utah Family – Bryce/Zion Austria Family – Alps to Salzburg France Family – Loire Valley Germany Family – Mosel Valley Holland Family – Haarlem to Odoorn *Africa Family – Zambezi to Victoria Falls Costa Rica Family – Los Angeles Cloud Forest to Manuel Antonio |
| Awards: |
2010 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards #2 Tour Operator in the World Travel + Leisure World's Top Adventure Trips 2009 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards #1 Tour Operator in the World National Geographic Adventure Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth About.com Top 20 Adventure Travel Companies 2008 National Geographic Adventure Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth National Geographic Adventure World's Best New Trips for Panama Boquete To Bocas Adventure Concierge.com's Best Adventure Trips of 2008 for our Panama adventure Bicycling Magazine 15 Best Bike Trips Dan Austin honored with an invitation to join Forbes Traveler's panel of distinguished travel experts International Academy of the Visual Arts Communicator Award of Distinction for company website 2007 National Geographic Adventure World's Best New Trips for Okanagan Wine Country Adventure National Geographic Traveler 50 Tours of a Lifetime 2006 National Geographic Adventure World's Best New Trips for Oaxaca Adventure 2005 Travel + Leisure 50 Greatest American Adventures 2004 Diversion Magazine Top 10 Adventure Companies 2003 Catalog Age Annual Catalog Awards - Silver Medal in Travel Category |
| Media Contacts: |
Dan Austin Widness & Wiggins PR Dave Wiggins / Phone 303.554.8821 / dave@travelnewssource.com Sara Widness / Phone 802 234 6704 / sara@widnesspr.com |
Travel + Leisure World's Best
ALA was recognized as one of the top Tour Operators and Safari Outfitters in the World in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Read the Press Release >
Outside Magazine2012 Hall of Fame Travel Awards
ALA was inducted in Outside Magazine's 2012 Hall of Fame Travel Awards for our groundbreaking Cuba Tours. Read More...
National Geographic Traveler 50 Tours of a Lifetime
The editors of National Geographic Traveler single out ALA's Cuba tour as one of their top tours in 2012. See the complete list>
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