TravelAge West 2015 Editor’s Pick Recipient O.A.R.S. Selected as Best Tour Operator for Adventure

March 20, 2015 - PRLog -- LOS ANGELES, CA, – Veteran river outfitter and adventure travel company (http://www.oars.com/), O.A.R.S., has been honored with a TravelAge West 2015 Editor’s Pick Award in the category of Best Tour Operator for Adventure as part of the TravelAge West WAVE (Western Agents’ Votes of Excellence) Awards.

Now in its tenth year, the goal of TravelAge West’s WAVE Awards (http://www.travelagewest.com/wave-awards/) is to give travel agents in the West the opportunity to recognize the outstanding qualities and services of their top travel-supplier partners.

Founded in 1969 as the first exclusively oar-powered rafting company in the Grand Canyon, today O.A.R.S. runs first-class rafting, sea kayaking, hiking and multi-sport trips throughout the western U.S. and in 18 countries around the world, making them a diverse and accommodating force in adventure travel.

“O.A.R.S. offers people the support they need to access the most extraordinary natural wonders on the planet. From the recesses of the Grand Canyon to the storied rivers of the Himalaya, our small-group experiences put travelers back in touch with nature while restoring balance to over-connected lives,” said George Wendt, O.A.R.S. Founder and CEO. “Our guides take a lot of pride in exposing people to the places they care about. Without our knowledgeable and professional guides, many people could never experience the places O.A.R.S. travels.”

The Editor’s Picks were chosen by Editor-in-Chief Kenneth Shapiro and the entire editorial team of TravelAge West. Review methods included product analysis, on-site visits, a survey of a select group of travel agents and online research.

“It’s really exciting to be celebrating the WAVE Awards’ 10th anniversary,” said Shapiro. “The number of awards continues to grow from year to year as we recognize new categories and new companies, but the goal remains the same: to acknowledge the favorite suppliers and destinations of Western agents.”

In addition to this distinction, Editor’s Pick honorees are also in the running for a WAVE Award, to be determined by a TravelAge West readers’ choice poll conducted during the month of April. The voting is open to readers of the print and online publication, and will be available at www.travelagewest.com/WAVE.

Editor’s Pick recipients will be celebrated at the WAVE Awards Gala on June 11 at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina Del Rey, CA, where the readers’ choice winners will be announced as well. TravelAge West will include a special WAVE Awards section in the July 6 issue, highlighting award winners.

“To be included with so many leaders in the travel industry is truly an honor,” said Steve Markle, O.A.R.S. Director of Sales and Marketing. “But most important to us is that this award recognizes the ‘we go the extra mile’ philosophy of our talented staff and guides.”

About O.A.R.S.

Some 500,000 guests later, O.A.R.S. (http://www.oars.com/) has been providing award-winning whitewater rafting and adventure travel vacations since 1969. Over the decades the company has set the standard in first-class rafting, sea kayaking and multi-sport adventures, with destinations and unparalleled experiences on over 35 rivers and coastlines around the world. O.A.R.S. caters to active travelers of all ages and abilities with more than 75 unique itineraries, including one-day and weekend escapes. For consecutive years, O.A.R.S. has been named the “Best River & Sea Outfitter on Earth” by National Geographic Adventure and one of the top two outfitters in the world by Outside Magazine. O.A.R.S. trips are consistently honored as “best in class” by Outside, National Geographic Traveler and other top-tier travel publications.

TravelAge Westis the leading trade magazine for travel agents and the travel industry in the 14 Western U.S. states. Serving more than 21,000 readers for 46 years, the biweekly magazine is a main source of news and product information for the region’s agents and travel executives. TravelAgeWest.com is a winner of a Gold Award from the North American Travel Journalists Association for Best Travel Journalism Website. TravelAge West is a part of Northstar Travel Media LLC, a worldwide provider of information, news and data for the travel and hospitality industry. Northstar Travel Media is based in Secaucus, N.J.

Follow O.A.R.S.

Twitter:          https://twitter.com/oars_rafting

Facebook:     http://www.facebook.com/OARS.rafting

YouTube:      http://www.youtube.com/user/oarsweb

Instagram:     http://instagram.com/oars_rafting

Pinterest:       https://www.pinterest.com/oarsrafting/

Blog:          http://www.oars.com/blog/

Media Contact: Steve Markle

Phone: 209-753-4797

Email: stevem@oars.com

Web: http://www.oars.com/press.html

Media Contact for Wave Awards

Contact: Lisa Frobisher / (310) 954-2514