NEW YORK, June 21, 2000 - GORP.com, the leading Internet site for research, planning and purchase of outdoor recreation and adventure travel, is making sure that travel agents are not bypassed in the consumer rush to the World Wide Web. With a database of nearly 4,000 commissionable trips available and more than 35,000 departures, the company has launched a dedicated, password-protected site designed specifically for travel agents to make the selling of outdoor recreation and adventure travel not only easy, but also profitable.

The new travel agent site, located at www.gorptravel.com, enables agents to talk, in real time, with adventure travel experts, research destinations and activities, review "Hot Deals" and thousands of other travel offers, participate on a travel agent advisory board, and take advantage of a generous incentive plan called GORP Rewards. Supplementing the 10% commission structure, this new bonus program provides additional cash payments to agents after only five client trips have been completed.

"There has been considerable discussion recently in the travel industry about the Internet sidestepping travel agents. GORP recognizes that every single agent is potentially a valued sales person for us," said Michael Steiner, vice president of online travel for GORP.com. "As the fastest growing segment in the travel industry, adventure travel represents a market valued at more than $29 billion a year. From this perspective, our new travel agent site is a portal of possibilities and profits for agents, an important step in distinguishing us from other adventure travel sites. In essence, we are helping to turn any travel agent into a knowledgeable specialist on everything from wilderness trekking to whitewater rafting, while generating new profits for their agency."

Late last year, GORP merged with American Wilderness Experience of Boulder, CO, a leading adventure travel supplier with 29 years of experience. While focused on providing expansive content on outdoor recreation, GORP.com also has been referring adventure travelers to national and international outfitters and tour operators since 1995. Earlier this year, the two entities combined to create GORPtravel.

The resulting union is a comprehensive resource for outdoor recreation and adventure travel. Not only can people research and book their travel on the site, but also read stories about their destination, research and buy gear, apparel and footwear for the trip and interact with fellow travelers in the GORP forums.

GORP brings all of these resources to the travel agent community to provide a reliable and complete resource to agents to serve their clients. GORPtravel uses an extensive outfitter screening process that includes interviewing past guests and analyzing trip guide experience and program suitability for GORP users. The GORP team is dedicated to working with agents on an individual basis in order to determine the best program for each client.

Typically a GORP package will include all lodging, meals, snacks and beverages, the expertise and services of onsite guides and a wide range of outdoor activities. The programs are available in all parts of the world and offer a variety of accommodations and services ranging from friendly and comfortable to luxurious, five-star accommodations.

GORP (a.k.a. Great Outdoor Recreation Pages) is the largest and most trafficked Web site dedicated to outdoor recreation and adventure travel. With more than 100,000 pages of content, GORP offers a complete package of authoritative, award-winning content, a large, active community of outdoor enthusiasts and a full-range of e-commerce offerings drawing nearly 13 million page views per month. Started in 1995, GORP offers a full-service adventure travel booking feature, accessible via the Web or telephone, with more than 35,000 departures in addition to a gear store with 180 brands of clothing, footwear and equipment. GORP has been cited by Yahoo!, US News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and many others, as the leader in this category and a "Best of the Web" site. To reach GORP's world of outdoor recreation, including an incomparable selection of vacation packages, log on to www.gorp.com.

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