Adventure travel club taps into international distribution and television market.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 19, 1997--A young CEO and his team have created what they describe as a fun, new and profitable way to travel.

Joe Explorer of La Jolla has pooled the buying power of such branded companies as Continental Airlines, Busch Gardens, the Hilton and Avis Car Rentals to offer substantial savings with a discount card called the Vacation Pass.

However, the bucks don't stop there. The company is also using the distribution power of independent representatives, or business builders, to capture a substantial share of the market.

Joe Explorer's team realized the market possibilities when it researched other membership-based consumer clubs, such as Compucard International's Entertainment Coupon Book, which has drawn 46.5 million members. Along with the Vacation Pass, the traveler has the ability to earn commissions for any bookings he refers to Joe Explorer's Travel Center.

"We just wanted to bust through the tongue-in-cheek attitudes about business-building opportunities while providing a fun product that people can believe in," Joe Explorer's 33-year-old chief executive officer, John Miller, explained.

A highly accomplished international filmmaker for network programs and feature films, Miller attributes his passion for travel as his basic motivation. The interactive entertainment/travel aspect has caught on so quickly and extensively that the Outdoor Channel has already scheduled a television series, "JOE EXPLORER," to begin airing in January 1998.

Miller added: "I just did some homework and discovered that the market for travel in '96 was over $3.5 trillion. I want to distribute effectively, and person-to-person or friend-to-friend seemed the most attractive and efficient means to that end."

Although the official launch date, complete with seminars, is slated for the evening of July 10 at the San Diego Mission Valley Hilton Hotel, not-for-profit groups such as the local chambers of commerce and high school groups are already enjoying "sharing the wealth."

According to Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce spokeswoman Lauree Sahba: "We were looking for a fund-raiser with a good profit margin to help rebuild a school in Tijuana. We'd initially offered the Joe Explorer Vacation Pass, which sold for $39 retail, to our members to help cut business-related expenses. What impressed us the most was that there were many smaller to mid-sized hotels available because we know that a lot of corporations don't have the budget for the top hotels every trip."

Sahba described the excellent feedback the Chamber received. For example, a human resources manager ordered passes as a bonus to employees. "We even had one manufacturer's receptionist call and order some for her family because of the pharmaceutical discounts," said Sahba.

Joe Explorer's executive vice president, Kene Ovenshire, detailed the launch. "What sets us apart is the fact that we're addressing the needs of potential distributors in unprecedented ways. For example, the basic downfall for individuals is getting started. That, along with recognizing the loopholes of some business-building companies, will be part of the entire mini-seminar series we're offering on July 10th."

Ovenshire stated that everyone from single mothers bolstering their incomes to college students funding postdoctorate degrees is already involved in the distribution process.

He concluded: "We are the exception. We have eliminated all of the smoke and mirrors typically associated with traditional business building. We recognize that we must help as many people as we can meet their goals in order to meet our corporate goals."

CONTACT: Joe Explorer, San Diego

Victoria Alexander, 619/454-6800 ext. 102