g travel community

G Adventures Restructures With Holding Company Primed for New Acquisitions

Selene Brophy , Skift

January 12th, 2023 at 1:30 PM EST

G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip wants to bring about change, both within his company's organizational structure and across the global tourism playing field. He believes community is the route to take, as the company readies for seemingly long-overdue acquisitions.

Selene Brophy

G Adventures, the small group tour operator, is restructuring as G Travel Community (GTC). The holding company sets the scene to bring its existing brands into one stable but with expanded space for new brand acquisitions.

Bruce Poon Tip, the founder of G Adventures and the company’s former CEO, takes over as chairperson of G Travel Community when it is announced formally next week. The move comes two years after the company secured a large investment from travel-focused private equity firm Certares . 

Poon Tip told Skift in an exclusive interview that the restructuring of the company is part of its five-year, mutli-brand strategy, focused on creating a positive impact through community-led growth across all spheres of travel.  

‘Under no Pressure from Certares’

Despite not making a single acquisition since receiving its funding in February 2021, Poon Tip said the company has been “under no pressure from Certares to perform”. 

“Certares are making zero demands on us, and while we have not made any acquisitions in two years, there is undoubtedly an expectation that we do,” Poon Tip said. 

He added there is no risk to the terms of the investment agreement and the formation of the holding company shows they are getting ready to make some concrete announcements soon. 

“Our goal is to bring more brands and travel companies under one umbrella to have a greater impact on a wider audience. We’ve had great success with what we do globally as G Adventures, but we have a limited scope on our audience. 

“With the formation of GTC we are finally creating a community – a stable of travel brands that can really drive change to a wider demographic of people, who love to travel, but at the same time want to change the world,” said Poon Tip. 

Poon Tip confirmed they have been in discussions with a few companies and would have liked nothing more than to announce the structural change, together with making a new acquisition. 

“There are a number of sensitivities with these things. We just had a deal fall through in December during the due diligence process, but we’re really close now,” he said.  

Senior Leadership Changes

The restructure also sees several senior leadership changes within the business. 

Jeff Russill, currently chief operating officer for G Adventures, will become the chief executive officer of GTC, overseeing the G Adventures, TruTravels and G Touring brands. 

Ben Perlo, currently managing director for G Adventures in the United States, will take on the mantle of president and chief executive officer for the G Adventures brand, in addition to his current role in the short-term. Perlo will remain based in Boston, United States.  

‘Shared Services, Bigger Impact’

Poon Tip added that the new companies they’re planning to bring on board would need to fit into the intent and purpose of G Travel Community. 

The brands retain their identity as before but benefit from centralized administration, distribution and tech investments the holding company would make.      

He referenced the performance of Just You in particular, which G Adventures acquired in 2017 as an indication of brand strength and what they had planned for the community. 

Just You and Travelsphere as G Touring join G Adventures in the GTC portfolio. Planeterra, G Adventures’ non-profit partner, will also benefit from this ‘shared services’ model.  

As for its investor, Poon Tip said, “For 32 years, G Adventures has delivered the value, and I have no doubt we’ll deliver on the numbers and growth needed to meet the investment terms agreed to. But our goal is always to have a far bigger impact in the wider world of tourism.” 

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story referenced Just You had started as a single market operator in Asia.

G Adventures Founder Bruce Poon Tip Speaking at Skift Global Forum in September 2022.

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Tags: g adventures , online travel , online travel agencies , tour operators , tourism

Photo credit: G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip in Machu Picchu, Peru. Source: G Adventures G Adventures / G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip in Machu Picchu, Peru.

Community Tourism Pioneer, G Adventures, Forms New Holding Company

Ben Perlo named president and chief executive officer of G Adventures

As travel continues to rebuild into 2023, community tourism pioneer and small-group adventure operator, G Adventures, is announcing the formation of a new holding company to bring its existing and new brand acquisitions under the same overarching parent brand, to be named G Travel Community (GTC).

The purpose of GTC is to create a community of travel companies that have ‘community-led growth’ at the core of their strategies. The GTC brands are united in their mission to bring people together through travel to affect positive change – changing the lives of the traveler community and of the local people in communities benefiting from tourism, as well as all GTC team members across the business.

The current brands joining G Adventures in the GTC portfolio are G Touring (Travelsphere and Just You) and TruTravels, which are both based out of the United Kingdom. Planeterra, G Adventures’ non-profit partner, will also benefit from this ‘shared services’ model. All brands will be supported from a centralized administrative standpoint, with each brand retaining its own sales and marketing function, customer services, product development and tour operations, and importantly its own unique values and identity.

The launch of GTC also heralds a number of senior leadership changes within the business.

Bruce Poop Tip, the founder of G Adventures, will take on the title of chairman, G Travel Community. Ben Perlo, currently managing director for G Adventures in the United States, will take on the role of president and chief executive officer for the G Adventures brand, in addition to his current role in the short-term. Perlo will remain based in Boston, United States. Jeff Russill, currently chief operating officer for G Adventures, will become the chief executive officer of GTC.

Bruce Poon Tip, the chairman of GTC and founder of G Adventures, says the timing is perfect to announce the new community-centric business model.

“G Adventures formed an investment partnership with Certares one year ago, with the goal of implementing an acquisition strategy for the business. The pandemic lasted much longer than we thought it would, which gave us the time to build an even more solid structure and foundation to deliver on our long term multi-brand strategy, and to place a laser focus on the importance of cementing a sense of community throughout our organization.

“The formation of GTC – the travel community – signifies that this sense of community is truly at the heart of our entire business – from the naming of our holding company all the way through to our community tourism projects on the ground. We are the pioneers of community tourism, so it’s exciting to see this be fully embraced internally as well as externally.”

In his new role as chief executive officer for G Adventures, Perlo says, “G Adventures has always been passionate about building community within our organization, among our travelers and among our partners.

“By creating GTC, our brands – and G Adventures specifically – will be able to have a far bigger impact when it comes to using tourism as a force for good. I’m thrilled to be leading G into this new phase where we’ll be able to do, even better, what we do best: help change lives through travel.”

The GTC holding company is now fully operational, with all leadership changes taking effect immediately.

About G Adventures 

Founded in 1990 by social entrepreneur Bruce Poon Tip, G Adventures is a pioneer in community tourism and small group travel, offering more than 750 trips in 100 countries, on all seven continents. G Adventures’ award-winning trips support local communities, giving travellers meaningful experiences with people, cultures, landscapes and wildlife, while offering them the freedom and flexibility to explore on their own. G Adventures’ responsible approach to travel is demonstrated through its ‘G for Good’ social impact commitments, which include travel guidelines for children, wildlife and Indigenous people, community-based Planeterra projects travellers can experience on their trips, and the industry-leading ‘Ripple Score’ assessment which measures how many traveller dollars stay in the local economy. G Adventures offers life-changing tours for people of all ages, interests and budgets, because our world deserves more you. For more information please visit www.gadventures.com

For more information, images or interviews, please contact:

Kim Greiner, US PR manager, [email protected]

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The GTC holding company is now fully operational, with all leadership changes taking effect immediately. 

As travel rebuilds into 2023, community tourism pioneer and small-group adventure operator, G Adventures , is announcing the formation of a new holding company to bring its existing and new brand acquisitions under the same overarching parent brand, to be named G Travel Community (GTC). 

The purpose of GTC is to create a community of travel companies that have ‘community-led growth’ at the core of their strategies, and a shared belief in the power of changing peoples’ lives through travel. The GTC brands are united in their mission to bring people together through travel to affect positive change – changing the lives of the traveller community, those of the local people in communities benefiting from tourism, and all GTC team members across the business. 

The current brands joining G Adventures in the GTC portfolio are G Touring (Travelsphere and Just You) and TruTravels, which are both based out of the United Kingdom. Planeterra, G Adventures’ non-profit partner, will also benefit from this ‘shared services’ model. All brands will be supported from a centralised administrative standpoint, with each brand retaining its own sales and marketing function, customer services, product development and tour operations, and importantly its own unique values and identity. 

The launch of GTC also heralds a number of senior leadership changes within the business. 

Bruce Poop Tip , the founder of G Adventures, will also take on the title of chairman, G Travel Community. Jeff Russill , currently chief operating officer for G Adventures, will become the chief executive officer of GTC, overseeing the G Adventures, TruTravels and G Touring brands. Ben Perlo , currently managing director for G Adventures in the United States, will take on the mantle of president and chief executive officer for the G Adventures brand, in addition to his current role in the short-term. Perlo will remain based in Boston, United States. 

Bruce Poon Tip, the chairman of GTC and founder of G Adventures, says the timing is perfect to announce the new community-centric business model.  “G Adventures formed an investment partnership with Certares one year ago, with the goal of implementing an acquisition strategy for the business. The pandemic lasted much longer than we thought it would, which gave us the time to build an even more solid structure and foundation to deliver on our long term multi-brand strategy, and to place a laser focus on the importance of cementing a sense of community throughout our organisation. 

“The formation of GTC – the travel community – signifies that this sense of community is truly at the heart of our entire business – from the naming of our holding company all the way through to our community tourism projects on the ground. We are the pioneers of community tourism, so it's exciting to see this be fully embraced internally as well as externally. 

“Everything we do is about having a greater impact. For 32 years G Adventures has had a positive impact on both our travellers and the communities we visit, but our goal is always to have a far bigger impact in the wider world of tourism. 

“With the formation of GTC we are finally creating that community – a stable of travel brands that can really drive change to a wider demographic of people who love to travel, but at the same time want to change the world. ” says Poon Tip. 

Tatiana Rokou

Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.

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G Adventures to restructure as G Travel Community

Pax Global Media

This story was updated on Monday, January 16 at 7:14 a.m. EST

G Adventures has formed a new holding company, called G Travel Community (GTC), so it can bring its brands together under one entity and make space for new acquisitions.

The update was  first reported last week by Skift , which noted that company founder Bruce Poon Tip will take over as chairman of the G Travel Community.

The move comes two years after G Adventures secured a large investment from private equity firm Certares .

The investment enables G to accelerate its pursuit of merger and acquisition opportunities, investments in shared services platform upgrades and to execute its mission of changing people’s lives through travel.

Poon Tip told Skift that the restructuring is part of a five-year, multi-brand strategy, focused on creating a positive impact through community-led growth across all spheres of travel.

READ MORE: G Adventures eyes future growth, closes capital investment from Certares

G Adventures hasn’t made any acquisitions since receiving its funding in February 2021.

“Certares are making zero demands on us, and while we have not made any acquisitions in two years, there is undoubtedly an expectation that we do,” Poon Tip told Skift .

He said the goal of his holding company is to bring more brands and travel companies under one umbrella so they have a greater impact on a wider audience.

“We’ve had great success with what we do globally as G Adventures, but we have a limited scope on our audience,” Poon Tip told Skift . “With the formation of GTC we are finally creating a community – a stable of travel brands that can really drive change to a wider demographic of people, who love to travel, but at the same time want to change the world.”

Leadership changes

Current brands joining G Adventures in the GTC portfolio are G Touring ( Travelsphere and Just You ) and TruTravels , which are both based out of the United Kingdom.

Planeterra , G Adventures’ non-profit partner, will also benefit from this “shared services” model.

The announcement will also result in senior leadership changes.

Jeff Russill, currently chief operating officer for G Adventures, will become the chief executive officer of GTC, overseeing the G Adventures, TruTravels and G Touring brands.

Ben Perlo , currently managing director for G Adventures in the U.S., will become president and CEO for the G Adventures brand, in addition to his current role in the short-term. Perlo will remain based in Boston.

Travel with impact

Any companies G would add to its community would have to fit into the community’s purpose, Poon Tip said.

As per a news release issued Monday (Jan. 16), the GTC brands are united in a mission to “bring people together through travel to affect positive change” – changing the lives of the traveller community, those of the local people in communities benefiting from tourism, and all GTC team members across the business.

All brands will be supported from a centralized administrative standpoint, with each brand retaining its own sales and marketing function, customer services, product development, unique style of tour operations, and its own unique values and identity.

Poon Tip told Skift he was confident that his company would be able to deliver on the growth needed to meet the investment terms agreed to.

It’s also a good time to announce a new community-centric business model, Poon Tip noted in Monday’s release.

“G Adventures formed an investment partnership with Certares one year ago, with the goal of implementing an acquisition strategy for the business. The pandemic lasted much longer than we thought it would, which gave us the time to build an even more solid structure and foundation to deliver on our long-term multi-brand strategy, and to place a laser focus on the importance of cementing a sense of community throughout our organization,” Poon Tip stated.

“The formation of GTC – the travel community – signifies that this sense of community is truly at the heart of our entire business, from the naming of our holding company all the way through to our community tourism projects on the ground.”

“We are the pioneers of community tourism, so it's exciting to see this be fully embraced internally as well as externally.”

It also comes down to having a greater impact on the world, Poon Tip said.

“For 32 years G Adventures has had a positive impact on both our travellers and the communities we visit, but our goal is always to have a far bigger impact in the wider world of tourism,” he said.

“With the formation of GTC we are finally creating that community – a stable of travel brands that can really drive change to a wider demographic of people who love to travel, but at the same time want to change the world.”

The GTC holding company is now fully operational, with all leadership changes taking effect immediately.

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Leadership changes with G Adventures’ new holding company, G Travel Community

Post date: Jan 16 2023

Date: Jan 16 2023

By: Travelweek

TORONTO — With growth comes new organizational strategies, and for G Adventures, that means a brand new holding company, one that emphasizes the spirit of community tourism that G Adventures has championed since day one.

The new company, G Travel Community (GTC), brings existing and new brand acquisitions under the same parent brand. The current brands joining G Adventures in the GTC portfolio are G Touring (Travelsphere and Just You) and TruTravels, both based out of the UK. G Adventures bought Travelsphere and Just You in 2017 and TruTravels in 2018.

Planeterra, G Adventures’ non-profit partner, will also benefit from GTC’s ‘shared services’ model.

All brands will be supported from a centralized administrative standpoint, with each brand retaining its own sales and marketing function, customer services, product development, unique style of tour operations, and its own unique values and identity.

LEADERSHIP CHANGES

The creation of GTC also means new opportunities for several members of the executive team. All leadership changes take effect immediately.

Bruce Poon Tip, the founder of G Adventures, will also take on the title of Chairman, G Travel Community.

Jeff Russill, currently Chief Operating Officer for G Adventures, will become the CEO of GTC, overseeing the G Adventures, TruTravels and G Touring brands.

Ben Perlo, currently managing director for G Adventures in the U.S., becomes President and CEO for the G Adventures brand, in addition to his current role in the short-term. Perlo will remain based in Boston.

Poon Tip says the purpose of GTC is to create a community of travel companies that have ‘community-led growth’ at the core of their strategies, and a shared belief in the power of changing peoples’ lives through travel.

He says the timing is perfect to announce the new community-centric business model.

“G Adventures formed an investment partnership with Certares one year ago, with the goal of implementing an acquisition strategy for the business. The pandemic lasted much longer than we thought it would, which gave us the time to build an even more solid structure and foundation to deliver on our long term multi-brand strategy, and to place a laser focus on the importance of cementing a sense of community throughout our organization,” he says.

“The formation of GTC – the travel community – signifies that this sense of community is truly at the heart of our entire business – from the naming of our holding company all the way through to our community tourism projects on the ground. We are the pioneers of community tourism, so it’s exciting to see this be fully embraced internally as well as externally.

“Everything we do is about having a greater impact. For 32 years G Adventures has had a positive impact on both our travellers and the communities we visit, but our goal is always to have a far bigger impact in the wider world of tourism.

“With the formation of GTC we are finally creating that community – a stable of travel brands that can really drive change to a wider demographic of people who love to travel, but at the same time want to change the world,” he added.

Tags: G Adventures, Lead Story

Travel Industry Today

Community-led growth: g adventures forms new holding company.

As travel rebuilds into 2023, G Adventures, has announced the formation of a new holding company to bring its existing and new brand acquisitions under the same parent brand, to be named G Travel Community (GTC). The purpose of GTC is to create a community of travel companies that have ‘community-led growth’ at the core of their strategies, and a shared belief in the power of changing peoples’ lives through travel.

The company says GTC brands are united in their mission to bring people together through travel to affect positive change – changing the lives of the traveller community, those of the local people in communities benefiting from tourism, and all GTC team members across the business.

The current brands joining G Adventures in the GTC portfolio are G Touring (Travelsphere and Just You) and TruTravels, which are both based out of the United Kingdom. Planeterra, G Adventures’ non-profit partner, will also benefit from this ‘shared services’ model. All brands will be supported from a centralized administrative standpoint, with each brand retaining its own sales and marketing function, customer services, product development, unique style of tour operations, and its own unique values and identity.

The launch of GTC also heralds a number of senior leadership changes within the business.

Bruce Poon Tip, the founder of G Adventures, will also take on the title of chairman, G Travel Community. Jeff Russill, currently chief operating officer for G Adventures, will become the chief executive officer of GTC, overseeing the G Adventures, TruTravels and G Touring brands. Ben Perlo, currently managing director for G Adventures in the United States, will take on the mantle of president and chief executive officer for the G Adventures brand, in addition to his current role in the short-term. Perlo will remain based in Boston, United States.

Poon Tip says the timing is perfect to announce the new community-centric business model.

“G Adventures formed an investment partnership with Certares one year ago, with the goal of implementing an acquisition strategy for the business. The pandemic lasted much longer than we thought it would, which gave us the time to build an even more solid structure and foundation to deliver on our long term multi-brand strategy, and to place a laser focus on the importance of cementing a sense of community throughout our organization.

“The formation of GTC – the travel community – signifies that this sense of community is truly at the heart of our entire business – from the naming of our holding company all the way through to our community tourism projects on the ground. We are the pioneers of community tourism, so it’s exciting to see this be fully embraced internally as well as externally.

“Everything we do is about having a greater impact. For 32 years G Adventures has had a positive impact on both our travellers and the communities we visit, but our goal is always to have a far bigger impact in the wider world of tourism.

“With the formation of GTC we are finally creating that community – a stable of travel brands that can really drive change to a wider demographic of people who love to travel, but at the same time want to change the world.” says Poon Tip.

The GTC holding company is now fully operational, with all leadership changes taking effect immediately.

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G Adventures forms G Travel Community

G Adventures has a new holding company to bring its existing and new brand acquisitions under the same overarching parent brand – G Travel Community (GTC).

GTC’s purpose is to create a community of travel companies that have ‘community-led growth’ at the core of their strategies, and a shared belief in the power of changing peoples’ lives through travel.

The GTC brands are united in their mission to bring people together through travel to affect positive change – changing the lives of the traveller community, those of the local people in communities benefiting from tourism, and all GTC team members across the business.

Joining the GTC portfolio are G Touring (Travelsphere and Just You) and TruTravels, which are both based out of the UK. Planeterra, G Adventures’ non-profit partner, will also benefit from this ‘shared services’ model. All brands will be supported from a centralised administrative standpoint, yet retaining its own brand’s operational functions and identity.

Taking on the title of chairman for G Travel Community is Bruce Poon Tip, the chairman of GTC and founder of G Adventures, who said: “The formation of GTC signifies that this sense of community is truly at the heart of our entire business. We are the pioneers of community tourism, so it’s exciting to see this be fully embraced internally as well as externally… our goal is always to have a far bigger impact in the wider world of tourism.”

He added: “With the formation of GTC we are finally creating that community – a stable of travel brands that can really drive change to a wider demographic of people who love to travel, but at the same time want to change the world.”

G Adventures’ COO Jeff Russill will become the CEO of GTC and oversee the G Adventures, TruTravels and G Touring brands while Ben Perlo, currently managing director for G Adventures in the US, will take on the mantle of president and CEO for the G Adventures brand, in addition to his current role in the short-term.

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G Adventures Forms New Holding Company, G Travel Community

Written by Family Travel Association

The new year is already seeing changes in the travel industry, including the formation of a new holding company for community tourism pioneer and small-group adventure operator G Adventures.

The new holding company will bring existing and new brand acquisitions under one overarching parent brand, named G Travel Community (GTC).

According to GTC, the brand’s purpose is to create a community of travel companies that have ‘community-led growth’ at the core of their strategies. The GTC brands are united in their mission to bring people together through travel to affect positive change – changing the lives of the traveler community and of the local people in communities benefiting from tourism, as well as all GTC team members across the business.

The current brands joining G Adventures in the GTC portfolio are G Touring (Travelsphere and Just You) and TruTravels, both based out of the United Kingdom. All brands will be supported from a centralized administrative standpoint, with each brand retaining its own sales and marketing function, customer services, product development and tour operations, and importantly its own unique values and identity.

The launch of GTC also heralds a number of senior leadership changes within the business.Bruce Poon Tip, the founder of G Adventures, will take on the title of chairman, G Travel Community.

Meanwhile, Ben Perlo—vice president of the Family Travel Association’s board and current managing director for G Adventures in the United States—will take on the role of president and chief executive officer for the G Adventures brand, in addition to his current role in the short-term. Perlo will remain based in Boston, United States.

Bruce Poon Tip, the chairman of GTC and founder of G Adventures, says the timing is perfect to announce the new community-centric business model.

“G Adventures formed an investment partnership with Certares one year ago, with the goal of implementing an acquisition strategy for the business. The pandemic lasted much longer than we thought it would, which gave us the time to build an even more solid structure and foundation to deliver on our long term multi-brand strategy, and to place a laser focus on the importance of cementing a sense of community throughout our organization.

“The formation of GTC – the travel community – signifies that this sense of community is truly at the heart of our entire business – from the naming of our holding company all the way through to our community tourism projects on the ground. We are the pioneers of community tourism, so it’s exciting to see this be fully embraced internally as well as externally.”

In his new role as chief executive officer for G Adventures, Perlo says, “G Adventures has always been passionate about building community within our organization, among our travelers and among our partners.

“By creating GTC, our brands – and G Adventures specifically – will be able to have a far bigger impact when it comes to using tourism as a force for good. I’m thrilled to be leading G into this new phase where we’ll be able to do, even better, what we do best: help change lives through travel.”

The GTC holding company is now fully operational, with all leadership changes taking effect immediately. For more information, visit gadventures.com .

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As travel rebuilds into 2023, community tourism pioneer and small-group adventure operator, G Adventures, is announcing the formation of a new holding company to bring its existing and new brand acquisitions under the same overarching parent brand, to be named G Travel Community (GTC) .

The purpose of GTC is to create a community of travel companies that have ‘community-led growth’ at the core of their strategies, and a shared belief in the power of changing peoples’ lives through travel. The GTC brands are united in their mission to bring people together through travel to affect positive change – changing the lives of the traveller community, those of the local people in communities benefiting from tourism, and all GTC team members across the business.

The current brands joining G Adventures in the GTC portfolio are G Touring (Travelsphere and Just You) and TruTravels, which are both based out of the United Kingdom. Planeterra, G Adventures’ non-profit partner, will also benefit from this ‘shared services’ model. All brands will be supported from a centralised administrative standpoint, with each brand retaining its own sales and marketing function, customer services, product development and tour operations, and importantly its own unique values and identity.

The launch of GTC also heralds a number of senior leadership changes within the business. Bruce Poop Tip, the founder of G Adventures, will also take on the title of chairman, G Travel Community. Jeff Russill, currently chief operating officer for G Adventures, will become the chief executive officer of GTC, overseeing the G Adventures, TruTravels and G Touring brands. Ben Perlo, currently managing director for G Adventures in the United States, will take on the mantle of president and chief executive officer for the G Adventures brand, in addition to his current role in the short-term. Perlo will remain based in Boston, United States.

Bruce Poon Tip, the chairman of GTC and founder of G Adventures, says the timing is perfect to announce the new community-centric business model. “G Adventures formed an investment partnership with Certares one year ago, with the goal of implementing an acquisition strategy for the business. The pandemic lasted much longer than we thought it would, which gave us the time to build an even more solid structure and foundation to deliver on our long term multi-brand strategy, and to place a laser focus on the importance of cementing a sense of community throughout our organisation.

“The formation of GTC – the travel community – signifies that this sense of community is truly at the heart of our entire business – from the naming of our holding company all the way through to our community tourism projects on the ground. We are the pioneers of community tourism, so it’s exciting to see this be fully embraced internally as well as externally.

“Everything we do is about having a greater impact. For 32 years G Adventures has had a positive impact on both our travellers and the communities we visit, but our goal is always to have a far bigger impact in the wider world of tourism. “With the formation of GTC we are finally creating that community – a stable of travel brands that can really drive change to a wider demographic of people who love to travel, but at the same time want to change the world.” says Poon Tip. The GTC holding company is now fully operational, with all leadership changes taking effect immediately.

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G Adventures Connects Travelers to Local Communities on a Deeper Level

Our tour operators that give back series looks at a company that ensures travelers’ dollars benefit the communities they visit..

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G Adventures offers trips in dozens of countries, including Vietnam.

Courtesy of G Adventures

It’s often the people we meet on our travels who create the memories and experiences that change our lives. G Adventures is committed to making travel a force for good—with all of the social, environmental, and ethical good it creates, fueling tourism that has a positive impact not only for the communities in which it operates but also for everyone along the way. And the company hopes that influences the way we all think about travel.

Founded in 1990, G Adventures hosts 200,000 travelers per year on tours that average 10–12 people. It offers more than 750 small-group excursions across all seven continents—covering wellness, hiking, and cycling, rail, sail and river tours, family adventures, and trips for 18-to-30somethings.

What’s so exceptional about trips with G Adventures? Its tours, built through meaningful relationships with local communities, directly benefit the people and places on the itinerary. But the communities they impact extend far beyond the tour destinations, to G Adventures’ employees, supplier and agent partners, small business owners, customers, social followers, and travelers. It’s a ripple effect that keeps the company notable for the community tourism it pioneered 31 years ago.

During the pause in travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, G Adventures worked to maintain a responsible travel commitment, supporting local people impacted by the halt in tourism. Among other projects, the company launched funds to donate more than $122,000 for essential needs in local communities.

A positive ripple effect

After a transformational backpacking trip to Asia, founder and CEO Bruce Poon Tip was inspired to change the face of travel. He wanted to find a better way to see the world, expanding beyond either backpacking or large tour groups, and create an authentic and sustainable travel experience. In 1990, he founded G Adventures, long before the term “sustainable” was used widely in the travel industry.

“We operated at a grassroots level and became more aware of how we needed to work with local communities to allow our customers to have more authentic experiences,” he says. “We were suddenly making decisions based on issues of culture: cultural interaction, cultural immersion, and cultural heritage.”

The very first trips were to Ecuador and Belize because Poon Tip wanted to “bring people to places where others weren’t going.” On one of his first trips in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Poon Tip met a man named Delfin who couldn’t understand why people would want to visit his community. Poon Tip convinced him to share his way of life with travelers and open his home for homestays, and Delfin–who became the company’s first community tourism partner–is still affiliated with the organization today.

“A few years later, we started our first foundation work in 1995 by partnering with Conservation International to look at how extreme poverty intersected with tourism and how we could be a catalyst for change by developing community projects,” says Poon Tip. It was through this partnership that G Adventures became the first international tour company to run trips to Chalalán Lodge in Bolivia’s Madidi National Park.

On those early excursions, G Adventures travelers and tour leaders played a pivotal role in helping community members learn through on-the-job experience how to run a successful ecolodge. Today, it’s an example of successful ecotourism in the country.

That was only the beginning for G Adventures. Poon Tip believed that travel could be a force for social good and wealth distribution, and in 2003, he founded the company’s nonprofit partner, the Planeterra Foundation. In 2018, he was honored by AFAR as a Travel Vanguard, the first tour operator to be distinguished in this manner.

To measure the real-world impact of travel on the local communities in their itineraries, G Adventures began applying a Ripple Score to its tours—an evaluation that lets people see the money spent by the company on all the services it takes to run each tour, measuring the power of the tourism supply chain to channel travelers’ dollars into underserved communities around the world. The higher the score, the more money that’s staying in the local community. In 2021, the company’s average Ripple Score across all trips is 93, meaning that 93 percent of the money spent in the destination goes to local businesses and services.

“Developing the Ripple Score with Planeterra and Sustainable Travel International [an organization focused on protecting and conserving the most vulnerable destinations by transforming tourism’s impact] was a five-year labor of love,” says Poon Tip. “We needed to see how we could engage all our suppliers and change the behavior of the company by finding a way to measure the local impact of how our dollars are spent. It’s expanded the spectrum of how people purchase travel—not just based on price point or dates, but real, community impact.”

G Adventures trips have a “ripple score,” allowing guests to see how much money stays with the host communities.

How G Adventures gives back

Since its earliest days, the company’s vision for traveling responsibly has meant giving back as much as possible. The company always aims to employ local staff to guide tours and local businesses to host, transport, and provide activities for travelers.

Planeterra turns travel into impact by providing community tourism enterprises (from women-owned handicraft cooperatives to nonprofits that train women in tourism) with access to online training tools to break down barriers to engage underserved communities in meaningful ways. The organization has created an online community that provides a place for community tourism all around the world to connect and share stories and experiences.

The G Values Fund also provides low-interest loans for G Adventures tour leaders called CEOs: chief experience officers. This allows them to kick-start their own businesses that will not only help the community where they live but also add an experience into one or more G Adventures tours. For example, Hanoi Food Culture is a restaurant that hires and trains underprivileged youth from the area who then run the restaurant that serves traditional Vietnamese food. G Adventures travelers visit the restaurant on several tours and learn about the origin of the restaurant, which in turn helps support the business and the cause.

G Adventures is also committed to improving the sustainability of its own operations. It launched the Plastics Partnership Project in 2018 to eliminate as much single-use plastic on its tours as possible, encouraging travelers to bring refillable bottles, working with accommodation partners to provide safe drinking water for those bottles, and developing other tools and resources to help reduce plastic throughout its operations.

In 2016, G Adventures partnered with nonprofit Friends-International to develop the Global Good Practice Guidelines on child welfare in the travel industry, outlining how businesses can operate in ways that protect children. That same year, another partnership with the International Institute of Tourism Studies at George Washington University resulted in a set of guidelines on responsible travel with Indigenous communities to ensure tourism supports and respects the rights, history, and culture of Indigenous people.

Among the groups that worked to contribute to the guidelines was the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance (WINTA). “WINTA and its network seek to influence the tourism industry to act with simple human decency and ecological conscience in all its dealings around the globe,” says Ben Sherman, chairman, World Indigenous Tourism Alliance. “Indigenous people seek to create tourism businesses in partnerships with members of the tourism industry that honor humankind’s obligation and sacred duty to the Earth.” The desire to model responsible action has also resulted in an animal welfare policy that puts the needs of animals first and ensures that all animals featured on G Adventures’ tours are treated humanely.

“Part of our model is about making it possible to bring as many people along into the story,” says Poon Tip. “One of the wonderful things that people take away from travel is the appreciation for how other people live, and our collective place in the universe. How can we change how people think about travel, realize the privilege they have to travel, and how travel can be a force for good?

“The real change happens when consumers are changed, themselves, and see that they have the tools to be better travelers.”

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North America

Central america & caribbean, south america, north africa & middle east.

Few travellers make it to this icy continent, but the lucky ones who do get to explore a frozen Eden ruled by the elements and teeming with wildlife.

G Adventures Land

G adventures sailing & cruises, g adventures private travel.

Whether it’s a family retreat or a girls trip, you can surround yourself with a hand-picked crew and customize a tour that fits you all perfectly.

The Geluxe Collection

Our new line of premium active adventures is officially here. With perfectly paced itineraries, one-of-a-kind accommodations and elevated dining, this is adventure at its finest.

National Geographic Journeys

Go deeper into the cultures and habitats of the places we explore. More is included and you’ll enjoy greater hands-on exploration, interactions with local experts, and freedom to roam.

National Geographic Family Journeys

Are you an adventure-loving family in search of meaningful ways to discover the world together? These tours are specially designed for travellers seven and up and their inquisitive families.

Jane Goodall Collection

Step deeper into the animal kingdom while respecting all of its inhabitants. Our incredible collection of wildlife-focused tours is endorsed by the world-renowned ethologist.

Roamies by Hostelworld

The thrill of adventure. The awesomeness of hostels. Get ‘em both on these immersive small group trips for 18 to 35-year-old travellers.

Why choose us

As the leader in small group travel for 30 years, we know how to do it right: flexible itineraries, freedom to roam, safety, peace of mind, and locally based guides.

Change the world just by having the time of your life. When you travel with us, you become a force for good by acting responsibly and creating positive impact.

Together with our non-profit partner, Planeterra, we ensure local communities touched by our tours benefit from our visits in as many ways possible.

Trees for Days

Leave your destination even greener than you found it! For every day on tour, we’ll plant a tree in your honour and ensure that our forests get to live their best lives.

Travel resources

Last minute deals.

Looking to have the time of your life in the next 90 days or so? You can save big if you’re ready to book now.

Loyalty discount

Back home from a G Adventures tour? Submit a quick trip evaluation to save 5% on your next tour with us.

Student discount

Got proof that you’re pursuing higher learning? Then we’ve got a travel voucher with your name on it.

All travel deals

New ways to save pop up all the time. Here’s where you’ll find every hot deal in one easy place.

Responsible Travel

Change the world just by having the time of your life..

We have always believed in the life-changing power of travel, but for that power to exist we need to travel the right way. Since the very beginning, G Adventures’ vision for travelling responsibly has meant giving back as much — if not more — than what you take away. Yes, travel should be incredibly fun (have you been on one of our tours?), but we also believe travel needs to be a force for good. For you, for local communities around the world, and for the world itself — we call it “community tourism.” See how we do it below.

A lot of companies use “sustainability” or “sustainable travel” to talk about exploring the world in a better way, but we’ve never been ones to follow in others’ footsteps or borrow out-dated ideas. Our commitment to making travel a force for good is different — so we call it G for Good. It stands for all of the social, environmental, and ethical good we create as a business which helps to fuel community tourism . Which is… you ask? It means our tours are built on meaningful relationships with local communities and directly benefit the people and places we visit. Today, our definition of community tourism means that the communities we positively impact ripples far beyond these destinations, to include our employees, supplier and agent partners, small business owners, customers, social followers, and travellers like you. G for Good is what makes us, us. With your help, we can make travel the force for good we’ve known it can be since our company was established over three decades ago.

Acting Responsibly

Our efforts to protect and conserve our world fall under two approaches. The first, Acting Responsibly, is our commitment to improve the sustainability of our own operations. You can’t create change without taking action — so that’s what we’ve done. If you want to make sure your next trip follows these guidelines, all you have to do is travel with us!

Animal Welfare

G Adventures recognizes the importance of animal welfare. That’s why we have worked with experts from World Animal Protection, The Jane Goodall Institute and The World Cetacean Alliance to draw up a robust policy, which builds on the ABTA Global Welfare Guidelines for Animals in Tourism and puts the needs of animals first. We want to ensure that all animals featured on our tours are treated humanely.

Child Welfare

It is critical that no child is ever harmed as a result of tourism. Travellers have the power and responsibility to make a true impact in the communities they visit, and that’s why we actively work to ensure child welfare is protected in the places we operate. We were also the first global travel company to achieve Friend’s International ChildSafe certification.

Climate Action

With all the good global travel does for local communities, it’s an unfortunate truth that the industry produces environmentally harmful carbon dioxide. That’s why we signed the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism and got to work on halving our carbon footprint by 2030. Want to know exactly how we and our travellers are going about it? Read on to review our full Climate-Biodiversity Action Plan.

Respecting local cultures

Connecting curious travellers with Indigenous communities is an essential part of our identity at G Adventures. We are committed to respecting the rights, history, and culture of Indigenous people while ensuring that tourism supports their well-being.

Plastics Partnership Project

Plastic pollution is a huge global problem. G Adventures is working with our partners to eliminate as much single-use plastic on our tours as possible.

Traveller Conduct Policy

We believe travel should be a respectful, safe, and enjoyable experience for everyone. We’re a community of diverse individuals united by a profound respect for, and enthusiastic belief in, our values and each other. That’s why we designed a set of guidelines to help establish a sense of safety, security, and happiness for all on any of our tours. This includes our staff members, partner suppliers, and the local people and cultures in the destinations we visit.

Creating Positive Impact

Creating Positive Impact is our second approach to responsible travel. These initiatives focus on leaving the right impact in the places you visit with us.

Established in 2003, Planeterra is our non-profit partner dedicated to ensuring communities touched by tourism benefit from the opportunities it provides. They help empower local people to develop their communities, conserve their cultures, and create humane and supportive systems for their endeavours.

Planeterra Projects

Our mission has always been a simple one — to help people thrive through solutions, not handouts. We do this by providing the resources and opportunities for local people in the areas we serve to develop and strengthen their communities with projects supported by Planeterra. Then, our network of travellers provide these communities with the long-term income to make these solutions sustainable.

Ripple Score

You deserve to see exactly what we mean when we say we’re changing lives through travel. Our Ripple Score does just that. On a scale of one to 100, this score shows you how much of your money spent in destination goes towards using local services on your tour. The higher the score, the more money that is staying in the local community. Look for it on your trip itinerary.

G Values Fund

Our CEOs are the best tour leaders the world has to offer. The G Values Fund helps them further provide amazing experiences to our travellers with low interest loans that bring their travel business ideas to life.

Grow one tree for every travel day

Help us spread love around the world — with Trees for Days! Thanks to a new initiative with Planeterra, we’ll grow a tree in your name for each day of your trip.

LGBTQ+ inclusivity at G Adventures

Our team around the world deeply values diversity, inclusivity, and the power of community. Every traveller deserves to feel valued and to be their authentic selves on their journey with us. See all of the ways we wholeheartedly embrace and support the LGBTQ+ community on tour, in our culture, and around the world.

Additional Responsible Travel Commitments

Here are more ways you can see our commitment to spreading G for Good around the world.

Our Modern Slavery Statement

G Adventures is committed to understanding all potential modern slavery risks related to our business and to putting steps into place to ensure there is no slavery or human trafficking in our operations.

CEO Wellbeing Fund

At every step of every tour, our CEOs are there for us. The CEO Wellbeing Fund is our commitment to ensuring they’re supported, too.