Everybody gains when we come together to give back

When I had the idea to climb Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain, back in 2019, I expected a challenge - but not one as transformative as this.

 

It was our first G Trek for Good, an initiative I started to help raise money for G Adventures’ non-profit partner, Planeterra.

 

I asked 10 people from the industry to join me, and despite the magnitude of the task, they agreed, because this was a once-in-a-lifetime hike, for so many reasons. 

 

The trekking group included Travel Weekly’s very own Lucy Huxley, and together with our hiking companions we raised over £53,000 for 30 enterprises and communities across the globe, plus Abta LifeLine.

 

I believe that tourism has the power to have a profoundly positive impact on the world. It’s the catalyst that can improve livelihoods, protect natural environments and allow us to celebrate different cultures.

 

Holding that belief as an individual can have a huge impact, but when a group of people in the industry come together with that shared belief, the result can be life-changing.

 

We have a lot to gain from travelling. It allows us to have meaningful experiences in new places, to reconnect with our loved ones or ourselves, to destress, be active, eat well, sleep well (unless you have the bad luck of sleeping next to me on a G for Good Trek…).

 

And professionally it’s an industry that we all love working in - there’s a lot to be said for being truly passionate about your 9 to 5.

 

But with so much to gain, I believe that it’s equally important that we give back. By taking on these challenges, we create meaningful connections, empower communities and give ourselves the chance to expand our horizons and learn from people who do things differently.

 

And if we can raise huge amounts of money to support communities across the globe as well as colleagues closer to home, that’s even better.

 

That’s why we decided, even in the hardest moments of that first Kilimanjaro hike, that G Trek for Good was here to stay.

 

Since then we’ve been joined by dozens of people from across the industry to take on similarly challenging but solidarity-building hikes. Pulling off these challenges is truly a team effort.

 

In fact, some of my G Adventures team, like our National Sales Manager, Stu Darnley, has joined me on every single trek whilst there’s always a group working hard behind the scenes to ensure everything runs smoothly and that we maximise our fundraising efforts.

 

A hike to Mt Toubkal raised £33,000, part of the money going towards supporting an Indigenous San Community in Botswana restoring a community-run campsite to host travellers.

 

Last year, we were joined by 20 industry leaders to hike to the Lost City in Colombia, with us raising £32,000 for Planeterra and Abta LifeLife, with funds going to Damartes, an association that’s dedicated to empowering women and fostering entrepreneurship through tourism, and Katanzama Community, an Arhuaco indigenous community in the Sierra Nevada region, who are now inviting visitors to learn about their customs and beliefs on guided tours of their homes. 

 

We’ve raised over £115,000 so far through this initiative, enabling us to positively impact 7,500 lives.

 

This incredible achievement has had a significant positive impact on communities worldwide and has also supported our industry colleagues in their time of need through Abta LifeLine.

 

And as you read this, myself and 20 industry leaders will be making our way to Choquequirao in Peru, a remote Incan city that translates as “cradle of gold”.

 

The difficult terrain means the off-the-beaten-track ruins see far fewer visitors than Machu Picchu. 

 

G Trek for Good is one of several industry initiatives that brings the sector together to be an even more powerful force for good.

 

It’s inspirational stuff: so many people who join us say they have challenged themselves to do something they never would have had the confidence to do before. 

 

It’s nerve-wracking to push ourselves out of our comfort zone, but fulfilling to return home with blistered feet, educated and inspired to do more.

 

It does a huge amount to raise awareness of the benefits of community tourism, and helps to provide much-needed resources for communities worldwide. 

 

Most importantly, though, it creates deeper connections with the world and with each other. Taking on these treks together levels us, exposes us at our most vulnerable and shows us what we are capable of.

 

Over the past few years, hiking for hours and days on end has confirmed what I’ve always known to be true: when we come together, connected by our love for travel, we can achieve incredible things.

 

Initiatives like these are unifying. And at a time when the world feels particularly fractured, that’s more important than ever.

 

If you would like to support this year’s G Trek for Good, you can donate here.