G Adventures has introduced a series of live virtual tours hosted by local guides in a bid to keep travel agents and their customers engaged with the destinations it serves.
The operator’s new Virtual Travel Experiences include a series of small-group tours, where up to 16 people can join a Zoom call live with a G Adventures guide, known as a ‘CEO’, who will introduce them to five locations around their chosen country.
Participants will receive food and drink recommendations in advance so they can join in with food and wine pairings, and ask questions in real time.
Italian guide Stefano Paris was due to lead the first tour around Italy, starting at 5pm UK time on Tuesday, April 21, and including Venice, Tuscany and an Italian football match, which is scheduled to be followed by small-group tours of Guatemala, Argentina and Vietnam.
Stu Darnley, national sales manager at G Adventures, said: “The new live virtual tours are a great way for agents to learn more about a destination and the hidden gems that their travellers can uncover when travelling with one of our Chief Experience Officers.
“The small-group aspect recreates the community and interaction that travellers experience on our trips, where the group can interact and ask questions along the way.”
Along with the small-group adventures, the operator has also introduced virtual walking tours – a weekly series featuring Florence, Buenos Aires, Antigua in Guatemala, Cape Town and Hanoi – where guides will direct participants around a city using photos and Google Maps, while sharing stories and insider tips, along with a number of inspiring Zoom backgrounds featuring photos from each of the seven continents.
Those interested in joining the first small-group tour of Italy can sign up here and there is also the option to observe by watching the video call, but without interacting with the group.