G Adventures’ Brian Young 'shocked' by Globes Unsung Hero honour

More: Globe Travel Awards winners thank agents for support

 

Seabourn UK chief hails team after Globes accolade

 

Ocean Florida wins Travel for All award at Globes for third consecutive year

 

G Adventures’ UK managing director Brian Young has been honoured for his charity fundraising efforts, winning the Unsung Hero Award at Travel Weekly’s Globe Travel Awards 2026.

 

The award recognises Young’s role in spearheading a series of annual fundraising treks to raise money for the non-profit foundation Planeterra and industry charity Abta Lifeline.

 

He has led groups drawn from across the travel industry on hikes up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mount Toubkal in Morocco, to the ‘lost city’ in Colombia and along the Choquequirao Trail in Peru, raising almost £150,000 for the two charities.

 

Judges recognised the “compassion, vision and commitment” in Young’s efforts and his “unwavering belief in travel’s power to change lives”.

 

James Howlett, UK and EMEA sales director for Hurtigruten, which sponsored the award, also acknowledged the “ripple effect” in encouraging other companies to lead their own charity initiatives raising tens of thousands more for good causes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Travel Weekly (@travelweeklyuk)

 

 

 

Young said: “I only put it together [that I’d won] right at the end. We’ve done four treks now so when they talked about community and bringing people from the travel industry together, it started to click. I’m really shocked.

“This award is about everybody who has participated in our G for Good treks. It’s for all the effort people have put in to raising that money. This goes to them as a thank you for supporting us.

“It’s important to me because I believe in what we do. I believe in the power travel has to change people’s lives.

“I’ve been in the travel industry my whole life and this is my way of giving back to the industry through Abta Lifeline, to help people when they need it the most.”

 

Young said the next G for Good charity trek would be the biggest yet, bringing 50 people from across the industry to hike Spain’s Camino de Santiago trail in April.

 

More: Globe Travel Awards winners thank agents for support

 

Seabourn UK chief hails team after Globes accolade

 

Ocean Florida wins Travel for All award at Globes for third consecutive year