Bruce Poon Tip hailed the vital role of travel agents while outlining his view that community tourism can change the world for the better.
The G Adventures founder spoke to Travel Weekly in Peru during GX, the operator’s first World Community Tourism Summit, organised in partnership with its non-profit organisation Planeterra.
He described G Adventures’ relationship with the trade as “critical”, adding: “We are very grateful for the support of UK agents.”
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A total of 13 UK trade guests visited Peru for the summit, which took place in Cusco on World Tourism Day on September 27.
Prior to the event, delegates were invited to see the social enterprise projects supported by Planeterra.
At the Ccaccaccollo Women’s Weaving Co-operative in the Sacred Valley, Poon Tip described himself as “a bit emotional” about the progress made over the years, including changes since his last visit in 2018.
He said: “[The co-operative is] a great mix of everything we’ve been saying for years about poverty alleviation and how tourism can be the greatest means of wealth distribution the world has ever seen.”
Poon Tip said G Adventures would continue its policy of “aggressive growth” as it pushes the idea that the travel industry should embrace its potential as a “transformational” sector.
“Imagine if we get to a place where going on holiday is your form of giving back to the world,” said Poon Tip.
He added: “The first thing I would say to UK travel agents is they are the most important part of a product that is very high-touch and a little bit more complex than selling capacity.
“We need travel agents to tell our story – you are the voice and the face of our brand when a customer walks into your agency, so that is a critical relationship for us.”
Brian Young, G Adventures managing director for the EMEA region, echoed Poon Tip’s message.
He said: “It’s important for travel agents to understand the difference between G Adventures and other tour operators that are just selling a trip or a destination. There’s so much more to what we do.
“You’re able to say you’re going to have an amazing holiday but, by doing that, the impact you’re going to have on the community and the local people is immense.”