As we move swiftly into September – when the seasons are supposed to change! – I have been thinking about the importance of cycles and evolution, and how adaptable we need to be as businesses as and when our external environment changes around us, be it technology, the temperature of the earth, or how to market ourselves in new ways.

As a business, G Adventures is constantly evolving, trying new things and changing and maturing as we grow. It’s this fierce start-up mentality and passion for innovation that has kept us fresh and forward-thinking for 33 years. Rest assured, we’re not getting stale or stagnant anytime soon! We know what travel agents expect from us, and we love to break barriers and bring new ideas into our industry.

Our entire team is currently pedal-to-the-metal organizing our first GX event in Peru – an experience like no other the travel industry has seen before. As a part of this event, we will host the inaugural World Community Tourism Summit, where we have an exciting lineup of speakers who will tackle topical issues facing tourism, and discuss the hugely positive impact community tourism can have on a destination. We won’t just be discussing community tourism, we will be seeing it firsthand in Peru.

We’re also moving into a new cycle of brochure drops for next year (please look out for these, coming your way early October!) and soon we’ll be making even more announcements of new trips, which I know your clients are going to love. We will be recapping the event following, so I will be sure to update you in my next column!

To tease you even further, we have a revolutionary new initiative in the pipeline that will be announced at GX on World Tourism Day, when the first World Community Tourism Summit will be held. Intrigued? Make sure you look out for the announcements coming out of the Summit on September 27.

I can’t wait to welcome our Change Makers agents from Canada who will hear the news first! I’m also looking forward to showing them firsthand the impact they have on local communities just by making a booking with G Adventures.

My question to you is: How are you evolving with the changing landscape in travel?

As travel agents, it’s your experience and knowledge, built up over many years, that customers know they can trust. Your recommendations matter, your clients are reading more and more about sustainability, they have more knowledge about why supporting local businesses matter, and there is a real opportunity for you to engage in those types of conversations.

Of course, your knowledge about the destination and the product is vital, but being able to look beyond this and think about how you can add value and make a real difference to people’s lives is equally important.

It’s why I always recommend that travel agents travel with us. Put us to the test and see why our local chief experience officers are the best in the world at showcasing their home countries. It’s why the customer experience in the hotels we stay in is personal and memorable – because we support local communities.

It’s no secret that we deliver life changing experiences – you tell us all the time how much of an impact we made on your travellers.

Another change I hope you are seeing is that travellers are looking for more immersive experiences. They don’t want to be in large groups at the back of a line, they want to be in smaller groups, having more one-on-one connections, and getting up close and personal with what’s going on around them.

Are your travellers also talking to you about how expensive airfare has become? This is a great opportunity to talk about the benefits of traveling in a small group. You can highlight the daily cost of a trip, and when you break it down you can see how much more value for money your clients will get when they travel with G Adventures!

So let’s continue to evolve and grow together, adapt to the changing landscapes around us, and work together to keep changing people’s lives through travel.

#ProudToBeG

DG

G Adventures’ Managing Director David Green’s monthly column, ‘G in 3’ is a 3-minute read running exclusively in Travelweek Daily all through 2023