GX community tourism summit wraps up in India with big announcements

Taking the stage on World Tourism Day during the GX summit in Jaipur, India, G Adventures’ founder Bruce Poon Tip talked about the power of community tourism and how the tour operator is committed to developing itineraries that give back to the people and the places their travellers visit.

“What if we got to a place in the world where you can go on holidays and change the world? And that could be your form of giving back. You’ve seen it here — it is really possible and that’s what GX was formed to show,” he said. “It was designed to show people that tourism can absolutely change the world. It can transform lives. The idea that you just decide ‘I want to go on holidays,’ that comes with great privilege, but also great responsibility. GX is just to show you that live.”

During GX, all participants were taken to a specially set up Planeterra Marketplace, where various enterprises and projects the nonprofit foundation supports across India came together in one location.

“India has been an amazing backdrop for what we do in community tourism,” he said. “I got to the marketplace before everyone arrived and got the chance to meet all the venders and just heard some amazing stories. I met a group of women from an eco-tourism lodge who had never been on a train before. I met another woman who had never left her village before and she told her husband he needs to watch the kids because she needs to go to this.”

Not only did the community tourism marketplace serve as a chance to learn more about various Planeterra projects like Sheroes, a cafe run by survivors of acid attacks, and The Pink City Rickshaw Co., a venture where women from low-income households get jobs driving designer e-rickshaws, but over US$6,000 was also raised in the process on the first day alone.

And the next GX will be held in…

To a round of applause from the crowd of nearly 420 who gathered for the World Community Tourism Summit organized for GX, Poon Tip announced that the third GX would be held in Jordan.

“Next year is extra special, we’re going to try to double the size of GX,” he said, sharing that it will mark the company’s 35th anniversary and due to the pandemic they were not able to properly ring in their 30th anniversary.

Along with the Jordan Tourism Board, Royal Jordanian and the United States Agency for International Development are also onboard as sponsors.

“USAID is coming in as a partner because of all the social enterprise work and the work we are doing around the world with Planeterra,” he noted.

Following India and Peru, Boon Tip said he wanted to hold GX in a destination that needed it and where they could show capacity building.

“I just want to reiterate to everyone that Jordan is safe. It’s a safe place to go. It’s an amazing country. It’s a great time for us to go to inspire people to travel there,” he shared.

“We’re in a noisy neighbourhood, unfortunately, but tourism can promote peace and we can do that together,” added Malia Asfour, managing director of the Jordan Tourism Board North America.

She also outlined how the destination is prioritizing community tourism.

“We’re very dedicated to the fact that we are pushing community tourism into the mainstream itineraries for everybody,” she said. “Tourism is a force for good in Jordan and we have a major commitment to making sure that every itinerary for every travel advisor or tour operator includes community tourism and we’re very excited to be partnering with G Adventures on this.”

Flying solo

Another big announcement was the launch of a new travel style called Solo-ish Adventures — travel for yourself, not by yourself. Solo-ish Adventures is launching with 25 trips in destinations including Guatemala/Belize, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Morocco, Turkey, Jordan, India, South Africa and Vietnam.

“We’re introducing this solo group travel style re-imagined, with community tourism at its core, exclusively for solo travellers with itineraries crafted for instant connection,” said Ben Perlo, CEO of G Adventures.

Instead of awkward icebreakers, the first three days of the trip will be packed with epic adventures and bonding experiences. The tours will have all female CEOs (Chief Experience Officers) to create more opportunities for women in travel, include free arrival transfers and discounted My Own Room bookings,  for travellers who want their own room VS bunking up.

Notably, Poon Tip told PressToday that solo travellers are not necessarily single.

“We realize there’s a whole spectrum of reasons why people want to travel alone,” he explained. “Our research was showing that a lot of people have partners who don’t like travelling but they want to travel in a group for security.”

Celebrating tourism

Along with meaningful interactions with community tourism partners and in-depth destination exploration and a day of panel discussions and interviews, GX wasn’t all work work and no play.

“There’s another side to GX — we also want to have fun — and nobody throws a party like G Adventures,” Poon Tip told PressToday.

A mysterious “surprise event” was on the schedule all week, leading to many speculations about what the event may be. Under the guise of a cricket match, white pants and kurtas were distributed to participants prior to departing for the mystery event held. While a cricket match was also part of the festivities, the main event wound up being a surprise Holi celebration, also known as the Festival of Colours. As the evening unfolded, it also turned into an epic pool party. 

“It’s the winning of good over evil. It’s a happy event, everybody is together, it just bonds the whole country together,” said Raghu Rathore, CEO of the media group. “It’s a big event in India so that’s why we included this for GX. When we talk about India people are always like I’ve heard of Holi. This is literally how we celebrate Holi, which comes on a day in March. It’s a great event and people will always remember it.”

The next night featured a memorable pink party at Jaigarh Fort featuring C+C Music Factory, the ‘90s dance act most well known for the hit Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now).

“There ain’t no party like a GX party,” said singer Freedom Williams to a sea of pink attendees dressed to match the pink city of Jaipur.

Notably, Poon Tip wound up joining the band as DJ, as the group’s regular DJ was unable to attend due to a visa mishap.

“Tonight is a celebration of tourism, a celebration of community,” he said.