Record company growth, award wins, the GX summit in India (which Travel Weekly attended), its biggest product launches in history, three million trees grown and sending more than 75 agents to see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour were all part of a huge 35th anniversary year for Bruce Poon Tip’s G Adventures.
“There’s a lot to be grateful for,” he said in his end of year message. Apart from the achievements above Poon Tip said G Adventures continued to do what it does best “deliver transformative experiences to our travellers around the world, while helping to change the lives of local people in the destinations we visit”.
The business closed the year with double digit growth once again, including a strong past quarter, including the best Cyber Sale period ever, which saw a 42 per cent increase in global sales.
“Hats off to our team in Australia, our second fastest growing region globally, who saw an impressive 44 per cent growth in Cyber Sales compared to 2023,” he said.
Back in 2021, as it navigated its way out of the pandemic, G Adventures closed a capital investment from Certares to position it for accelerated growth.
“We developed an aggressive recovery strategy, which included hefty investments in our technology infrastructure. I’m excited to report that this work, combined with strong business performance over the past 12 months, which saw us over perform and hit 2027 targets, has allowed us to come to a buy-out agreement with Certares,” he said.
In 2025 it is well on its way to becoming a billion US dollar company.
“It’s a very exciting time at G Adventures, with a number of innovative new projects ready to roll in the coming months – watch this space,” he said.
“People often ask me what makes G Adventures so special. Our recent GX Summit in India, sums it up perfectly. It’s about community. It’s about changing lives. It’s about always looking at how we can do things differently and continuing to be more than just a travel company. And, it’s about having a hell of a good time as we do it.
“This year, over 500 members of our community, including travellers, agents,suppliers, media and staff, came together in India to celebrate the power of tourism when done right. We saw some big names step up on stage, including Lonely Planet founder, Tony Wheeler and Shivya Nath, founder of Climate Conscious Travel.
“We visited the local communities we work with, including the inspirational women at Sheroes Hangout and the wonderful youths who run the Salaam Baalak Street tours in Delhi, a project that’s close to my heart as I’ve seen the impact of the project has had during our 15 year partnership as they work to tackle homelessness in India.”
There was also the epic once-in-a-lifetime Pink Party at Jaipur’s Pink City.
“There are still people at G Adventures trying to get the pink paint out of their hair. Planning for GX Jordan in 2025 is already underway, and it’s going to be bigger and better than ever.”
G Adventures also launched two new travel styles in response to consumer demand, Geluxe Collection and Solo-ish Adventures.
Geluxe offers upgraded active adventures, married with one-of-a-kind accommodations and community experiences, shot up the ranks, earning its spot as our fastest growing travel style. Solo-ish Adventures is its first venture into solo-only trips, combined with Just You, part of sister company, G Touring.
In 2025, it will have over 200 new trips – the biggest product launch in G Adventures’ history – with a 50 per cent increase in departures next year.
“We’ll be taking travellers to new destinations, including Pakistan and the Balkans as well as lesser-visited regions of destinations including Japan and South Africa, while helping to bring the power of tourism to local communities who have been unable to benefit previously,” Poon Tip said.
Feature image: Bruce Poon Tip with Kajal, 22, a former-street kid.
