Top-selling Australian and New Zealand travel advisors got a first-hand look at how G Adventures’ inspiring community tourism is changing the way travellers experience Cambodia during the group’s annual GX event in the Kingdom of Wonder.
For Flight Centre Hobart team leader, Luke Osborne, GX Cambodia marked his second trip to the South East Asian destination, and almost exactly a decade since his first trip with the community tourism pioneer.
Also returning for a second time was Hannah Brearley, Senior Travel Advisor at Linton Travel in Melbourne.
Both advisors arrived with considerable experience selling G Adventures, but said the focus on community tourism gave them an entirely new perspective on the destination.
“The community focus has been a lot stronger in this trip, which has been amazing,” Brearley said. “Having a less touristy and more localised experience has been wicked.”
The pair were among the 13 top-selling Australian and New Zealand advisors who earned their spot on G Adventures’ fourth annual GX Summit, which brought the company’s global community together in Cambodia from 23 to 28 September. Previous GX destinations have included Peru, Jordan and India.
Advisors travelled as part of the Change Maker track, experiencing local projects, cultural sites and community-led tourism initiatives stretching from Cambodia’s bustling capital, Phnom Penh, to the temples of Siem Reap.
A warm welcome
The itinerary began in Phnom Penh with a Temple Fair welcome at Wat Phnom offering advisors an introduction to Planeterra Partners including Villageworks, a social enterprise empowering local artisans, marginalised communities and people with disabilities through fair trade practices, sustainable craftsmanship and meaningful employment.
Other Planeterra Partners included Epic Arts, an inclusive arts organisation creating opportunities for people living with disabilities, and Friends the Restaurant, which offers former street kids and marginalised youth opportunities to develop their hospitality skills through practical experience.
Resilience and real impact
Day two saw the group visit the Royal Palace and S-21 Genocide Museum, which served simultaneously as an important reminder of Cambodia’s tragic recent history and a beacon of the Khmer people’s fierce resilience.
Advisors also took a river cruise to Silk Island, a newly integrated Planeterra partner where silk weaving sustains the local community and keeps traditional practices alive.
The business employs over 300 women, including weavers based at the centre and artisans working from their homes. Silk products made on the island can only be purchased on site, ensuring the benefits of tourism stay within the local community.
“I feel privileged being part of the first group to experience the silk village – truly an honour to see such a small island being a part of change for the better, impacting communities in such a positive way,” Flight Centre Wynnum advisor Billy Godfrey said.
For Brearley, the difference between her two Cambodia trips was striking.
“The first time I came wasn’t with G Adventures and I didn’t realise how much we didn’t have those experiences,” she said. “This time I’ve seen how proud the Cambodians are to be Cambodian and to show us their country.”
Spreading the benefits of tourism beyond the hotspots
The group continued to Siem Reap via Sambor Prei Kuk, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed archaeological site predating Angkor by more than 100 years.
The community living around Sambor Prei Kuk offers guided temple visits, cycling tours, village experiences, cooking showcases, craft demonstrations and homestays, relying largely on visitors for income.
In Siem Reap, advisors rose early to catch sunrise over Angkor Wat before lunch at SPOONS Café and Restaurant, part of an organisation empowering underprivileged Khmer youth through education, training and employment opportunities.
The program also took advisors to Tonlé Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, to visit its floating villages and offer another glimpse into the communities and experiences that lie beyond Cambodia’s most popular attractions.
Selling conscious travel
Osborne said the experiences reinforced his belief that travel advisors had a role to play in explaining the value of conscious travel to clients.
“I try to talk to my clients about community tourism all the time,” he said. “I have clients who love it, some that couldn’t care less, some that actively say they don’t want it, but I think we have a responsibility to at least try.
“You support the community, and it supports jobs and local families.”
For Brearley, the trip changed how she planned to position Cambodia with clients. “In the past, I’ve always sold it as an add on.”
She said that her GX experience highlighted the country’s potential as a standalone destination for travellers looking beyond the more established hotspots of Southeast Asia.
“Clients are sick of going to Bali and to Thailand. They want to be told that Cambodia is safe. It’s amazing, the people are lovely,” Brearley said. “It’s more than just Angkor Wat and the Killing Fields.”
The GX program culminated in World Community Tourism Day on September 27, bringing attendees together for a day of speakers and announcements before the closing celebration at Bayon Temple.
For the Change Makers, however, the value of GX extended beyond the five-day itinerary, offering a glimpse into the power travel has when led by local people, and a direct look at the positive impact their everyday sales can make.
“In Australia and New Zealand we are such huge travellers,” Brearley said. “I’ve always been aware about how much travel can negatively impact environment and communities and the world. When you have that positive note of helping out communities, it kind of balances it out.”
“It’s making sure that you’re using those companies and going to places that really benefit from it,” she said.
