Sustainable Travel with G Adventures

TRAVEL THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE

In its partnership with National Geographic, G Adventures creates opportunities for travelers to interact with cultures while impacting local communities. Read what the founder of G Adventures, Bruce Poon Tip, has to say about making a difference when you choose sustainable travel.

When was the moment you chose to focus on sustainable travel?

When we started in 1990, the phrase “sustainable travel” didn’t exist yet. But in order to offer authentic experiences, you have to engage communities. The real turning point was when we created our Planeterra Foundation and began working with non-governmental organizations.

Does every G Adventures tour involve a community aspect?

Our new initiative is called “50 in 5,” building 50 community development projects in the next five years. When those projects are done, nearly all of our programs will have an element of social enterprise.

Sustainable Travel with G Adventures & Just Cruises & Vacations

How does a social enterprise positively impact people and and their community?  

When you develop a social enterprise, a sustainable business that promotes economic growth for communities, it spins off micro-enterprises that also create jobs: for example, in our restaurant in Peru,we employ local agriculture suppliers, and a community project near Machu Picchu even supplies us with biodegradable soaps. The people who live in these communities celebrate you being there because they’re benefiting from it, and it enriches the whole travel experience.

How can the average traveler have a meaningful impact?

Get out and spend your money in a variety of places. Shop in different stores, eat in different restaurants and explore local areas. Never leave a country without having a meal with a local person.

See first-hand how your travel dollars are making a difference in communities around the world on a G Adventures journey.

Beyond Machu Picchu 

No visit to Peru is complete without marveling over Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley beyond. The awe elicited by these UNESCO World Heritage landmarks quickly gives way to even richer emotions when you meet locals skillfully spinning and weaving yarn at the Women’s Weaving Co-Op and dine on Peruvian farm-to-table fare at the Parwa Community Restaurant.

Making a Difference in Vietnam

Sustainable travel in Vietnam

Exploring the beauty of Vietnam from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City is highlighted by experiences like strolling through hill-tribe communities and seeing rice paddies by motorbike. In Hô.i An, you’ll take part in a cooking class at Oodles of Noodles, a culinary school dedicated to preparing disadvantaged youth for careers in hospitality.

The Heart of South Africa

Life-changing game drives bring you up-close to wildlife as you roam Kruger National Park escorted by a researcher from the National Geographic-supported Carnivore Conservation Programme. An even more meaningful experience
follows at the G Adventures-supported Hope Africa Children’s Day School, where Mnisi preschoolers are educated in a nurturing environment.

Get even more insight on how you can travel with G Adventures on our website, JustCruises.com.