G Adventures’ Bruce Poon Tip on Lessons Learned From the Pandemic and Advice for Travel Advisors (Sponsored Content)

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As a 22-year-old, after backpacking around the world, Bruce Poon Tip, founder of tour operator G Adventures and the current chairman of G Travel Community, basically invented a new type of travel product that emphasized more local experiences and interactions, and sought a deeper connection with destinations and the people who live there. Over the years, G Adventures has become a leader in this kind of travel all over the world. The company’s brands have won numerous awards — including several TravelAge West WAVE awards.

Tip himself has emerged as a strong voice for responsible travel, writing books, speaking around the world — including at the United Nations — and recently producing “The Last Tourist,” a feature film.

In this episode, Tip returns to Humans of Travel to talk about his view of the travel industry today. (He was previously on the podcast in April 2020 talking about his background and the early days of his company.) Now, Tip shares his take on how the COVID-19 pandemic changed the travel industry and what it taught him personally, as well as how he sees the state of responsible travel and community engagement today. Tip also discusses how he sees G Adventures evolving to continue to be a leader in the industry.

Throughout the episode, listeners will hear Tip share his insights on what travel advisors can do to improve their business and build better relationships with their customers. As one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the travel industry, Tip has very straightforward thoughts on how agents can achieve their goals. It’s a conversation with one of the true visionaries in travel, and you won’t want to miss it.

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This sponsored interview was conducted by Kenneth Shapiro, Vice President/Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of TravelAge West. This episode is sponsored by G Adventures.

Inside This Episode

1:50 – Tip talks about what he learned from the pandemic
3:45 – Tip shares some of the ways G Adventures helped its partners
6:00 – Tip’s views on how the pandemic is changing what people want when they travel
7:50 – Tip shares how G Adventures partners are doing now
10:30 – What should travel advisors be thinking about post-COVID
14:40 – Tip tells the story of how G Adventures become a leader in responsible travel
19:20 – Tip shares some of his favorite Planeterra programs
23:43 – Responsible travel is getting more mainstream, according to Tip
28:20 – How are advisors part of the responsible travel process
29:05 – Tip shares the backstory of making the film “The Last Tourist”
37:35 – How will Tip’s role change now that he is Chairman of the G Travel Community
44:00 – What can advisors learn from entrepreneurs
48:20  – Tip shares what it’s like to be sanctioned by Russia
52:00 – Tip answers some rapid-fire questions

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Humans of Travel, April 27, 2020: Bruce Poon Tip on Lessons From Getting Fired, Asian Representation and Founding G Adventures on Two Maxed-Out Credit Cards
G Adventures
Planeterra
“Looptail” By Bruce Poon Tip
“Unlearn, The Year the Earth Stood Still” By Bruce Poon Tip
“The Last Tourist” Film