After nearly a decade as managing director at G Adventures, Ben Perlo has been appointed president and chief executive officer of the company. It’s a promotion he’s more than ready to tackle, he says, and the timing could not be better.
Perlo has watched G Adventures’ U.S. product line grow dramatically over the years, and in the last 18 months, it’s also been the fastest market to see pre-pandemic levels of demand from G Adventures travelers. Other markets are revving up too, he says, especially since last August.
“The future is bright, and I’m very excited,” Perlo said. “It’s a very positive time to take more of a leadership role. I’ve been entrenched in the U.S. market, so now I’ll be digging my hands in to see how I can support our international business.”
It’s a very positive time to take more of a leadership role. I’ve been entrenched in the U.S. market, so now I’ll be digging my hands in to see how I can support our international business.
Perlo’s No. 1 goal to that end is hiring. Like so many companies in the travel industry, scaling back up as the pandemic waned has posed challenges. G is aggressively adding to teams across the company, Perlo says, as 2023 looks to be a successful year, and the brand anticipates even more demand in 2024.
How G Adventures Plans to Support Travel Advisors
Another part of his new role will be to continue to support travel advisor business. A good portion of G Adventures’ tours are sold by advisors, Perlo reports, and the brand aims to grow how they bolster the community, from training sessions to in-person meetings that teach about the product line.
We love the dynamic we have with advisors, and we feel very strongly that advisor business will continue to grow at a rapid rate.
“We love the dynamic we have with advisors, and we feel very strongly that advisor business will continue to grow at a rapid rate,” Perlo said. "We want them to know that we appreciate and support their community.”
Perlo says that G Adventures’ small-group adventure products stand out from the crowd by delivering a consistently immersive and authentic experience, no matter the destination a client chooses. Perhaps even more important is that the company’s mission to support local communities and cultures on the ground comes to life on all itineraries, from visiting a women’s weaving co-op in Peru to dining at a local taverna in a Grecian village.
“We are so intentional in what we do,” Perlo said. “We aim to help preserve these cultures, not erode them.”
Introducing the G Travel Community
Along with Perlo’s promotion comes the announcement of G Travel Community (GTC), a new holding company that brings brands acquired by G Adventures under one umbrella, including Travelsphere, Just You and TruTravels. Though each company has unique products and markets, GTC aims to unite them by infusing core values across the board, especially the goal of effecting positive change in the communities each brand travels to.
G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip is now acting chairman of G Travel Community.
Bruce will continue to be a vocal and present part of the company, and very public facing.
“Bruce will continue to be a vocal and present part of the company, and very public facing,” Perlo said. “He has always believed in the power of travel to do good, and we want to bring that ethos to these other brands. That was the goal pre-pandemic, and now we finally have the opportunity to walk that road.”
As the process gets moving, Perlo also hopes to connect with advisors about the brands now under GTC.
“Advisors may or may not know that we own other companies,” Perlo said. “Take Just You, for example, which focuses on solo passengers. We aim to integrate our social enterprises into these new-to-us brands, and we want travel advisors to know all about them.”
