Speaking at TTG’s Tomorrow’s Travel Leaders Conference in London yesterday, he urged the delegates: “Do not mistake us for a non-profit. We drive profitability just like any other company.”

The United Nations Environment Programme estimates that for every $100 spent by tourists in developing countries, only $5 stays in the local economy. However, Poon Tip claimed that G Adventures’ contributions averaged more like $50 to local economies: “We’re in the process of developing local scores – but [our input] ranges between 40-60% in the local economy.

He gave a number of examples of ‘social enterprise’ within the company, such as funding a women’s weaving cooperative that is visited by G Adventures customers on tours incorporating Peru’s Inca Trail.

He said that G Adventures was the biggest tour operator on the route, with 32% of the global market share for Inca Trail permits. “With the weaving co-op, we tackled a social issue, applied a business solution and created differentiation for our brand in a saturated market.”