Sustainability in travel takes many forms, be it alternative fuels, food waste initiatives, carbon offsetting or water reuse, but G Adventures has been pioneering another key aspect for more than three decades.

Community tourism is a major part of the operator’s DNA, and your clients can be confident they are contributing to it as they enjoy their holiday. Every hotel, restaurant and excursion plays a part in the process, meaning a tangible way to give back to local communities that brings a feel-good factor to the trip.

It’s a great selling point given that according to Booking.com’s 2025 Sustainability Report, 93% of Britons wanted to holiday more sustainably, a jump from the 2016 figure of just 32%.

How G Adventures’ community tourism works

Put simply, community tourism means your clients know their holiday supports the people they meet and the places they visit; it’s sustainable travel at its most comprehensive, embracing social, environmental and ethical good. G Adventures works with Planeterra, a non-profit organisation seeking to ensure money from tourism goes where it should – to the local population.

(credit: G Adventures)

More than half of all tours have a Ripple Score; to evaluate this, G Adventures looks at what it spends in a destination and how much goes to a local business. The higher the score, the more money ripples into the local community. On average, more than 90% of money spent by G Adventures goes to local enterprise.

The effect extends further than just the immediate community, it goes beyond to suppliers, employees and agent partners.

Other initiatives mean your clients can feel good about their travels when booking with the operator. G Adventures worked with the Child Safe Movement to develop global guidelines on child welfare, while its animal welfare programme was instigated with the help of the Jane Goodall Institute, World Animal Protection and The World Cetacean Alliance.

Another selling point is G Adventures’ Trees For Days initiative, a global programme in which for every day a client is on holiday, a tree will be grown on their behalf in one of 23 reforestation projects.

It all adds up to a fulfilling experience; one that helps travellers change the way they see the world and return to their own communities with a new sense of connection.

(credit: G Adventures)

The GX Summit

Agents can learn more about all this at the 2026 GX Summit, the fourth such annual event, held in Cambodia between 23-28 September. It brings together 75 agents from around the world with industry partners, media, travellers and G Adventures staff to see how community tourism can change lives, communities and the world. 

The week-long event includes the World Community Tourism Summit but is also a deep dive into the destination and a real-life demonstration of the impactful initiatives G Adventures facilitates. The event ends with the now legendary G Adventures party night.

Win your place at the GX Summit

Agents from the UK and Ireland can secure their place in Cambodia by taking part in the Change Makers Challenge, a global initiative designed to reward those who champion community tourism. There are 15 places available for UK and Ireland agents to experience the impact of community tourism firsthand. 

The top 10 UK and Ireland agents who change the most lives through travel, by sending the highest number of clients on G Adventures tours, will earn their place as Change Makers.

Another five agents will be chosen from categories including first time bookers, those who complete G Learning training, or donating to Planeterra. 

The Challenge ends on 31 May; for more information, contact one of G Adventures’ Global Purpose Specialists.