Brian Young, managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, told TTG how innovation is in the small group specialist’s “DNA” adding that the last financial year had been “our biggest-ever product development year”.
With more than 300 trips launched in the last 12 months, G Adventures now operates more than 1,000 tours.
It has introduced Moldova, Pakistan and Panama and two new “styles” – or products – brought back “old favourites” such as Sri Lanka, Philippines and West Africa and launched nine new trips to Canada.
Young said: “This is G Adventures, we never settle. We will continue to innovate. It’s in our DNA to be this way.
“Our Financial Year 2024/25 was a year of record highs, mass innovation and meaningful growth. And the adventure doesn’t stop there. To celebrate 35 years of changing lives through travel, we have some big tricks up our sleeves.”
Young reported G Adventures had “smashed” its sales targets “repeatedly” with 20% overall growth, ending the year with a 40% bookings growth in July.
He added: “We understand our customer needs. We’re sometimes building product that our customers don’t even know they need. What is fuelling that growth for us is the new trips that have come in but what we’ve also been good at is reengineering.”
On destinations, which have been reintroduced like Sri Lanka, Young explained how G Adventures had gone “deeper” into the countries and tried to take customers “off the tourist trail”.
Young added: “It’s that fuel of innovation that helps grow our business at the pace that we do.”
Asked how G Adventures prices its products – both new and existing – Young confirmed the company “constantly” monitors demand for trips.
“We price it to what we think is right for the market and our customers,” he continued. “Because we also sell to customers and travel agents, we offer price parity so we never undercut our travel agents.”
To maintain regional agency support, G Adventures has recruited two global purpose specialists – Joe Swatland and Anthony McIntyre.
Swatland supports travel agents across the Midlands and is the first trade team appointment to support travel sellers in the region since 2019, while McIntyre is helping agents in the north west of the UK and surrounding areas.
In addition, Nick Hughes, former Princess Cruises and Scenic and Scenic Group’s sales chief, joined G Adventures as UK growth director in April.
Young said: We’ve got four on the road and then we’ve got Stu Darnley, our national sales manager, and we’ve got Nick, who has only been here for four months.”
Young highlighted how Hughes has a deep understanding of the travel industry and therefore has primarily had to grasp what G Adventures stands for.
“Nick has settled in very quickly and is making a big impact in terms of the sales team focus and how we support travel agent partners,” he said.
“He will have changed some of the processes and how we operate looking at things on the ground.
“You would expect that from someone who has come in with a fresh set of eyes. We have the intention to keep growing and that is a key part of his job as our growth director.”
