This September, Peru will play host to the inaugural GX summit. Organizer G Adventures says it will be a travel convention unlike any the world has seen before. Agents, suppliers, media and travellers will gather from around the globe to experience firsthand the positive impact that community tourism can have on a destination.
The multi-day event will run from September 22-28. Each attending group will have its own dedicated itinerary, and the gathering will culminate with the first World Community Tourism Summit, to be hosted on World Tourism Day, September 27. The day's line-up of speakers and entertainment will soon be announced.
The event is presented by G in support of its non-profit partner, Planeterra, which will celebrate its 20thanniversary during GX. G Adventures will recognize its belated 30th anniversary, postponed three years by the pandemic.
Attendees of the 2019 Change Makers Summit in Peru. (photo via G Adventures) ((photo via G Adventures))GX will be invitation-only, but agents have a chance to attend as the 2023 Change Makers event -- revealed last month -- will be hosted as part of the summit. Sixty-five agents who have played a role in changing lives through travel will be brought together from different regions.
G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip says GX will be an event unlike any the travel industry has seen before -- a feel-good celebration with the potential to drive change and make a difference to the lives of local people through its concurrent fundraising efforts for Planeterra's 20th anniversary.
"We've thrown lots of great parties and events in our 33 years of operation, but this will be the biggest yet. With Planeterra's 20th and our 30th anniversaries, it needs to be something special and never-done before," Poon Tip says.
"Most importantly, I'm looking forward to recognizing 20 years of Planeterra and the great work that has been done, and to help raise money to continue the great work they are doing to change lives in the communities we visit.
"There's no better way to show our travel community first-hand how tourism has the power to drive positive change than through experience. We've been showcasing the beautiful concept of community tourism to our travellers for years, but wanted to open it up to the industry to experience as well. In true G Adventures style, we're continuing to innovate with GX which will be a ground-breaking event in travel -- it really will be the first of its kind," Poon Tip adds.
Change Makers is live now and runs until June 30, 2023. The campaign incentivizes agents to focus on changing people's lives through travel by booking G Adventures trips. Agents who successfully earn a place at Change Makers will see firsthand how their work directly impacts local communities in the destinations G Adventures takes its travellers to.
More details on GX and the World Community Tourism Day will be revealed in the coming weeks. For more information on GX, click here.
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