From Cambodia to Brazil: GX Community Tourism Summit Looks Ahead to 2027

G Adventures hosted the fourth annual GX event last month in Cambodia, culminating in the GX Community Tourism Summit on World Tourism Day, Sept. 27. The massive undertaking saw nearly 600 delegates — including travel advisors, suppliers, media, content creators, travellers, industry leaders and G Adventures staff — tour Cambodia on 18 separate “tracks,” experiencing the Southeast Asian country’s culture, history and warm hospitality. A highlight of the trip was visiting several of the organizations that partner with G’s philanthropic arm, Planeterra, to see the way tourism is making a meaningful impact.

The Summit was held at the Sokha Siem Reap Convention Centre in Siem Reap, not far from the legendary Angkor Wat Temple complex. It featured insightful and engaging speakers, updates on G Adventures products and initiatives, a heart-stopping acrobatic performance from Phare Circus - The Cambodian Circus and a powerful performance from MeDha Cambodia, a collective of women drummers.

Canadian advisors were part of the delegation to GX Cambodia. (Photo Credit: Jen Mallia/TravelPulse Canada)

The day began with a welcome from His Excellency Huot Hak, Cambodia’s Minister of Tourism, and His Excellency Prak Sophoan, Governor of Siem Reap, before getting underway. Some of the highlights included:

• G Adventures expanded its Global Ambassador Programme, welcoming sustainable tourism pioneer Judy Kepher Gona alongside inaugural ambassadors Tony Wheeler, Delfin Pauchi Uhigua and the late Dr. Jane Goodall.
• G Adventures launched How to Travel Your Heart Out, a practical guide encouraging travellers to turn small choices into positive impact for people, communities, wildlife and the planet.
• Planeterra unveiled its Community Positive Framework, creating a practical, community-informed approach to defining, measuring and improving tourism’s impact.
• The rise of ‘micro-community travel’ was identified, with G Adventures previewing Bazaar, a new platform connecting travellers through shared passions and interests.
• Project 300, delivered in partnership with Planeterra, passed its halfway point, with 160 community tourism enterprises now incorporated into G Adventures itineraries on the journey towards 300 by 2030.
• Trees for Days surpassed 6.7 million trees grown on behalf of G Adventures travellers, supporting community-led climate action around the world.

 

Where Do We Go? Choosing a GX Destination

One of the most anticipated announcements was the location of GX 2027. G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip took to the stage to reveal it will be held in Brazil, an announcement that was met with enthusiasm from the crowd and spontaneous dancing from the South American contingent. 

TravelPulse Canada sat down with Poon Tip to discuss what goes into making the selection of the host country. It was a topic of hot discussion following 2026’s selection process. At GX 2025 in Jordan, Morocco was announced as the next host country, followed four months later by a pivot to Cambodia. 

A dancer in front of the Banyon Temple (bathed in G Adventures purple) at the closing reception of GX 2026. (Photo Credit: Jen Mallia/TravelPulse Canada)

When asked about the change, the founder was candid. “I met with the Minister of Tourism in November, and we just knew it wasn't working. We weren't getting the support we needed. It was high season in Morocco, and they're just booming. That's when we realized that you know we made a mistake chasing a huge bid. There was excitement from the tourism board.But when it actually came to operationally doing the [work of putting GX together], the government support we needed to make something of this size work — it just wasn't there.” 

Poon Tip admits it was an incredibly difficult decision that wasn’t universally embraced, including by members of the team in Morocco. 

When it came to selecting Cambodia, the G team faced more work. Cambodia hadn’t submitted a bid for GX, nor was the government aware of the event and what it could mean for tourism to have so many travel professionals visiting and learning about the country, having experiences to take home and share with clients, readers, followers and friends. 

“We sent a delegation here to speak to them about what we could do and how we can help them build tourism here and make them a destination,” Poon Tip explains. “But it was a huge risk because it was just eight months before the event, and you can imagine what planning something at this scale takes. And we could have never done it if they didn't jump — not with a cash contribution — but with pure intentions to make this successful for us.” 

In one instance of the Cambodian commitment to making GX work, he shared that a delegation of 50 women were sent to make offerings and pray for good weather during the final night’s celebration held at the Banyon Temple in the Angkor complex.  

GX 2027 Heads to Brazil

There had been near-endless speculation on the media bus about where the next GX would be held (yes, including some friendly wagers and intense research and debate) and while Colombia had made the short-list of our prospective destinations, Brazil had not been among our guesses. Like Cambodia, Brazil has had a reputation of being a somewhat dangerous destination. For Cambodia, Poon Tip thinks that it is a case of “bad PR.” 

He told me, “Cambodia is a very shy country. They've been through a lot culturally, and anything that's written about Cambodia is never positive from a media standpoint.” He continued later, “The minister came up three times. He kept saying, ‘I just want to tell the people that you know Cambodia is open. Cambodia is safe.’ It was inspiring.”

As for Brazil, he thinks it’s unfair to paint the entire country in one light. “[In any country] there are areas you can't go to, and areas you shouldn’t go to. I think it's people who go and get themselves in trouble, not knowing where they are or what they're doing, or partying places they shouldn't. I'm not going to say that Rio — or any big city — is “safe,” you have to be careful. But I don't think Brazil's dangerous. I just think it gets a bad rap from people who go there and find trouble.”

A weaver works at Silk Island, a community tourism partner with G Adventures in Cambodia. (Photo Credit: Jen Mallia/TravelPulse Canada)

Community Tourism in Action

One of the things Poon Tip is excited about is showcasing a different side of Brazil. He told me that the Brazilian government wants to use GX as a showcase for more remote areas in the country that are under-touristed. Part of this will be working with local organizations to create community partnership opportunities through work with Planeterra. 

In Cambodia, participants had the chance to visit several: riding with Lady Tuk Tuk drivers, a rural homestay, boating with locals to floating villages, restaurants that teach young people the hospitality and culinary industry; all organizations that help keep tourism dollars in the community and help enrich the lives of locals. 

There are already several community tourism partners in Brazil, but part of the work for G Adventures and Planeterra will be developing more of them, particularly in areas where tourists don’t often visit…or don’t visit yet. Poon Tip uses the analogy of the Olympic Games, where new facilities are built for the event, and the host city benefits because the stadiums and recreation facilities remain as part of the legacy. “We'll show new community projects that we built to host, and we'll be able to leave that footprint underneath. And then we'll act as a tourism arm to bring tourism to these new projects.”

Topics From This Article to Explore