G Adventures and its non-profit partner, Planeterra, have confirmed the keynote speakers and musical act for the second GX World Community Tourism Summit being hosted in Jaipur, India on World Tourism Day, 27 September, 2024.
Tony Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet, and Elizabeth Becker, author of Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, will take to the stage in front of the audience of more than 400 members of G Adventures’ community of travel agents, media, suppliers, travellers and staff.
Indian poet, Aranya Johar, will also speak on the day, as will presenter Ernest White of Fly Brother and Paras Loomba, the founder of Global Himalayan Expeditions. They will be joined by a selection of experts who have been handpicked as thought leaders in the space of community tourism.
Together, through keynotes and informative sofa sessions, the audience will learn what can be done to have a greater positive impact on the destinations we travel to, on local people including women and youth, and on travellers themselves through the personal growth and learning that comes with travelling responsibly.
Following the day’s sessions, guests will be invited to a private ‘pink’ themed party at the stunning Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur – also known as the Pink City – where nineties dance act C+C Music Factory will bring people together on the dance floor to celebrate Community + Connection.
Bruce Poon Tip, the founder of G Adventures and Planeterra says he’s honoured to have such an established lineup of speakers with strong credentials in the community tourism space.
“The goal of the World Community Tourism Summit is to bring top thought leaders together to both share their knowledge and discuss what more can be done to ensure tourism benefits all involved. I’m excited to see what comes to light at this year’s event following the huge success of our first GX Summit in Peru last year.
“I’m also pumped to have the iconic dance music act C+C Music Factory perform. Music brings people together as much as travel and I can’t wait to share this epic experience with all our guests. Everybody dance now!” says Poon Tip.
Jamie Sweeting, president of Planeterra, says GX and the World Community Tourism Summit bring to life the power of tourism to play a pivotal role in improving the lives of local people, while offering travellers unforgettable experiences.
“During the Summit our guests will experience a number of our community tourism enterprises firsthand. These sessions will deepen people’s knowledge on how powerful community tourism can be in the future as we continue to work towards Project 300 – our ambitious plan to have 300 community tourism experiences built into G Adventures’ trips by 2030,” says Sweeting.
The GX World Community Tourism Summit is presented by G Adventures in collaboration with Planeterra and is the culmination of the longer GX Summit running from 24 – 29 September, 2024. India was selected this year for its vibrant culture, diverse tourism offerings, hospitable welcome, and potential to foster more community tourism initiatives aimed at spreading wealth within the nation.
Speakers confirmed so far for the second GX World Community Tourism Summit on 27 September, 2024 include:
- Aayusha Prasain – Community Homestay Network
- Aranya Johar – Poet
- Brian Young – G Adventures
- Bruce Poon Tip – G Adventures
- Carolyn Ray – JourneyWoman
- Elizabeth Becker – Author – Overbooked
- Ernest White – Flybrother
- Jaideep Bansal – Global Himalayan Expeditions
- Jamie Sweeting – Planeterra
- Meenu Vadera – Azad Foundation
- Michelle Degenhardt – Flight Centre Travel Group
- Paras Loomba – Global Himalayan Expeditions
- Shivya Nath – The Shooting Star
- Tanya Alag – Salaam Baalak Trust
- Tony Wheeler – Lonely Planet
For more information on GX, please visit: https://gx.gadventures.com/.
