INTERVIEW TOUGH TIMES
It hasn’t been all plain sailing, of course. Poon Tip says that 1996 and 1997 were his most diffi cult years, when rapid fl uctuations in currencies around the world hit G Adventures hard. “We were selling in nine differ- ent currencies, making money, losing money depending on the currency – and then the price of fuel started to explode,” he says.
At the same time, the rapid growth of the internet meant the consumer could suddenly research and book their own trips in a way they had never been able to before. “People were get- ting so much information, so fast, that we had to react really quickly. When you are selling experiences and your competitor is the independent travel- ler, it’s a very different way of creating a value proposition. It was hard.” Did he ever think the company might go under? “Yes. Between 1996 and 1997 the company almost tipped over. It was a very tough time.
“At many points, companies like ours would have thought ‘we can’t survive if people can book services locally’. It forced us to work harder to create value for our customers, to offer them something they can’t book locally. We had to create something that was beyond just a tour.” While the growth of the internet has
created challenges, it has also pro- vided new opportunities, and Poon Tip is particularly excited by the potential of social media. All G Adventures staff are given social media training, and
Small group sizes are key to the G Adventure off er
"Social media means we have a more intimate
relationship with customers than we had before. It has forced us to be very nimble and constantly adapt"
are also given regular breaks to tweet, with their tweets all posted on the G Adventure website so that custom- ers can see what the staff are saying about the company. “It’s about com- plete transparency,” he says. “Social media means we have a
more intimate relationship with cus- tomers than we had before – now we can engage with them, communicate with them and hear their needs. It’s been a very interesting step and has forced us to be very nimble and con- stantly adapt to these changes.”
The Planeterra Foundation supports a women's weaving co-operative in Peru 42 Read Leisure Management online
leisuremanagement.co.uk/digital
The company is also using technol- ogy in other innovative ways, such as with the launch of its wireless app, the Untourist, which aims to encour- age people to travel in ways that benefi t local communities. “With the Untourist, we’re giving out all of our information in terms of the restaurants we eat at, the hotels we stay at, the transport we use” says Poon Tip. “The whole concept of the Untourist is free information; our motto is: If you can’t travel with us, travel like us. “The Untourist has been really suc- cessful, and it’s infl uencing the travel industry as a whole. For years it’s been tour operators’ well-guarded secret which hotels and restaurants they use. We’re the fi rst company to say that the hotels and restaurants and transportation we use are just a small part of what we do. All of those things are important to us, but it’s not the magic of our programme.” Poon Tip is driven, he says, by peo- ple. “The people that work for my business, the people all over the world that touch our brand every day. The fact that we are breaking the cycle of poverty for thousands of people who are involved in executing our services. It's more of a calling than a job. "That’s a big responsibility and I don’t take it lightly.” ●
ISSUE 3 2012 © cybertrek 2012
PHOTO © LEONARDO TAMBURRI
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