# A New Era for High-end Travel: National Geographic Signature with G Adventures

An episode of [Travel Trends with Dan Christian](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1689330635), 23 Jan 2026, 1 h 17 min.

Audio: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2172036/episodes/18555791-a-new-era-for-high-end-travel-national-geographic-signature-with-g-adventures.mp3

Send us Fan Mail Luxury is changing fast and we wanted to know what it looks like when comfort, curiosity, and real local impact meet. Luxury is entering a new era, one defined less by thread counts and more by access, education, and meaningful impact. In this episode, we sit down with Yves Marceau, VP of Product at G Adventures, to explore the launch of National Geographic Signature with G Adventures and why it represents a fundamental shift in what high-end travel can be. Built on a decade-long partnership and officially launching with more than 30 high-end trips across nearly 30 destinations, National Geographic Signature brings together National Geographic’s 135-year legacy of exploration, science, storytelling, and education with G Adventures’ 35+ years as a pioneer in community tourism. The result is a collection designed for culturally curious travelers who want deep learning, rare access, and five-star comfort without compromising values or local benefit. Yves walks us through what sets Signature apart, from Signature Moments and special access experiences to the role of National Geographic Expedition Leaders and Experts. Think before-hours entry to archaeological sites, restricted conservation centers in Cambodia, sunset access to Amman’s Citadel, private dinners in historic locations, and hands-on learning with archaeologists, biologists, photographers, historians, and local experts who are advancing knowledge on the ground. These aren’t add-ons, they are the heart of the experience. We also dive into how luxury and community impact are intentionally designed together. Yves shares powerful examples, including a women-led weaving cooperative in Morocco whose work now supports local reforestation, and initiatives across Peru, Egypt, and beyond that protect living culture while creating sustainable livelihoods. Every booking also supports the nonprofit National Geographic Society, ensuring exploration and conservation go hand in hand. From Patagonia-style purpose to elevated immersive stays in safari camps, eco-lodges, historic riads, vineyards, and design-forward hotels, Signature reframes luxury as learning, access, and connection. We discuss who this travel style is built for, how advisors can position it as a differentiated luxury offering, and why multinational group dynamics often become one of the most enriching parts of the journey. If you believe luxury should be personal, purposeful, and profoundly educational, this conversation offers a clear roadmap for where high-end travel is headed next. Explore the full National Geographic Signature collection at gadventures.com. The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

## Chapters

- 0:00 Why This Launch Matters
- 1:38 Introducing Yves And G Adventures Roots
- 7:20 From Education To Building Travel Products
- 13:20 The G DNA: Community Tourism Explained
- 18:06 The Nat Geo Partnership Origins
- 24:20 Evolving Premium Without Losing Authenticity
- 31:20 Trends, Portfolio Growth, And Timing
- 38:18 What Signature Includes And Why It’s Different
- 46:10 Morocco Case Study: Impact In Action
- 53:30 Who The Signature Traveler Is
- 1:00:10 How Advisors Sell And Support Clients
- 1:06:00 Training, Fams, And Trade Resources
- 1:09:40 Hopes For Traveler Takeaways And Industry Impact
- 1:14:00 Spotlight Itineraries: Morocco, Peru, Palau

## Transcript

[0:04] SPEAKER_00: We're actually, you know, always launching in new destinations, and we start seeing trends evolve much earlier than if all we did was premium product.
[0:15] SPEAKER_00: We we see like what's up and coming.
[0:19] SPEAKER_02: Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Travel Trends Podcast.
[0:22] SPEAKER_02: This is your host, Dan Christian, and today we have a very special spotlight episode for you.
[0:27] SPEAKER_02: And it's particularly special and meaningful for me given that I used to work at G Adventures.
[0:33] SPEAKER_02: And I have mentioned G a number of times on this podcast over the last few years.
[0:38] SPEAKER_02: And today I have the honor and the privilege to interview one of the senior executives from G Adventures about the launch of National Geographic Signature Collection.
[0:46] SPEAKER_02: Now, if you know anything about this company, you'll understand why it matters because G Adventures isn't just a brand I admire from afar.
[0:54] SPEAKER_02: It's a team, a culture, and a philosophy of travel that I have a deep personal affinity for.
[1:00] SPEAKER_02: I've seen firsthand how seriously they take community tourism, purpose-driven travel, and using travel as a force for good.
[1:08] SPEAKER_02: So when I heard about the launch of this new product line, I knew it was something that we had to bring to life on our podcast.
[1:15] SPEAKER_02: And this year, more than ever, we are talking about transformational travel, travel that goes beyond comfort and luxury and actually changes the way we see the world and our place in it.
[1:26] SPEAKER_02: And for more than two decades, G Adventures has been a leader in exactly that space.
[1:31] SPEAKER_02: Now they're entering a bold new era with the launch of National Geographic Signature, a collection that redefines what high-end travel can look like in 2026 and beyond.
[1:41] SPEAKER_02: Now, in today's episode, I'm sitting down with Yves Marceau, the Vice President of Product at G Adventures, to unpack why this moment matters, not just for G Adventures and National Geographic, but for the future of luxury travel itself.
[1:56] SPEAKER_02: This new signature collection brings together two powerhouses that have been collaborating for over a decade.
[2:01] SPEAKER_02: On one side, you have National Geographic's legacy of exploration, science, storytelling, and education.
[2:08] SPEAKER_02: And on the other, G Adventures with leadership in community tourism and immersive small group travel.
[2:14] SPEAKER_02: The result is something that goes far beyond traditional luxury.
[2:18] SPEAKER_02: These are experiences built around rare access, world-leading experts, deep cultural immersion, and a clear sense of purpose.
[2:27] SPEAKER_02: The collection launches with 22 itineraries across 28 destinations, from Peru, where G Adventures had their start, to Southern Africa, to Japan, Morocco, Central Asia, Vietnam, and even Palau, a brand new destination for G Adventures.
[2:44] SPEAKER_02: Trips range from 7 to 19 days and are designed for culturally curious travelers who want to learn, engage, and give back without compromising on comfort or service.
[2:55] SPEAKER_02: Throughout our conversation, even I dig into some of the big questions shaping the industry right now.
[3:00] SPEAKER_02: What gaps exist in traditional luxury travel that today's travelers are no longer willing to accept?
[3:06] SPEAKER_02: And how do you elevate accommodations and service while staying true to community tourism and local impact?
[3:13] SPEAKER_02: We also explore what this experience actually looks like on the ground, from signature moments like restricted access conservation sites in Cambodia, private expert-led experiences in Morocco's ancient medinas, and before hours access to iconic landmarks, to journeys guided by National Geographic expedition leaders and local experts, ranging from biologists and historians to photographers, archaeologists, and conservationists.
[3:39] SPEAKER_02: Perhaps most importantly, we talk about how these trips are designed to create value, not extract it.
[3:45] SPEAKER_02: Every booking supports the nonprofit National Geographic Society, while community-led experiences from women's weaving cooperatives in Peru to women-led agricultural initiatives in Egypt ensure travelers connect meaningfully with the people and places they visit.
[4:01] SPEAKER_02: This is a luxury travel reimagined.
[4:04] SPEAKER_02: Not just about where you stay or how exclusive the experience feels, but about what you learn, who you meet, and the impact you leave behind.
[4:13] SPEAKER_02: We also touch on what this launch means for travel advisors.
[4:16] SPEAKER_02: And so many of you listen to our podcast, and I can't thank you enough for supporting us the last few years, and you finally get to hear from one of the most incredible brands in the world.
[4:26] SPEAKER_02: And you will hear today how this particular product line opens the door to new types of affluent, purpose-driven clients, and how the National Geographic signature style could influence the broader luxury travel landscape over the next five to ten years.
[4:41] SPEAKER_02: You're going to be able to hear clips and highlights from these conversations on all our social channels, which you can find on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube at Travel Trends Podcast.
[4:51] SPEAKER_02: And if this episode inspires you, I encourage you to head to geadventures.com to explore the full National Geographic Signature Collection and see how you or your clients can experience these journeys firsthand.
[5:02] SPEAKER_02: With that, let's dive in.
[5:04] SPEAKER_02: This is my conversation with Eve Marceau, VP of product at G Adventures.
[5:09] SPEAKER_02: Welcome, Eve.
[5:09] SPEAKER_02: Great to have you on the Travel Trends Podcast.
[5:11] SPEAKER_00: Uh thanks for having me, Dan.
[5:13] SPEAKER_00: It's uh pleasure to make your acquaintance and uh share with the audience.
[5:18] SPEAKER_02: For sure.
[5:19] SPEAKER_02: I know we just missed each other when I was at G.
[5:21] SPEAKER_02: You joined shortly afterwards.
[5:23] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you're also Canadian, but you've been living in the U.S.
[5:26] SPEAKER_02: for many years.
[5:26] SPEAKER_02: I know you're based in Boston, is that right?
[5:28] SPEAKER_00: I am, yes.
[5:29] SPEAKER_00: And I moved to the U.S.
[5:31] SPEAKER_00: uh 30 some years ago.
[5:33] SPEAKER_02: Originally from Montreal?
[5:34] SPEAKER_02: Montreal.
[5:35] SPEAKER_02: All right.
[5:36] SPEAKER_02: So you got uh some difficulty there with what sports teams you support, but us in uh in Toronto, including Bruce and myself, obviously we've got our Raptors, we've got our Blue Jays, we've got our Leafs.
[5:46] SPEAKER_02: Um, and you've got you've got you, I'm sure you have to have mixed uh affiliations between Montreal and Boston.
[5:52] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean the only the only Montreal the only team in Tru in Boston that I can't support is the Bruce.
[5:59] SPEAKER_00: I I am a Habs guy, like I I grew up with the Habs.
[6:03] SPEAKER_00: I they're in my blood.
[6:05] SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, yes.
[6:06] SPEAKER_02: Rocket Richard and the sweater.
[6:08] SPEAKER_02: I mean, it can't uh yeah, that is an institution.
[6:10] SPEAKER_02: Um G Gila Fleur.
[6:13] SPEAKER_02: Ah, of course, yes, I should have gone there.
[6:15] SPEAKER_02: But uh but yes, of course, we've got that connection with hockey and Canada.
[6:18] SPEAKER_02: But one of the things that you know, you've been in the U.S.
[6:20] SPEAKER_02: market for so long, and today, obviously, we're gonna be talking about the relationship with uh National Geographic.
[6:27] SPEAKER_02: And you are the VP of product, and people obviously heard from the introduction there.
[6:31] SPEAKER_02: And uh, you know, given my background in G, this is the first time that we've actually had someone from G Adventures on the podcast after nearly two, two and a half years.
[6:38] SPEAKER_02: I know Bruce Poonttip is gonna be on the podcast very shortly as well because he has his new book coming out.
[6:44] SPEAKER_02: So I'm thrilled uh to reconnect with a lot of my friends and colleagues at G Adventures.
[6:48] SPEAKER_02: I still, many of our listeners have heard over the course of the last uh six seasons, I guess um six going into seven seasons, uh, my affinity for G-Adventures and all of the experience that I gained there uh working with Bruce and the team.
[7:01] SPEAKER_02: And so the company has gone from strength to strength over that time, and the growth that you have seen in the last decade is just extraordinary.
[7:08] SPEAKER_02: Um so I'm so keen to have this conversation with you and to bring G Adventures to life for all of our listeners.
[7:13] SPEAKER_02: Uh but tell us, Eve, a little bit about your background in the travel industry before we get into G.
[7:17] SPEAKER_02: How did you get into travel?
[7:19] SPEAKER_02: What brought you to Boston?
[7:20] SPEAKER_02: And what was your journey up into the industry?
[7:23] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, um, well, I mean, um I actually moved to the U.S.
[7:28] SPEAKER_00: for grad school.
[7:29] SPEAKER_00: Um I went to grad school uh in Massachusetts, not actually in Boston, in western Massachusetts at UMass Amherst, and uh and was not studying travel and tourism, I was actually uh studying education and started as a teacher.
[7:46] SPEAKER_00: And I got into travel through teaching.
[7:49] SPEAKER_00: Um, so I taught in a small rural school district, I taught French, and I realized that most of my students had never been outside of the county they lived in.
[8:03] SPEAKER_00: And to get them excited about learning French, I realized I gotta get them excited about traveling.
[8:10] SPEAKER_00: So I started doing an exchange program with a colleague in France and doing travel back and forth, and then you know, realized, wow, I like this traveling thing.
[8:21] SPEAKER_00: Like this, this is fun.
[8:24] SPEAKER_00: And um one day, this is like just how things happen.
[8:29] SPEAKER_00: One day in the local newspaper, there was an ad uh looking for someone who was fluent in French, um, had a background in education, and was interested in working in travel.
[8:44] SPEAKER_00: So I applied, and this is when you actually, you know, got job postings in the newspaper, not through online.
[8:52] SPEAKER_00: And uh they called me immediately, and I ended up uh joining um this company that did educational travel for older Americans, and I became the person designing these educational tours in France, and uh that was 35 years ago, and I haven't taken the foot off the gas since.
[9:14] SPEAKER_02: That's amazing.
[9:14] SPEAKER_02: Your first say, well, it makes sense, of course, given you're an educator, that you would then be able to oh, you obviously you'd have an interest in foreign travel, and you'd have an also an interest in being able to uh encourage people to learn and experience and discover these destinations.
[9:28] SPEAKER_02: So obviously, that is uh many ways a perfect background for being the VP of product and the journey you've gone on.
[9:33] SPEAKER_02: But tell us when you got into the travel space, I know you were at Road Scholar for uh uh a decade or more.
[9:40] SPEAKER_02: Um tell us a little bit about that role in particular, because obviously you went through a lot of growth, I'm assuming, there as the director of program development.
[9:48] SPEAKER_02: Um so tell us a little bit more about what then ultimately led you to G Adventures and the role that you've been doing now for uh uh for almost 12 years.
[9:56] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so um so yes, uh 15 plus years at Road Scholar.
[10:02] SPEAKER_00: Um, like I said, I started um as a product manager for Europe, uh most specifically France, and um it was uh designing educational tours, and I had two key topics, food and wine and World War II.
[10:20] SPEAKER_00: So quite interesting.
[10:22] SPEAKER_00: Um and you know, throughout the years I went from uh doing France to doing other parts of Europe, uh expanded into Asia, was promoted, and started looking at, you know, how we open other destinations, new destinations, and very quickly my my expertise at Road Scholar developed into new product development, new destination opening, and really kind of like how do you innovate in the educational travel space?
[10:56] SPEAKER_00: How I ended up at G is a great story because G was actually one of our suppliers.
[11:02] SPEAKER_00: Um we did um we uh would sometimes charter or send groups on uh the expedition, the G expedition ship to Antarctica.
[11:14] SPEAKER_00: Uh we did uh some work with uh the expedition ship along the coast of Africa on some repositioning cruises.
[11:22] SPEAKER_00: And so I knew G.
[11:24] SPEAKER_00: I worked closely with uh with Bruce's team in Toronto, and um you know, one day um uh my contacted G reached out and said, Bruce is in uh Boston, and um I think it might be worth you meeting with him.
[11:40] SPEAKER_00: So I had my first meeting with Bruce, and uh within days I uh I was sold that G was the right place, and it was it was truly the time I spent in Toronto meeting with the executive team at G, they really convinced me it was the right place for me.
[11:57] SPEAKER_00: The whole the whole approach around community tourism, around around changing how people travel was really something that resonated with me.
[12:08] SPEAKER_00: Uh it was what I wanted to do at Road School, it's what I did.
[12:12] SPEAKER_00: It's really discovering places through the people and not just the sites.
[12:18] SPEAKER_00: And you know, the opportunity to come over to G and do that on a much wider scale, bigger scale, was was the the the thing that ticked and said, I'm gone.
[12:29] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, well it's interesting because I know that feeling when I first met with Bruce when I moved back from Australia when I was working at Lonely Planet, and of course, uh Bruce is very much a visionary leader, and I still remember you know when we were working together, walking past a poster of Jake Burton at the airport together, and they had just implemented SAP, and he was like, When do you think we need SAP?
[12:48] SPEAKER_02: And I said, Well, you know, they're nearly a billion-dollar company.
[12:50] SPEAKER_02: He's like, Well, we're gonna be a billion-dollar company, and you know, at that point we were about 50 or 60, and sure enough, you guys are well on that journey now.
[12:56] SPEAKER_02: So um that gives, I guess, one example, and he's always considered himself very much a director of talent, of being able to find the best people and bring them into the organization, and he's certainly done that.
[13:06] SPEAKER_02: It's been a talent factory over the years, and it's certainly been I'm I'm proud to be an alumni of G Adventures, not only to have so many amazing colleagues still there that are doing exceptionally well, um, but also the people that move on at some point with their careers tend to go on to great things, also, which is a testament to the type of people that come in the organization.
[13:24] SPEAKER_02: So let's talk about your role and talk about G Adventures, and then I want to get into, of course, what we're gonna focus on is the National Geographic Signature Collection, which just launched in January of 2026.
[13:36] SPEAKER_02: Um, but I want to also highlight the National Geographic relationship to start.
[13:40] SPEAKER_02: But for any of our listeners, Eve, that are not familiar with G Adventures, would you mind just giving a bit of an overview of the company, the small group, the the type of travel that G Adventures offers, which is what sold me on joining and what obviously brought you in, and it's why so many people love traveling with G.
[13:57] SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
[13:58] SPEAKER_00: I mean, listen, uh, we have a lot of different travel product that's that's available, and we we've built, you know, we've built a brand that's really unique in in the world.
[14:09] SPEAKER_00: But at the core, G is about community tourism.
[14:15] SPEAKER_00: It's about the concept that when you travel, you can have a positive impact on the places you're visiting, on the destinations you're going to.
[14:26] SPEAKER_00: That travel is a force for good.
[14:30] SPEAKER_00: And done right, travel has a positive impact.
[14:34] SPEAKER_00: I know we hear a lot about overtourism, we hear a lot about, you know, um uh, you know, companies that that that um that kind of keep pushing people to the same destination, or that you know, you hear like sometimes people talk about cruise lines taking resources out of countries instead of bringing resources into countries through traveler dollars.
[15:01] SPEAKER_00: We are a company that's about supporting the locals and local businesses.
[15:07] SPEAKER_00: You know, we launched um um prior to COVID, we launched what we called the Ripple Score, which was meant to measure the impact um uh that travelers dollars had on communities and how much stayed local.
[15:22] SPEAKER_00: We have uh our Planetera um projects, our G for Good projects, that are meant to kind of give back and have uh kind of impactful experiences on tour that are more than just giving back to a project, it's about engaging with the project.
[15:41] SPEAKER_00: So, you know, that that whole concept of connecting to the places and creating a community as you travel is is what's unique to sure.
[15:51] SPEAKER_02: And that Planetara connection couldn't be more important.
[15:54] SPEAKER_02: I know it was still early days when I was there with Planetera being uh it was already in place, however, you know, it was still continuing to scale in its importance.
[16:02] SPEAKER_02: But again, that's like way ahead of its time when you look at the travel industry today.
[16:06] SPEAKER_02: Um and so now in terms of National Geographic, so obviously G Adventures is a globally renowned is a globally renowned brand, and they have been able to introduce some significant partnerships, but I don't think there is anyone that stands out as much as National Geographic.
[16:25] SPEAKER_02: I mean, National Geographic has a storied history, everyone's familiar with the um with their very identifiable uh logo with the yellow frame and uh you know the magazine, the history, and what's really interesting to me, and this is obviously your expertise, but the people who read National Geographic and the people that are connected to the brand, they are travelers.
[16:46] SPEAKER_02: They are people that have the interest in travel, they have passports, um, and they have the means to be able to travel.
[16:52] SPEAKER_02: And so it is a perfect fit, of course, for National Geographic and G Adventures uh to partner together.
[16:58] SPEAKER_02: But tell us a little bit about that backstory and how that came to be, because I know what we're gonna be talking about today is how you're taking it to the next level with this signature collection.
[17:06] SPEAKER_02: But yeah, tell us about the origin of the National Geographic and G Adventures relationship.
[17:11] SPEAKER_00: So so we we've been working with National Geographic for close to uh 12 years now, actually.
[17:19] SPEAKER_00: Um I know we talk a lot about 10 years, but it actually started way before.
[17:23] SPEAKER_00: It was one of my first meetings when I joined G was to meet with um some of the senior people at National Geographic to have uh a conversation about how we could work together.
[17:36] SPEAKER_00: And they came to us.
[17:38] SPEAKER_00: Um, they were looking at um, you know, how could they enter um a slightly lower price point in the market, and who was the best partner to do that with?
[17:49] SPEAKER_00: And they identified G, they came to us, and it was it was like an immediate natural fit, as you said.
[17:57] SPEAKER_00: Um, it makes perfect sense for National Geographic, who is all about exploring, storytelling, uh digging deeper into the to the culture and places of the world.
[18:12] SPEAKER_00: That's what we do with G.
[18:13] SPEAKER_00: That's what we do with our travelers.
[18:15] SPEAKER_00: So it was a natural fit.
[18:17] SPEAKER_00: Um, and you know, over 12 years, we've grown our our partnership from you know, a couple thousand travelers to over 12, 13,000 travelers this year, if not more, with our journeys.
[18:34] SPEAKER_00: We went we expanded from just uh National Geographic uh journeys to National Geographic family journeys.
[18:42] SPEAKER_00: So we brought in family travel.
[18:44] SPEAKER_00: And so when National Geographic was looking for a partner to handle the signature product line, it made sense that they came to us.
[18:57] SPEAKER_00: Um they went to others as well.
[18:59] SPEAKER_00: Um, but what we brought was uh a new vision for the quote-unquote luxury travel space.
[19:09] SPEAKER_00: And it's something that really Bruce drove like his vision, like was was was spot on with uh what we proposed for signature.
[19:19] SPEAKER_02: And what I find so fascinating, both about the G-Adventures history and National Geographic.
[19:23] SPEAKER_02: Of course, National Geographic is 135 years old, but the G-Adventures story very much tied to Bruce Poontip himself and creating these small group adventure tours, which I still remember when we were doing one of our executive offsites, and uh Bruce had this concept and he took some of the executive team away, and we did this a few times, and it was always very inspiring.
[19:43] SPEAKER_02: And one of the things he would challenge us on is like the pain points in the business and looking at other industries, Zappos or Disney.
[19:50] SPEAKER_02: And you know, I uh had shared with him uh the book Blue Ocean Strategy.
[19:54] SPEAKER_02: We'd gone to Vegas to look at uh Cirque du Soleil and understand how you know their business model.
[20:00] SPEAKER_02: model, this idea of, you know, essentially being the business that you can can keep keep replicating yourself.
[20:06] SPEAKER_02: You don't have any natural competition.
[20:08] SPEAKER_02: And one of the things that we were working on then was our core values.
[20:11] SPEAKER_02: And what became incredibly clear to all of us in those meetings and discussions was the the biggest reason that people chose to travel with G Adventures is that they were life transforming adventures.
[20:22] SPEAKER_02: And what I find fascinating about that as we have this conversation in 2026 is that, you know, this is more than you know 15 years ago now and the company was already on that trajectory that was core to the DNA of the business.
[20:34] SPEAKER_02: That's why people travel in small groups.
[20:36] SPEAKER_02: It's why people want to connect with locals and they want to be immersed in the culture and they don't want to travel on uh big coaches.
[20:43] SPEAKER_02: They they they would they want to take local transport.
[20:46] SPEAKER_02: And the uh the types of people that take these trips are you know teachers, nurses, coming back to your um background.
[20:53] SPEAKER_02: But the one last thing I just wanted to say on this is that 2026 is very much the year of transformative travel.
[20:59] SPEAKER_02: You know you've got people like Joe Pine who coined the term the experience economy way back in 1999.
[21:04] SPEAKER_02: He's one of the inspirations of me to get into this industry and I've had him on the podcast uh twice and he's coming back again.
[21:10] SPEAKER_02: He's such an uh an inspiring and also you know he is very much kind of built the framework for this concept of uh the experience economy and now his big focus in his book is the transformation economy which as I highlight to him in my conversations well you just look at a company like G Adventures, they're already doing this.
[21:29] SPEAKER_02: This is exactly like the Maslow's hierarchy of needs self-actualization the pinnacle of what people are looking for in a trip to come back changed and feel different and to go on their hero's journey it's like this is this is the brand experience that I that I chose to embark on from lonely planet to to G Adventure.
[21:48] SPEAKER_02: So so interesting that story because I think that's where G Adventure is working with partners, understanding that DNA.
[21:54] SPEAKER_02: So National Geographic comes to you and I guess this is this is the truly the final part and I'll pass it back to you but I just hope our listeners find this fascinating is because adventure travel was initially kind of more intended to be not necessarily budget but certainly there was camping and there was like it was it was designed to be more economical.
[22:13] SPEAKER_02: Like that was and so this perception of adventure travel being active or even being kind of a rougher style of travel it didn't necessarily appeal to people who were looking for comfort and the older clientele.
[22:24] SPEAKER_02: And the the the the the significant change with the National Geographic partnership and what we're talking about today is luxury.
[22:31] SPEAKER_02: And I know G has moved into comfort they've moved into the idea of G Lux and um you know and and worked with travel agencies to uh to really highlight the uh the luxury portfolio and this is the next step in that one so tell us a little bit about how when you got involved then to start creating the product you needed to move you needed to move up market.
[22:52] SPEAKER_02: You needed to make sure that people saw a G and a Nat Geo together that this was going to be a premium product.
[22:58] SPEAKER_02: Tell us a little bit about that and then and then let's get into signature.
[23:01] SPEAKER_00: Wow okay that's a that's a lot uh so yes so when we started um you know and and this this was this was when I started as well we started looking at how do we how do we create a premium product that doesn't go away from our core values or our core essence of what we want people to experience while they're traveling.
[23:30] SPEAKER_00: Which is communities a little off the beaten path not just about the sites and the museums and and you know the meals and the thread count and you know the the porterage how do you create how do you create at a at a premium level an experience that's both authentic and impactful and benefits the local community you know a lot of a lot of our a lot of our staff a lot of our CEOs as well or our tour leaders we call them CEOs as you might remember um were like well you know if we're gonna use if we're gonna start using higher end hotels we're gonna lose that impact on community but that wasn't necessarily the case what we found is if you do your research and you do the work you can find locally owned premium hotels.
[24:25] SPEAKER_00: You can actually help community projects upskill themselves and and upskill their offering so that it meets the needs of someone that wants a little bit more comfort.
[24:37] SPEAKER_00: Because you can go have tea with a family and instead of sitting on the floor you invest a little bit with them and say let's buy some chairs and some cups and uh all of a sudden you've upscaled the the tea experience but you haven't removed the authentic nature of it that you're in a family's home you know you're you're meeting the kids you're meeting the family they're making the tea the way they've always made it and they share with you like how to make it or or what their life is like on a daily basis in in this rural village that you're driving through.
[25:17] SPEAKER_00: You know up until we started doing journeys people thought that you know premium travel was all about seeing the world through through a through a coach window or through a a guide's perspective.
[25:31] SPEAKER_00: We wanted to bring it and keep it real and not just be about the guide talking but about travelers talking with the people in destination.
[25:42] SPEAKER_00: And I think we achieved that um we we you know it took it took a while to get all the trips up and going it took some research we worked very closely with uh with our partners at National Geographic to make sure that we provided uh opportunities to connect with the society on in destination through projects that were either being funded by the society or experts that had done work for the society.
[26:12] SPEAKER_02: We connected with them to create these unique experiences uh that at the time we called National Geographic moments um that really highlighted the work that the the society does in the world and uh and we managed to do it on over 80 trips uh 80 different well that's what I was keen to ask you is the destinations you have expanded to because of course you launch a new brand with a partner you focus on a kind of a core list of itineraries where you think people are going to want to go um based on the National Geographic audience, the G audience and you know knowing uh many of the team members and how that process works uh you know it it is quite fascinating to see how it comes together and then how it what the response in the marketplace and how it expands.
[26:58] SPEAKER_02: So you've got national geographic journeys you've got national geographic family journeys um and you really go around the world with those itineraries.
[27:05] SPEAKER_02: So tell us a little bit about how that product poll portfolio has expanded and what are some of the top destinations that you found that really people respond to.
[27:15] SPEAKER_00: Well yes uh I mean so we've almost doubled the portfolio since we launched it 10 years ago.
[27:23] SPEAKER_00: And in terms of of key destinations like that that are popular um that kind of changes every couple of years and you really have to have your your your finger on the pulse of trends and travel um and that's what you well that's what's unique with us because we have so much so many different product lines you know we have our youth portfolio we have our classic portfolio we're we're actually you know always launching in new destinations and we start seeing trends evolve much earlier than if all we did was premium product we we see like what's up and coming and so we're able to kind of go do our our research build our expertise with our you know youth product or with our or our classic product and then when we feel that we're ready to bring in the premium product line we go in and we already know kind of like where are the places that people are really feeling um getting the best experiences what are the projects that are the most impactful so that as a premium traveler you know you you're going with a company that's already done their homework.
[28:41] SPEAKER_02: It's not like their first rodeo and for sure yeah you so you've you've doubled the portfolio you have a clear idea who this customer now is and continuously obviously you get that feedback so you're evolving the product, the destinations and now you have this new signature collection.
[28:55] SPEAKER_02: So tell us obviously you know I think you've uh very accurately described why this partnership and kind of then why now for this expansion that's the part I'm keen to uh learn a bit more about is you know that you've got you know this um tagline that I really like you know far beyond traditional luxury and so um tell us a little bit about why the timing is right and you mentioned trends which is obviously this podcast is you know that is exactly the uh the reason that it exists is because you know a lot of times you you know it's trying to unpack why these trends are happening and trying to project them forward and obviously the focus is long-term trends um demographic changes consumer behavior changes uh luxury has been since the end of the pandemic uh a category that's continued to surge and there's like luxury there's ultra luxury you know having been at the Virtuoso conference and attended many luxury events it's very clear that the market just keeps going up and up for these types of holidays so um I can see why it meets the moment but tell us a little bit about why you guys decided to introduce the signature collection for 2026.
[29:58] SPEAKER_00: Yeah um so I mean we've seen the evolution uh even with our own travelers our our own uh product lines you know um there's an evolution for a traveler you know often you're you're younger you're you're working you're traveling as a backpacker you're like on a budget you get a little bit older you want a little bit more comfort you don't so much want to stay in hostel beds you don't so much want to have to take the overnight bus you know so you move to a a classic travel style you get a little bit older and um you want to really make sure you have a comfortable bed every night to sleep in but in essence you still want that authentic experience you still want to go into those villages you still want to kind of go meet people you don't want a sterile experience you just want a much more comfortable bed and we're seeing that in the luxury space we're seeing where people they they they want that luxury experience they they they have the income they have the they have the they're they're not afraid of spending they want a really comfortable experience they want to be a little bit more pampered but they still want to have an authentic experience and traditionally that's been really hard to find in the luxury space um you know it's it's been really kind of overcurated uh and over kind of like I don't want to use the word sterilized again but over kind of cleaned up and what we notice is people still want those authentic experiences but they want it at a at a much more comfortable level.
[31:53] SPEAKER_00: So I I mentioned earlier like going to have tea with the family and and I could expand that onto almost every kind of community experience where sometimes you just have to think through like okay we can still have tea with the family but let's help the family understand how they serve a a different market because that that family their business is is connecting with travelers that that's how they generate some of their income so how do we get them to to think about it slightly differently or a community how do we get a community that doesn't work with the the luxury market to understand what they have to do to work with the luxury market how do we create those components and that's truly what what we recognize and what we've been working on.
[32:42] SPEAKER_00: So the reason why is we felt ready for this we felt the market was ready for this and so far the feedback we're getting from you know agency partners from writers from from people like you is that wow you're right on point.
[32:58] SPEAKER_02: And so we're super excited about this line no and as you should be I mean like if you trace the journey and this is where I really you know I I find it uh so fascinating because when I joined obviously I was very much a lonely planet independent backpacker style traveler which is essentially the G Adventures classic style of travel kind of the cross between independent travel and uh being part of a a small group so you get all the benefits of being part of a small group but you still have lots of flexibility and I think that's what certainly appealed to me at the time but obviously your life changes.
[33:29] SPEAKER_02: I mean we had kids when I was at uh uh G Adventures I went on a Costa Rica trip when our kids were uh just about to turn two and they sat on our laps was a terrible idea but they nevertheless they did um because we it was they were still free to fly at that point and we did a uh an adventure trip through Costa Rica and since then obviously I've softened in my travel and thankfully I've done well in life so uh luxury is something that I um not only aspire to but something I've had the privilege to travel in and I I like a boat.
[33:56] SPEAKER_02: I'm one of those travelers that every once in a while wants to be able to rough it but by and large I definitely like all the creature comforts and I definitely like staying in luxury.
[34:04] SPEAKER_02: And I think you know when you've got travelers that have been with you for many years they've had kids or they're now in their you know they're in their 40s or 50s and obviously retirees which is a massive growing market.
[34:14] SPEAKER_02: Half the baby boomers are retired the next half are traveling in the are retiring in the next five years and as we both know long before this generational wealth transfer is going to take place they want to travel as much as possible before they uh they pass that down.
[34:28] SPEAKER_02: So um so there's there's many reasons why the market timing is perfect for this.
[34:32] SPEAKER_02: But tell us a bit about what some of the inclusions are because I guess that's the part that stands out to me is that there's lots of luxury options.
[34:39] SPEAKER_02: So why National Geographic signature collection with G Adventures I know that National Geographic is all about exploration and that's one of the things education, expert access um you've talked about the community tourism and this cultural immersion.
[34:54] SPEAKER_02: How do the kind of combination of those things make this particular style of travel so unique and so special?
[35:01] SPEAKER_02: Like what are the behind the scenes access you get or sort of the expert engagement that really sets this collection apart?
[35:09] SPEAKER_00: So excellent question and I have a long-winded answer for you go for it.
[35:18] SPEAKER_01: That's the beauty of a podcast that's why I said to Eve before I'm gonna ask some long questions and you can give some long answers because that's what that's what our audience is interested in.
[35:26] SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna start with just the concept of expertise okay and I mentioned that earlier so one of one of the things we looked at when when we were planning this with National Geographic is how do we localize how do we highlight the localized expertise because traditionally experts came from from from the US the UK and and traveled with the group in destination.
[35:57] SPEAKER_00: What what we said is we are able to identify experts who are just as well known as who are who are leading authorities in their field that are based in the destination.
[36:16] SPEAKER_00: And by by looking at it that way you actually create a deeper connection with the destination you're visiting.
[36:24] SPEAKER_00: You have the same level of expertise you know leaders in their field but they're from the destination so they're able to provide you with some insight that no matter how often you've been to a destination you're never truly going to be if you're if you you're in Egypt you're never truly going to be Egyptian you're not gonna fully understand what that means and how that relates to an experience around um around growing up so an example that I I would give is you have an expert archaeologist who's done digs in Egypt they can tell you about the digs they can tell you the history you have an expert um archaeologist who's from Egypt he can tell you about growing up and finding these artifacts in their backyard finding them when they were going for a walk in in in in and around some of the digs growing up with it there is there is this this this innate like internal connection to the subject that as uh as an expert coming from outside the country you don't necessarily have and that's the beauty of the approach we're taking with expertise here it's really about identifying local leaders and leaders in their field that are going to be escorting um the group throughout its journey so that that's from an expertise perspective and and working with the national geograph with National Geographic we're able to identify those themes and those local experts we're able to to to to to work with with the content that is related to the work that's been done by the society around research around exploration and really connect that with local people from an exclusive access perspective because we we are present and I mean we g is is a significant player in in most markets like you you you look at us in in Morocco we're actually one of the largest um inbound operators in Morocco uh from from any market same thing in Egypt so we we we have um the the the scale and the understanding of the destination so we're able to work with our local teams to create really unique experiences that are…
[40:04] SPEAKER_00: And because we had local teams, they connected the two together.
[40:10] SPEAKER_00: And with the team, we were able to build a really unique experience.
[40:16] SPEAKER_00: So our our trees for days, if you're not familiar with it, is for every day you're on tour, we plant a tree.
[40:23] SPEAKER_00: And the projects, uh the tree planting projects are all over the world.
[40:27] SPEAKER_00: So in Morocco, we we work with uh the Atlas Foundation to plant trees throughout.
[40:33] SPEAKER_00: But here in this just outside this village, there was a one of their projects, um, a tree nursery that grows saplings for fruit trees and olive trees.
[40:45] SPEAKER_00: And um and the purpose of planting the trees are for farmers to replant uh fields of fruit trees or olive trees to create a crop for them, a source of revenue.
[41:01] SPEAKER_00: The women's weaving project was a source of revenue for the women.
[41:06] SPEAKER_00: We connected the two together and have created an experience for signature where you're not only just gonna go visit a project, you're actually gonna go visit how tourism can change the the trajectory of a of a community.
[41:23] SPEAKER_00: And it's unique because it's only for us.
[41:26] SPEAKER_00: We're we're the only ones who've built this, it's exclusive.
[41:30] SPEAKER_00: And at this nursery, you you hear the story of how the nursery is moving away from plastic like sampling uh pots to fabric pots that are woven by the women's uh collaborative.
[41:46] SPEAKER_00: And again, we worked with them to connect them.
[41:49] SPEAKER_00: And the the the the the idea is that you have a half-day experience in a community that's been curated, but it's driven by the local community.
[42:03] SPEAKER_00: Like we're not telling them they have to do this.
[42:06] SPEAKER_00: We give them the travelers, we give them the funds through travel to build this project and to build up their community.
[42:14] SPEAKER_00: To the point where one of the leaders of the women's co-op just got her driver's license.
[42:21] SPEAKER_00: She's gotten a car for the first time, and she's driving to Marrakesh for the first time in her life, and she's in her 40s.
[42:30] SPEAKER_00: The impact this can have on the communities is spectacular.
[42:36] SPEAKER_00: And you know, while we're there, they're gonna meet a farmer who was part of the initial planting of the olive trees and the fruit trees, and he's about to have his first crop in in the next year.
[42:49] SPEAKER_00: And the impact that will have on his family, having a crop for the first time in ten years is gonna be huge.
[42:58] SPEAKER_00: The impact on the women in the co-op is huge, and the impact on the community is is is going to be significant.
[43:08] SPEAKER_00: Like I foresee that in four or five years, like these ladies are gonna be able to send their kids to college.
[43:16] SPEAKER_00: These farmers are gonna be able to send their kids to college because they have an income for a first time, and they're part of the tourist economy for the first time.
[43:25] SPEAKER_00: Whereas tour buses used to just drive by that village on the way to the Atlas Mountains.
[43:31] SPEAKER_02: It's one of the things that uh really stood out to me is that when you look at this concept of transformative travel, it's no longer simply about like your own self-interest.
[43:41] SPEAKER_02: Most of these travelers are motivated by a great a greater good and are conscientious of the impact they have, and especially when you're traveling um much more luxuriously, and you can see the difference.
[43:53] SPEAKER_02: If you're sitting in a first-class uh coached bus in India, for example, um, and you see the disconnect between yourself looking through the glass and the reality of the people that are living in that society, that's not the style of travel that a lot of people aspire to or that you know that they're seeking.
[44:10] SPEAKER_02: Um they and so the experience you just outlined, the reason I think it's so meaningful is that ultimately that's what affluent travelers are also looking for is making sure that there's a positive impact on the local community.
[44:25] SPEAKER_02: And for me, of course, as soon as you mention you know women's weaving projects, or I mean, I was raised by a single mom, so that instantly for me, I'm uh always advocating for umities for women in various societies when they don't have the same opportunities uh as men uh for various cultural reasons.
[44:41] SPEAKER_02: Um so that's always something that stands out to me.
[44:43] SPEAKER_02: But everyone has their own, you know, uh um uh certainly most most travelers they can be motivated by different aspects of what's gonna lift up a community.
[44:52] SPEAKER_02: I know Tony Wheeler is still part of the uh G community.
[44:56] SPEAKER_02: I know he was at your GX Adventure.
[44:58] SPEAKER_02: I loved working uh with Tony Wheeler when I was in Australia because it was very much core to the Lonely Planet DNA.
[45:04] SPEAKER_02: It's why they published a guidebook to Myanmar because they wanted to make sure that they got money in the hands of local people, despite the fact that people protested the book because they were concerned that the military junta was keeping people um uh down by virtue of controlling the hotels.
[45:19] SPEAKER_02: But they were they they decided to make a stand on that.
[45:21] SPEAKER_02: And I know that's core to G, and it's interesting to hear how important that is to the National Geographic Signature Collection.
[45:26] SPEAKER_02: So I do there's a couple of things I want to make sure we jump onto.
[45:30] SPEAKER_02: Um obviously I want to talk about who this product is for and how they buy it.
[45:34] SPEAKER_02: Um but just before we segue into that, I just have one more uh question on the product side, and that is the portfolio that you have launched and the reason you have chosen the destinations you have, because as I understand it, uh the standout destinations for the launch are Peru, of course, very core to D to the DNA of G, South Africa, Japan, Central Asia, Vietnam, Jordan.
[45:58] SPEAKER_02: Um Jordan for all the reasons you were just very much highlighting.
[46:01] SPEAKER_02: Um but tell us about the approach to selecting those destinations specifically, and I guess as it as it then relates to what I'm keen to hear your um your view on is who takes these trips.
[46:14] SPEAKER_02: So um yeah, tell us about the destinations and then and then and then by all means please just segue right into what who is a National Geographic signature traveler.
[46:23] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, excellent.
[46:25] SPEAKER_00: So I mean, listen, the the the the product line currently exists and is operated by National Geographic directly.
[46:34] SPEAKER_00: Um so uh we did we we are absorbing some of the destinations um that that they currently feature, uh that that that people uh offering trips that people have loved and and uh will continue to love.
[46:51] SPEAKER_00: Um we didn't bring we're not bringing back all of the destinations they had.
[46:57] SPEAKER_00: We really looked at places where um where people wanted to go that were that that really had an appeal for this demographic.
[47:10] SPEAKER_00: Uh we wanted to to have a global product line.
[47:13] SPEAKER_00: We also um are approaching it in a in a very phased approach.
[47:18] SPEAKER_00: So we have our our launch plan that's gonna go over two years uh for this product line.
[47:24] SPEAKER_00: Ultimately, we plan to get close to 80 different trips uh globally.
[47:30] SPEAKER_00: Uh for launch, we are launching with uh 33 trips.
[47:36] SPEAKER_00: Um, the team is always telling me that number's changing because of me, because I'm always like, well, what about if we did this as well?
[47:43] SPEAKER_00: What about if we did this as well?
[47:45] SPEAKER_00: So I'm always changing that number, uh, making people a little bit crazy, but um that's part of our DNA at G.
[47:53] SPEAKER_00: It's always pushing the envelope.
[47:55] SPEAKER_00: Um and and we selected destinations where we could really highlight where expertise and community can come together and create a very special NatGEO experience.
[48:14] SPEAKER_00: Uh, we wanted destinations where there were stories to tell, where there was exploration to be had, where there was uh uh where we had, for launch, the expertise and the knowledge to really do it justice.
[48:30] SPEAKER_00: Because while I talk a lot about community tourism and a lot about projects, um everything is is we had to be able to operate it at a level of comfort and a level of service that meets the luxury standards.
[48:48] SPEAKER_00: So while you're going into communities, and you know, I talked about how we can make it more comfortable to visit in communities, um, you still need to be able to get a bus that is going to be comfortable enough for these travelers, that's gonna have AC or heat if you're in the north, that's gonna have uh, you know, hand sanitizers when you get on, cold towels, water, uh that you're you're gonna be able to find hotels and accommodations that meet the needs.
[49:17] SPEAKER_00: So all of that went into how we chose the destinations.
[49:21] SPEAKER_00: I mean, we have a couple hero destinations that I I particularly like.
[49:25] SPEAKER_00: Uh, and we have some new destinations that are gonna be new for us.
[49:29] SPEAKER_00: Um, so Palau is one of the new destinations for G.
[49:33] SPEAKER_00: And we we've been working with a partner there uh really actively who has been operating at at this level uh and was actually the same operator that handled uh the the current trip to Palau uh through National Geographic.
[49:51] SPEAKER_00: So it provides some consistency and some continuity to the experience.
[49:57] SPEAKER_00: Um Central Asia, we we've expanded uh the destination there to really offer kind of a more uh unique experience in Central Asia.
[50:10] SPEAKER_00: China, uh, I'm really excited about China because um in China we're actually going to go out to the Gobi Desert and experience the Silk Road, the Chinese Silk Road, uh before heading into Xi'an, which was the end of the Silk Road.
[50:27] SPEAKER_00: Um and uh so really it was looking at how we can we can really merge all of these components we've been talking about.
[50:38] SPEAKER_00: So, in terms of who the traveler is, um the traveler is someone who's looking to go just beyond visiting a destination at a at a at a at a at a super comfortable level, at a at a luxury level.
[50:55] SPEAKER_00: They want more than just these, you know, Michelin starred dinners and just um you know these uh constant uh only exclusive visits.
[51:07] SPEAKER_00: They really want to connect with the place they're going.
[51:11] SPEAKER_00: They wanna they wanna feel it.
[51:13] SPEAKER_00: Like they are looking to be an explorer.
[51:18] SPEAKER_00: And that's truly the approach we've taken with with everything.
[51:22] SPEAKER_00: Definitely um, you know, we're we're we we expect uh North American travelers to to to be um the majority of travelers the first few years, but because of our global distribution, we actually expect very quickly to see um to see the the traveler mix to look more like every G trip, which is you know, it's it's on every trip you'll have some Brits, some Germans, some Australians, Canadians, Americans, South Africans, and that's the beauty of exploring with G, and this is going to be the beauty about this product, the signature product, is it's not gonna be monocial, it's going to be multinational on trips.
[52:11] SPEAKER_00: So you not only are are exploring uh uh a foreign country, uh a new culture, but you're exploring it with people from different countries, and that really kind of creates a an incredible community of travelers.
[52:30] SPEAKER_00: And uh that's what we're we're super excited about seeing that happen in the luxury space.
[52:36] SPEAKER_02: Eve, that's really interesting, and that's why I wanted to focus on the product in so much detail before we got into the customer because ultimately a traveler is trying to decide is this trip for me?
[52:46] SPEAKER_02: And it needs to speak to them on many different levels.
[52:48] SPEAKER_02: And one of the things I still very much remember from working with Jeff Russell, I remember all the highs and the lows, but one of the things that Jeff had said to me then that stayed with me is that you know when someone's trying to plan a trip, it's the biggest decision they're gonna make financially after a house and a car.
[53:04] SPEAKER_02: But it's actually often more complicated because it's their time off.
[53:09] SPEAKER_02: And so the idea that you not only are you gonna spend you know a significant amount of your savings, the money you put aside to take that holiday, but you want that holiday to be special because it's literally the two weeks you get that year.
[53:21] SPEAKER_02: And so it's a combination of those two things.
[53:22] SPEAKER_02: So understanding the product experience is incredibly important.
[53:26] SPEAKER_02: The most successful companies are the ones that stay close to their customer, really understand the product experience because so much of this industry has been has grown by word of mouth.
[53:34] SPEAKER_02: People love traveling with G, they love traveling with National Geographic by G Adventures, they tell other people, and that's how you get customers.
[53:41] SPEAKER_02: But ultimately, understanding who that customer is and how you get more of them is the key to the marketing team, of course.
[53:48] SPEAKER_02: And so when you actually think about who's gonna be on the trip, and that's the next thing that comes along for everyone that's going on a group tour, is they then ask the question, who's gonna be there with me?
[53:57] SPEAKER_02: It's why we all had to have forums and uh places for travelers to post, because that's the first question they want to ask.
[54:03] SPEAKER_02: How many people are gonna be on this trip?
[54:04] SPEAKER_02: Where are they from?
[54:05] SPEAKER_02: And one of the big difference makers with International Group Tour Company is making sure it is a global audience that they want to know that they're gonna be surrounded by like-minded people, but they're also gonna be surrounded by interesting people from around the world.
[54:18] SPEAKER_02: So you started to go into that, but let's let's just make sure that we paint a pretty clear profile of who is a National Geographic signature traveler.
[54:27] SPEAKER_02: And really, of course, it can be a broad range, but likely it is someone 50, 60 plus, um, either, you know, uh couples traveling that are retired, um, some people obviously widowed or divorced.
[54:40] SPEAKER_02: I know there's you know, one of the biggest trends we've seen is solo female travelers.
[54:44] SPEAKER_02: And the stat that I always found fascinating that I learned last year when I was speaking at the Forbes Travel Guide Conference is that 50% of female travelers are either widowed or divorced.
[54:54] SPEAKER_02: Because you often think of a female solo traveler and you're picturing someone in their 20s or early 30s, but that's not often the case.
[55:00] SPEAKER_02: So tell us a little bit more about when you're designing this product, who you had in mind, and if you were to close your eyes and open them again and you're on a trip, who would you be surrounded by?
[55:09] SPEAKER_00: When when we designed the trips, who were we looking at?
[55:12] SPEAKER_00: We were listen, we were looking at uh at people who were professionals, mostly professionals.
[55:20] SPEAKER_00: Um you know, doctors, attorneys, professors, um, higher, higher income earners, because this is a higher price point product.
[55:33] SPEAKER_00: Uh people who who wanted on trip to not have to worry about the the the the comfort or the logistics.
[55:44] SPEAKER_00: They want to know that things are taken care of and that there's not going to be glitches.
[55:51] SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, there that's the that's the luxury market.
[55:54] SPEAKER_00: So, you know, if for for anyone who listens to the podcast who thinks like, you know, all my talk about community tourism means that it's gonna be a little less comfortable, that's actually completely false.
[56:05] SPEAKER_00: It is going to be a very comfortable experience.
[56:08] SPEAKER_00: So put put all of the the comfort and the the the service level aside for a second.
[56:17] SPEAKER_00: The the people these trips are for are for people who really want to experience a destination deeper than most travel companies do.
[56:33] SPEAKER_00: Uh in a way where they're going to feel that they develop a connection with the destination, but also with people in the destination.
[56:43] SPEAKER_00: And in terms of closing your eyes and being on tour, imagine yourself surrounded by people that are pro probably within 50 to 75 years old, um, you know, recently retired or or or at the peak of their career.
[57:03] SPEAKER_00: Um couples, solo travelers, a blend of both.
[57:09] SPEAKER_00: Um and we're talking uh people coming from the US, from Canada, Europe, UK, um, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, uh, and having uh a blend of that that would be representative that we see on on all our tours.
[57:32] SPEAKER_00: Uh our current National Geographic Journeys tours represent that same blend of multinationals.
[57:40] SPEAKER_00: And and the beauty with that is you're not serving a unique market.
[57:46] SPEAKER_00: So you're gonna have people who come with different perspectives, different kinds of thoughts about the world, and the conversations you have at dinner are gonna be much more global than than just mono-national.
[58:02] SPEAKER_00: Uh, and that that's the beauty of like you talk about the two weeks vacation, you're got you're going to be with people who share kind of that same world view as you because that's who wants this kind of tour.
[58:19] SPEAKER_02: And then let's talk about how they purchase it, because that's one other thing that's really important for our listeners.
[58:23] SPEAKER_02: I mean, this is a B2B podcast.
[58:25] SPEAKER_02: Many of our listeners are travel agents, travel agencies around the world, many of them who already sell G Adventures.
[58:31] SPEAKER_02: Um, I speak a lot of the uh at industry conferences, of course.
[58:34] SPEAKER_02: So we have you know a broad B2B audience.
[58:37] SPEAKER_02: We also have customers are listening to this, of course.
[58:40] SPEAKER_02: We find that actually we're growing our B2C audience interesting interestingly enough as people want to work in the industry, learn more about travel, and hear from experts like yourself.
[58:49] SPEAKER_02: And so when you think about how this product is sold, and this is one of the things it's you know, uh an adventure travel or a group travel is you know considered a it's a considered purchase, it's high touch, it's part of the reason that there were uh concept stores and and why the idea that you need to make sure that you have contact centers and sales teams, and that you know there's a a huge level of education and obviously a massive level of trust um in this whole booking process.
[59:14] SPEAKER_02: And sure, people also do book direct online.
[59:17] SPEAKER_02: Um but tell us a little bit about how people book these trips and how important, I guess, in the grand scheme are travel agencies and trade partners to this collection.
[59:27] SPEAKER_00: I mean, extremely important.
[59:29] SPEAKER_00: I mean they they travel agents and and trade partners and agency chains are are core to selling this.
[59:40] SPEAKER_00: And in fact, the the number of of of travelers who book luxury uh is much higher uh with uh agency than it is uh direct.
[59:53] SPEAKER_00: Um so so it's gonna be key for us.
[59:56] SPEAKER_00: Um what I can say to any travel agent.
[1:00:00] SPEAKER_00: Agent or any agent partner who's listening to the podcast is when when you look at the luxury space and your choice of of of companies that uh you can book with, you know, um traditionally G hasn't been looked at as a luxury operator.
[1:00:20] SPEAKER_00: Like a lot of people might say, should we should we should we venture down that road?
[1:00:26] SPEAKER_00: We've done our homework.
[1:00:28] SPEAKER_00: Uh I mean we have positioned and we have built the product to be able to stand against any other luxury operator from a from a hotel perspective, transportation, meals, everything.
[1:00:43] SPEAKER_00: Um we we talk a little bit less about thread count and more about authenticity and experience, but the thread count is there.
[1:00:56] SPEAKER_00: And I use that as an example because you know we're using the same hotels in some places.
[1:01:02] SPEAKER_00: We're using uh more different because we felt it was more local or it was locally owned and gave had gave back more.
[1:01:11] SPEAKER_00: But from a from an experience perspective for for agents and their travelers, um, you know, they're not gonna be touching their luggage, they're not gonna be reaching into their pocket to tip the there's no optional tours, like this is very inclusive and very thoughtful, and you know, the logistics are managed from beginning to end.
[1:01:36] SPEAKER_00: Um and so the confidence uh should be there.
[1:01:42] SPEAKER_00: It's finding the right client who wants that authentic experience is really for an agent um the most important thing.
[1:01:51] SPEAKER_00: Like if you if you have a traveler who's sitting in front of you and says, I really want to know and understand Nepal or Morocco, and I don't just want to go and have great like great food and uh see uh you know museums and have some exclusive experiences that I can that I can talk about.
[1:02:15] SPEAKER_00: I want to get under the skin of the destination a little bit more, and I want all of those other things, then go with signature.
[1:02:24] SPEAKER_00: If all they want is just the the thread count and and they can still come with us, but we are going to be delivering that under-the-skin experience a little bit.
[1:02:35] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think what's really interesting is that when you look at the the luxury market, and we you know you mentioned things like thread count, having uh been at the Forbes Travel Guide Conference, working with luxury hotels, and these are the things, these are the questions that they get asked, these are the expectations of those types of uh uh properties.
[1:02:51] SPEAKER_02: But when you look at luxury cruise lines, for example, I know Bruce Poontip does a great job of this when he's giving keynotes uh kind of railing against the cruise industry, given the fact that it doesn't contribute to local communities and obviously uh pollution and the environmental concerns, which are obvious.
[1:03:05] SPEAKER_02: Uh when I was in uh Galapagos recently, uh we traveled on land, uh, my family and I, we had the most magnificent time, and the number of people that thanked us for doing that, um, that we weren't just on a ship that we're visiting for the day and that no money flowed to the locals.
[1:03:19] SPEAKER_02: We stayed in local hotels.
[1:03:20] SPEAKER_02: We stayed in nice hotels, um, and we ate at nice restaurants.
[1:03:24] SPEAKER_02: And the number of people that commented that how much they appreciate that style of travel because it is a it is a very small percentage of people that travel land to Galapagos because it is a beautiful place to see by the water.
[1:03:35] SPEAKER_02: Um, but there is an impact on the local community when you uh in terms of the travel style that you choose, as you well know.
[1:03:41] SPEAKER_02: But the uh the part I wanted to get to on this is that when you think about the potential for travel advisors that will now have an alternative to be able to sell a luxury product that is the National Geographic Signature Collection, I presume, and I think this is where you're going with this, is all of a sudden there is a product offering uh that they can uh share with their clients that wouldn't otherwise be in the G Adventures consideration set.
[1:04:08] SPEAKER_02: But once you have the National Geographic Signature Collection, all of a sudden you have a product that they can sell and you can bring those people into their you know in into the ecosystem of G and National Geographic.
[1:04:20] SPEAKER_02: So tell us in in terms of being able to do that, obviously that requires training, that requires resources, all the and then uh working with uh travel agents is a is a major undertaking that many travel companies can't uh uh they struggle with, or they can't quite uh you know understand all the things that are involved in ordering organizing uh familiarization trips or being able to do things like um a GX event.
[1:04:43] SPEAKER_02: Um but tell us how you guys are planning to empower these agents.
[1:04:47] SPEAKER_02: What are some of the tools that you're making available for them, an additional training or support so that you can really expand and sell this collection in 2026 and beyond?
[1:04:57] SPEAKER_00: Yeah, excellent.
[1:04:58] SPEAKER_00: So interestingly enough, right before the right before our our our podcast started, I was actually doing a training with our GPS's our global purpose specialists or our outside sales team.
[1:05:13] SPEAKER_00: Um because they've been asking, like, you need to give us more more knowledge, more more more content, more context.
[1:05:22] SPEAKER_00: Like we're starting to work with agency partners and agencies.
[1:05:26] SPEAKER_00: Um so our our team in the field is out there working with our our key, our our our most prominent agency partners to to develop training.
[1:05:40] SPEAKER_00: And they are always available for any agent who wants to learn a little bit more about what's available in terms of support and training, um to give them that training, to share uh the knowledge.
[1:05:54] SPEAKER_00: Um and I would encourage any agent who wants to know more about this to join some of the training sessions that are gonna be that are gonna be done.
[1:06:04] SPEAKER_00: As part of our rollout, we are rolling out some training sessions with uh key consortiums.
[1:06:11] SPEAKER_00: Um so it's gonna be available.
[1:06:14] SPEAKER_00: Uh and um and we are gonna be doing some fam trips uh in in the next year um with uh with uh top producing agents uh from around the world.
[1:06:27] SPEAKER_02: That's great.
[1:06:28] SPEAKER_02: I appreciate the uh those details.
[1:06:29] SPEAKER_02: I'm sure many of our travel advisors are listening to this will reach out for more details, and we'll certainly finish off with that.
[1:06:35] SPEAKER_02: But there's a couple more questions I wanted to ask you while we have this time together, and really it's about looking ahead and your vision as to where this goes from here, because I'm sure everyone's got a pretty good understanding now.
[1:06:46] SPEAKER_02: If anyone didn't know G, they definitely do.
[1:06:48] SPEAKER_02: If people are you know didn't know about the National Geographic, certainly they do now.
[1:06:52] SPEAKER_02: And of course, the signature collection, the big development for 2026 and beyond.
[1:06:57] SPEAKER_02: And given that you've been you know core to G Adventure's product, the National Geographic, and now the signature collection, and you highlighted to us that this is a multi-year rollout, and you know, there's obviously a very bright future envisioned for this style of luxury travel.
[1:07:14] SPEAKER_02: Uh, but there's a couple things I wanted to ask you on this.
[1:07:16] SPEAKER_02: Is that like when you developed this product, what were some of the things that you're hoping travelers take away from these journeys beyond just you know the high-end service and clearly being able to take some beautiful photos?
[1:07:29] SPEAKER_02: What is your hope for travelers that have these experiences?
[1:07:35] SPEAKER_02: I know I started about this conversation about transformative travel and come back feeling changed.
[1:07:39] SPEAKER_02: I'm sure there's something that goes through your mind as to whether it's that that hero's journey or if it is the um the experience of connecting with others that people are seeking uh so much today from this style of travel.
[1:07:51] SPEAKER_02: But yeah, what what what is what is the big takeaway you'd like travelers to get from a National Geographic signature experience?
[1:07:57] SPEAKER_00: Oh, I mean there there's a few of them.
[1:07:59] SPEAKER_00: Uh I I I think the biggest one is I want people at the end of their journey or their trip, their experience to to feel like they've really deepened their understanding of of the destination they've been to, whether it's Egypt, and I mean, you know, Egypt, it's the pyramids, it's the the temples, but it's more than that.
[1:08:25] SPEAKER_00: It's the people, it's it's the culture, and I hope that me and my team has been able to weave not just the the the sites but the story of the place and a connection to the people so that when they end a trip they feel more connected to the place and the people they've met, but also to their fellow travelers on the trip, and that they really feel that they've made an impact in the communities they've visited because I think that's the num that's one of the biggest takeaways that you feel that through travel you've had a positive impact on the world, and Bruce says that all the time uh to us, you know, and that's why he started G was to see trav that travel done right can be a force for good.
[1:09:29] SPEAKER_00: I believe that 100%.
[1:09:32] SPEAKER_00: And I think when we design our tours, we design with that scope in mind.
[1:09:38] SPEAKER_00: Like, how do we make this a positive impact, not just for the communities we're visiting, but for the travelers, so that they come home and they go, Wow, I never want to travel with someone else.
[1:09:51] SPEAKER_00: I just want to travel this way because it was so meaningful.
[1:09:55] SPEAKER_02: And what do you expect or anticipate the broader influence this might have on the travel industry with the launch of National Geographic Signature Style A G?
[1:10:07] SPEAKER_00: I mean, I I I I hope that other companies kind of look at our product and they say, you know what, let's let's absorb some of these concepts and ideals.
[1:10:18] SPEAKER_00: Like I've seen it with our other travel styles, and we never like say, oh well, how they they're stealing.
[1:10:25] SPEAKER_00: Like, we're like great.
[1:10:26] SPEAKER_00: It's good that travel is changing.
[1:10:29] SPEAKER_00: That that is ultimately what we want to see happen.
[1:10:33] SPEAKER_00: You know, it's it's one of the reasons why we never like with all our planetaire projects, we we never actually make them sign an exclusivity agreement.
[1:10:42] SPEAKER_00: It we want them to work with others, we want them to expand, we want the impact to be felt much deeper.
[1:10:52] SPEAKER_02: And two last questions.
[1:10:53] SPEAKER_02: One, you've highlighted some of the incredible experiences you can have, but for you, is there a signature moment or a specific itinerary that you personally can't wait for travelers to experience?
[1:11:05] SPEAKER_02: Where where's the Easter egg that you've put into these itineraries?
[1:11:08] SPEAKER_02: What is that?
[1:11:08] SPEAKER_02: Oh my god.
[1:11:10] SPEAKER_02: That's a tough one.
[1:11:11] SPEAKER_02: Give us one.
[1:11:12] SPEAKER_02: What is the big standout that is like if I'm gonna someone's gonna get online and book today?
[1:11:17] SPEAKER_00: I mean, I I have to say, I I I I think I I have a lot of favorites, but I I think my most favorite is gonna be Morocco.
[1:11:31] SPEAKER_00: And it it's because we really have built something that's going to be unique, that no other luxury operator was operating a similar itinerary.
[1:11:45] SPEAKER_00: And and it's because it looks at Morocco from a number of different perspectives, and it's all at the great level, and then we end at uh at uh you know at one of the greatest hotels in the world outside Marrakech, just in Marrakesh, just outside Marrakesh, the Oberoy there, you know, was voted I think two years ago number one hotel in the world.
[1:12:13] SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, and and um and it's just the the community components we fit in there, like around storytelling, around uh connections with the National Geographic Society are just multi-layered.
[1:12:34] SPEAKER_00: And um I can say anyone who does that trip will fall in love with the destination and experience some really cool places.
[1:12:45] SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
[1:12:46] SPEAKER_02: Well, I certainly look forward to how hopefully having the opportunity to uh to take one of these trips in 2026.
[1:12:52] SPEAKER_02: I mean, the product portfolio, there's a number of destinations that I have not been to yet, so I was looking at some of the itineraries to see what stood out to me.
[1:12:59] SPEAKER_02: And um and so Which one stood out to you?
[1:13:03] SPEAKER_02: Ah, good question.
[1:13:04] SPEAKER_02: Uh so I am desperately keen to get back to Peru.
[1:13:08] SPEAKER_02: And um I've only been once, and I've and my travel style to Peru, I I loved my experience in Peru, but I actually want to go back and experience Peru with uh National Geographic Signature Collection.
[1:13:20] SPEAKER_02: So that's the one I went back to because I was like, ah, the heart, where it all began.
[1:13:24] SPEAKER_02: And um and I, you know, it was took me a long time to get to Machu Picchu, but we took the train and we um so I I I have an idea of what to expect, but I just loved that experience so much.
[1:13:34] SPEAKER_02: But there's so much of the country that I haven't seen.
[1:13:36] SPEAKER_02: And there was a number of standouts on the itinerary that was like, oh, like I just so that that to me, um, but um I've been to South Africa, I've been to Japan, I've done Vietnam, and I've done Jordan.
[1:13:48] SPEAKER_02: And so for me, it was it was like, yeah, going back to Peru.
[1:13:51] SPEAKER_02: But Morocco would be a close second, I have to say.
[1:13:54] SPEAKER_02: So it's uh uh but uh but for other people who are i having that exact challenge now, looking at the website, I'm clear I'm sure I mean I mentioned at the beginning of the introduction, but uh for those of you who are uh been trying to multitask here, obviously gadventures.com, but you can look up the National Geographic uh style of travel and the signature collection specifically.
[1:14:12] SPEAKER_02: So it's gadventures.com slash GX slash signature, but obviously just use the navigation on the website or um, but what would be the ways for anyone after this to be able to connect with you, Eve, or to learn more about partnering with G or to take a trip?
[1:14:28] SPEAKER_02: What are all the best ways?
[1:14:29] SPEAKER_02: What what directions would you point them in?
[1:14:31] SPEAKER_00: All right, I'm not gonna share my email because I wouldn't be able to keep up, but uh it would be to reach out to to anyone in our in of our GPSs, our outside salespeople, and uh and uh they they have no problem contacting me and asking questions.
[1:14:49] SPEAKER_00: And I'm happy to to arrange, you know, um anyone who who wanted to really have a conversation, I'm happy to do so.
[1:14:57] SPEAKER_00: Um and uh reach out to our PR department or our our sales department, and they get messages to me if anyone wants to reach out.
[1:15:07] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's great.
[1:15:07] SPEAKER_02: Thank you, Eve.
[1:15:08] SPEAKER_02: It's been a real pleasure speaking to you.
[1:15:09] SPEAKER_02: I mean, this is the first time we've had a chance to meet and get to know each other.
[1:15:13] SPEAKER_02: Uh it feels like I've known you for years.
[1:15:15] SPEAKER_02: I certainly look forward to seeing you at some point over the course of the year and uh wish you and the team every success going forward.
[1:15:21] SPEAKER_02: But thanks again for joining us.
[1:15:22] SPEAKER_02: Congrats on the launch of the National Geographic Signature Collection and wishing you and the team every success.
[1:15:27] SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
[1:15:28] SPEAKER_00: And I look forward to uh to the success as well.
[1:15:31] SPEAKER_00: And uh thanks for taking the time to chat with me.
[1:15:34] SPEAKER_02: Thanks so much for joining us on this special spotlight edition of Travel Trends as we spoke to Eve Marceau, the VP of product at G Adventures, to celebrate and highlight the launch of the National Geographic Signature Collection.
[1:15:47] SPEAKER_02: I just want to say a special thank you to Eve for joining us for this conversation and sharing all your insights.
[1:15:52] SPEAKER_02: I think this is not only an exciting moment for G Adventures, but also for the future of purpose-driven high-end travel.
[1:15:58] SPEAKER_02: It's an exciting new chapter that I think has the potential to really redefine what luxury travel can look like in 2026 and beyond.
[1:16:06] SPEAKER_02: I also want to congratulate the entire team at G Adventures on this exciting launch.
[1:16:11] SPEAKER_02: Whether you're a traveler or a travel agent, I encourage you to check out gadventures.com to explore the full signature collection and to learn more about these incredible journeys.
[1:16:20] SPEAKER_02: And don't forget, we do post clips and highlights from these conversations on our social channels, which you can find on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram at Travel Trends Podcast.
[1:16:29] SPEAKER_02: And we have one other very exciting bit of news to share with you too.
[1:16:33] SPEAKER_02: And that is that I'm incredibly excited to welcome GAdventure's founder and CEO, Bruce Poontip, to the podcast this year, where we're going to discuss his new book, Community Ship.
[1:16:45] SPEAKER_02: I'm really looking forward to recording that with him and sharing that conversation with you.
[1:16:49] SPEAKER_02: So make sure that you are registered on the streaming platform of your choice to be notified when new episodes go live.
[1:16:55] SPEAKER_02: Thanks again for joining us, and until next time, safe travels.

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