Travel Advisors: The Global Teachers of Purposeful Travel

This week I’ll be in Amman, Jordan, with the team at G Adventures, to celebrate World Tourism Day and the power of community tourism. During my 13-plus hour flight — and my missed connection in Dubai — I started to reflect on what travel can truly offer, and the important role advisors play.

For more than three decades, I’ve had the privilege of travelling the world in a variety of travel industry roles, the most relevant for this article being my days heading up the retail division at Thomas Cook North America in the early 2000’s.

From the earliest days of my career, I lived and breathed travel. I romanticized it. If I wasn’t on a plane, I was planning my next flight. If I wasn’t sitting in a conference session, I was networking, usually at a bar, until the lights went out, and often long after.

My calendar was filled with iconic industry conferences such as ITB Berlin, WTM London, IPW across various U.S. cities, Huddle, and countless other events. There were beach parties, theme parties, late-night celebrations, and yes, I did my job too, which happened to complete with all that fun.

But it wasn’t until I reached my mid-40s that I fully understood the gift that travel offers. The old saying “If I only knew then what I know now” rings true. Travel is more than conferences, cocktails, and checklists. It’s an invitation to open your mind and your heart to the world.

Today’s travel advisors are the global teachers of purposeful travel. You are the ones who field the big questions:

“What should we do?” “Where should we go?” “How can we do something different?”

You do more than just plan itineraries. You create moments that can change your clients’ lives. And not just your clients. Every time a traveller supports a beach vendor, an artisan, or a local guide, they’re not just purchasing a product or service; they are feeding an economy and potentially reshaping how that individual views the rest of the world.

I’ve bartered in countless markets from India to Peru, Thailand to Mexico and throughout the Caribbean. I’ve bargained hard to shave $5 off the price of an item which I inevitably lose or break within a few weeks. The negotiating and the banter is fun, but eventually, I started giving the $5 back. Because in the end, that small sum didn’t change my life, but it may have improved theirs.

The world of travel is changing and evolving in positive ways, and some of that is thanks to companies like G Adventures, which marry profit with purpose and ethics. Solo travel is booming. Small groups are redefining adventure. Fully escorted tours offer seamless ways to dive deep into culture.

Travel advisors are perfectly positioned to curate these opportunities and show travellers the impact they can make.

This is the message I hope advisors can pass along to their clients: leave something behind. Encourage them to see the world not as a bargain to be had, but a relationship to be nurtured.

Stay tuned for my exclusive on-camera interview with Bruce Poon Tip, where we’ll explore how advisors can inspire community tourism and purposeful travel in 2025 and beyond.