You might say Bruce Poon Tip has the whole world in his hands. Since founding G Adventures in 1990, the 42-year-old former Calgarian and Mount Royal University grad has parlayed his passion for travelling off the beaten path into a global brand offering expeditions on seven continents. In line with G Adventures's mandate of social and environmental responsibility, the company also funds a wide range of initiatives, from restorative sight clinics in Tibet to housing for street orphans in Peru, through its philanthropic arm, the non-profit Planeterra Foundation.
Writer Shelley Arnusch recently caught up with Poon Tip in Whistler, B.C., where he was sharing his thoughts on "Tourism's Place in a Sustainable World" for TEDx Whistler, an ideas summit hosted by the Whistler Centre for Sustainability about the tourism industry's role in fostering cultural understanding and environmental stewardship.
Q: You've built your company on the concept of authentic experience. These days, in our hyper-connected world, is it tougher to be authentic?
A: Authenticity is something that is defined differently by everyone; something that feels authentic to someone doesn't feel authentic to someone else. There are a lot of people who are quite jaded about the idea of authentic experience and they're welcome to those opinions, but it's whatever you believe.
Q: Your Planeterra initiatives and the idea of "voluntourism" show a blurring of the line between travel to the developing world and philanthropy. This has long been common within religious bodies. Do you see it as an emerging secular trend?
A: I think it is something that is cyclical. People actually give more during recessions so I think the whole "voluntour" concept goes hand in hand with that. It allows people to accomplish their goals of taking a vacation, and still give back. A lot of people don't necessarily have a lot of disposable income to take their holiday as well as give on the level that they'd like to, so I think voluntourism offers the ability to do that, especially when giving is so in vogue.
Q: You recently were part of a relief mission to Haiti. What is the role of a humanitarian-minded tour company such as yours in rebuilding that country?
A: I know that immediately, when something like this happens, we have a lot of pressure from our passengers and colleagues in the industry because we're seen as a company that can really spearhead a movement on the tourism side. So we'll definitely take an active role."
Q: Have you experienced a demand for tours to Haiti?
A: Not yet. It doesn't happen that quickly. Right now it's still a search-and-rescue mission; they're still doing emergency evacuations. A lot of work has to be done before the tourism and voluntourism side will emerge.
Q: As far as your own personal travel experiences go, is there anywhere in the world you haven't been?
A: There is, actually. Russia. Q: Is that next on the list?
A: It's going to be awhile. Right now I just don't have the generous amount of time I think I'll need to see Russia properly. I need to do the whole Trans-Siberian thing and that's going to take a long period of time.
Q: What's the hairiest situation you ever got yourself into while travelling?
A: There have been so many but a good one was when I was in Mongolia. One of the greatest things about Mongolia is the history of Genghis Khan and how his warriors almost took over the world on horseback. So they have this breed of horse in Mongolia that's very unique and I decided I wanted to go into the Gobi Desert and do a horse trek, having never ridden a horse before in my life.
I got dropped off by a four-wheel-drive Jeep with a couple of friends of mine and we had to ride out of the Gobi Desert. The horses were so short my feet could touch the ground when I was on them and the Mongolians use brass saddles. So here I am in the middle of the Gobi Desert with a brass saddle and a short horse, days away from civilization.
Within hours of being in that brass saddle there was no way I could sit on that horse again. I tried all kinds of positions, pillows -- it was the most ridiculous thing ever. I ended up just walking the horse out of the Gobi Desert.
I could get really graphic about bruises and bleeding and leaning over the saddle on my stomach for miles at a time just to take a rest from walking in the sand.
Q: What's the best advice you can give to other travellers?
A: It's about cultural exchange, about never leaving a country without having a cultural moment.
Whether it's a meal with a local person or a local family or just a barbecue in a backyard, you can't say you've seen a country fully without having some form of cultural exchange or local experience. Generally speaking, it ends up being centred around food or drink -- sharing yak-butter tea, camel yogurt, whatever it is they offer you. It's that moment of sharing that will be the highlight of any trip.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Have+cultural+moment/2619735/story.html#ixzz0iRUAYI91