G Adventures has reinstated its long-running Change Makers incentive, offering a spot at next year’s GX Summit in Morocco to 15 Australian and New Zealand travel advisors. The program, which rewards frontline agents for directing travellers toward community-based tourism, quietly resumed this month after a hiatus.
The company says the incentive reflects a view that community tourism remains central to its model, even as parts of the industry lean more heavily toward volume and speed. For G Adventures, the emphasis is still on local impact — and on the travel agents who sell its trips.
Every booking made between now and 31 May 2026 counts as one “life changed.” It’s a deliberately simple metric, though one the company says speaks to the practical, ground-level impact of placing travellers in small communities that rely on visitor income.
The top ten agents from Australia and New Zealand will qualify automatically for the Morocco summit. Another five places will be filled via wildcard entries. These won’t necessarily go to the highest sellers, but to advisors who engage with the company’s broader ecosystem — from completing online training to fundraising for Planeterra, G Adventures’ long-time non-profit partner.
First-time bookers are also eligible. The company has phrased this part of the initiative in broad terms, leaving room for what it calls “above and beyond” behaviour. In an industry where incentives are often tied to sales targets, the wildcard approach is designed to level the field.
Sean Martin, Managing Director for Australia, New Zealand and Asia, said the program was intended to recognise the role advisors play in shaping traveller behaviour.
“Our travel agent community is at the heart of our mission to change lives through travel and Change Makers is our way of recognising and celebrating this vital partnership,” he said.
“At next year’s GX Summit in Morocco, 15 agents from Australia and New Zealand will enjoy an unforgettable opportunity to experience the transformative impact of community tourism first-hand and connect with the inspiring people behind our Planeterra projects. It’s more than product knowledge building; it’s about empowering agents to become true advocates for travel that makes a difference.”
The GX Summit, to be held in Morocco in September 2026, will bring together 75 agents from across G Adventures’ global network. Delegates will visit several Planeterra-supported community projects, meet operators who work within the company’s model, and gain exposure to local businesses that, as Martin describes, form “the real backbone” of its itineraries.
The summit will also take advisors into the souks and desert regions, experiences intended not as entertainment but as context. Understanding how a destination actually functions, G Adventures argues, is central to selling it responsibly.
Across Australia and New Zealand, the program is being supported by FAMS, training sessions and advisor events. G Adventures says these are designed as a broader support structure rather than adjunct promotions.
The incentive arrives at a time when community-based tourism is becoming more prominent in consumer demand, particularly among younger travellers and repeat long-haul markets. While the term “impact tourism” can sometimes be used loosely across the industry, G Adventures positions its version as practical and measurable, anchored to on-the-ground partners.
Those interested in participating in Change Makers can contact their GPS representative or visit the program site. The premise is straightforward: sell the product, change a life, and potentially gain a place on the Morocco delegation.
For advisors who value the more traditional principles of relationship-driven selling and destination knowledge — elements that have survived several reinventions of the travel trade, the program may feel like a return to form.
More details are available at: https://sherpa.gadventures.com/change-makers/.
By Sandra Jones – (c) 2025
Read Time: 4 minutes.
