03/03/2020
Bruce P**n Tip, founder of one of our closest adventure tour suppliers ‘G Adventures’ with some reassuring and wise words surrounding the Coronavirus & their commitment of support to our travellers, as well as the impact we need to stay aware of with simply not travelling❤️
In light of the recent Coronavirus epidemic (COVID-19) I wanted to personally reach out to reassure you that G Adventures has your health and wellbeing at the heart of all we do. We are constantly monitoring the situation on the ground from our 28 offices around the world, and it’s our job to ensure you have the most up-to-date information to help keep you safe. If you have any questions about your upcoming travel arrangements, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Whilst the current situation needs to be taken seriously, during our 30 years in the tourism business we have dealt with similar situations such as SARS, Zika and Ebola, and in our experience the panic around these issues usually subsides once the initial fear — often exacerbated by the media — dissipates. We hope this to be the case this time, too.
We still firmly believe travel is incredibly safe. As pioneers of community tourism, we believe travel can be the greatest form of wealth distribution the world has seen, and as much as we have a commitment to you, we have a commitment to the local communities that tourism benefits. This situation has the potential to be damaging for them. We hope that you, our fans and travellers, will keep travelling, even if that means changing your destination, or postponing your plans.
We thank you for the resilience you have demonstrated over the past three decades. This ensures travel can continue to be a force for good and it’s what we love most about you, our travellers.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to urge you all to rise up and be the shining light on inclusivity in terms of the racism, xenophobia and division being reflected in reactions to and coverage of Coronavirus. As an Asian myself, I feel this. Recent reports of racism towards Asians as a result of this pandemic are extremely unfortunate. Ignorance is counterproductive to public health and wellness.
It’s important that we remember we are stronger together. We are living in dangerous times, where people are divided and looking for division. We must come together as a global community. Coronavirus is an issue for humanity — not for individual races or people.
Thank you for being the change we want to see in the world. Again, we are and will continue to be committed to your health and safety, and will continue to support your burning desire to explore the world in a way that gives back to the places you travel.
Peace,
Bruce
