Travel’s Next Big Community: Why G Adventures Is Betting on Sports Fans

Well, and this is actually, it brings up an interesting point.

And what I was keen to ask you is it relates to our previous conversation around the luxury experience, which was people didn't identify adventure travel as luxury.

I know when G Adventures moved into comfort and that was kind of suggesting to people that were kind of 50 plus and they weren't looking for what they perceive to be a more kind of basic backpacker type trip.

And that was very much the idea of introducing comfort.

You're staying in higher end hotels.

And then all of a sudden you guys pushed into luxury.

The interesting thing when you push into a new market, obviously you have the base of existing support within the G Adventures community of new trips that you're introducing.

I mean, the National Geographic collection has been so massively successful for you.

And obviously that's been a big reason it's been successful is because G Adventures is travelers want to take these Nat Geo trips.

But at the same time, Nat Geo travelers also then discover G Adventures.

And so my question to you is very much along the same lines is that to me, adventure travelers who like just love and are passionate about travel, especially small group travel, would love the experience of an away game, even if they're not a massive football fan.

It's just to have the experience to go.

Do you think that away games then has the potential to attract a different traveler to G-Adventures? To your point about those Australians, are those hardcore G-Adventure community travelers or are those people that are putting their hand up to say, I love this concept and now they're learning about G-Adventures and will likely then travel with other styles in the portfolio?

I think both are true.

So our own life pool of travelers that know us as a brand, have experienced us at different levels, understand that when we launch a new product, that we're launching something that's going to connect them with the place they're going.

For new travelers, what I think we're going to see, and based on what we've built, They're going to discover that there's a way to travel that's different.

And hopefully they get hooked by meeting others and saying, this was so great.

Where's our next trip together?

Which then leads me to ask you one more question on this, because as far as the future, I mean, Ali obviously highlighted the future is bright just within football travel.

But football travel is one aspect of sports tourism.

And if it's 10% of travel today is sports related, a large portion of that is football.

But people are traveling for many different types of sports.

And really what you guys are pushing into is the whole concept of passion-based travel, people traveling for their passions and interests, which has certainly been A big focus of us on our podcast since the pandemic is that people indulge their passions during the pandemic.

They became more healthy.

They took up yoga.

Well, and this is actually, it brings up an interesting point.

And what I was keen to ask you is it relates to our previous conversation around the luxury experience, which was people didn't identify adventure travel as luxury.

I know when G Adventures moved into comfort and that was kind of suggesting to people that were kind of 50 plus and they weren't looking for what they perceive to be a more kind of basic backpacker type trip.

And that was very much the idea of introducing comfort.

You're staying in higher end hotels.

And then all of a sudden you guys pushed into luxury.

The interesting thing when you push into a new market, obviously you have the base of existing support within the G Adventures community of new trips that you're introducing.

I mean, the National Geographic collection has been so massively successful for you.

And obviously that's been a big reason it's been successful is because G Adventures is travelers want to take these Nat Geo trips.

But at the same time, Nat Geo travelers also then discover G Adventures.

And so my question to you is very much along the same lines is that to me, adventure travelers who like just love and are passionate about travel, especially small group travel, would love the experience of an away game, even if they're not a massive football fan.

It's just to have the experience to go.

Do you think that away games then has the potential to attract a different traveler to G-Adventures? To your point about those Australians, are those hardcore G-Adventure community travelers or are those people that are putting their hand up to say, I love this concept and now they're learning about G-Adventures and will likely then travel with other styles in the portfolio?

I think both are true.

So our own life pool of travelers that know us as a brand, have experienced us at different levels, understand that when we launch a new product, that we're launching something that's going to connect them with the place they're going.

For new travelers, what I think we're going to see, and based on what we've built, They're going to discover that there's a way to travel that's different.

And hopefully they get hooked by meeting others and saying, this was so great.

Where's our next trip together?

Which then leads me to ask you one more question on this, because as far as the future, I mean, Ali obviously highlighted the future is bright just within football travel.

But football travel is one aspect of sports tourism.

And if it's 10% of travel today is sports related, a large portion of that is football.

But people are traveling for many different types of sports.

And really what you guys are pushing into is the whole concept of passion-based travel, people traveling for their passions and interests, which has certainly been A big focus of us on our podcast since the pandemic is that people indulge their passions during the pandemic.

They became more healthy.

They took up yoga.