To further enhance its seminal commitment to sustainable tourism, in 2003, Poon Tip created the Planterra Foundation that today boasts close to 40 projects worldwide – with the aim of supporting communities in the areas of education, healthcare, environment and social development – and which travelers have the opportunity to visit.
Poon Tip’s commitment to sustainable tourism has not gone unrecognized. Among other accolades, G Adventures was listed as one of the Top 100 Employers and 50 Best Managed Companies, while its founder received the 2009 World Savers Award by Condé Nast Traveler magazine and the 2009 Travel + Leisure Global Vision Leadership Award for voluntourism. He was also inducted into the Social Venture Network (SVN) Hall of Fame and most recently awarded the Excellence in Corporate Responsibility (ECR) Award.
SEE Change sat down with Poon Tip prior to his headlining the Future of Tourism, an event exploring tourism as a force for change. In this candid interview, he discusses the varied opportunities for travel companies to create real impact on the ground, and shares his palpable frustration at dealing with the challenges of running a social enterprise. The indomitable founder then explains why “tourism as usual” is not enough, why business models need to adapt to changing societal concerns, and how traveling with a conscience can not only fulfill one’s purpose, it can be a highly profitable endeavour.
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Elisa Birnbaum is the co-founder of SEE Change Magazine, and works as a freelance journalist, producer and communications consultant. She is also the president of Elle Communications.