G Adventures Launches Active Luxury for Older Adventurers

23.11.2023 - 18:42 / skift.com / Selene Brophy

The travel industry is witnessing a significant shift with an aging yet increasingly active demographic of travelers seeking more than just conventional luxury tours involving a leisurely-paced cruise or train trip. 

G Adventures, known for its active, multi-day trips connecting young travelers with diverse cultures and local communities, is responding to this trend by launching its Geluxe Collection. 

Scheduled for booking from May 2024, this new line of travel experiences is designed to cater to the evolving needs of its over-50s customers, which now represent about 35% of its clientele. 

“As a brand, we’ve evolved. We’ve gotten older. And our customers are growing with us. They’re staying more active for longer, so they want something that meets their needs,” said G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip.  

As the global population ages, the United Nations reports that people over 65 are the fastest-growing age group, with their numbers expected to surpass those aged 15 to 24 by 2050. This demographic shift certainly requires the travel industry to adapt and cater to the needs of older travelers.

But while an ill-advised default is to consider that old means decrepit, that’s not necessarily the reality for Boomers and Gen-Xers who are taking better care of themselves, actively seeking a lifestyle geared towards wellness and longevity.  

As G Adventures ventures into this higher-end market, the challenge is to meet the luxury expectations of its older, active travelers without compromising its core values of sustainable and community-focused travel.

“They were telling us they wanted more luxury with active experiences, but also wanted to not give away the reason they traveled with us in the first place, which is the community tourism elements … We didn’t want to call the product luxury as we don’t want to be restrictive on where we go, based on accommodation standards,” said Poon Tip. “We’re not going to stay at the Oman hotel because it’s the best in the area. Because we think that sacrifices the community experience. So it’s the highest comfort level if you will, but that’s also locally owned and encompasses our Ripple Score, making sure that the impact is given to local communities.” 

Driven by customer feedback and a desire to meet the changing needs of an aging yet adventurous clientele, the collection launches with 28 initial trips. Features include Your OMG Stay and Your OMG Day.

Your OMG Stay offers accommodation options like the Cardamom Tented Camp in Cambodia and Refugio Amazonas in Peru. Your OMG Day allows travelers to personalize their journey with a row boat ride and yoga session in Nepal with the Himalayas as a backdrop, a Cape Malay cooking class in South Africa, or a Jeep safari to