DIANNE COTTER: What is the power of storytelling for you?

BRUCE POON TIP: I think entrepreneurs are some of the best storytellers in the world because the journey to being one is rough, but also a creative, cathartic process. In a business context, if you want people to be part of your brand, you need a story that lets them in.

What are some of the words and phrases you use for the story of G Adventures?

Well G Adventures, for me, is first and foremost a labour of love. It’s a movement. It’s getting people to live their fullest life and make travel a part of that. I believe, to live fully, we need to be influenced by food, wine, art and travel.

Tell me more about why you chose travel as a business idea.

I was a very curious child. I remember when my mother bought an encyclopaedia set, I pored through pages of cultures and places and became fascinated about the way that other people lived.

Tell us about Planeterra, your foundation that’s incorporated into G Adventures.

Planeterra was originally set up as a non-profit to serve the needs of a for-profit business. We didn’t know we were doing such revolutionary work. We were setting up lots of small businesses to run our trips, long before the hype of micro-financing.

I’d love to talk about the power of travel to transform us.

Yeah, travel has the ability to transform lives of everyone who touches it, not just the person who’s travelling. Generally, it is seen as a selfish pursuit, but travel can be one of the greatest gifts you give to the world.

It’s like the gift that keeps giving!

It could be! But, in order for that to happen, the consumer has to change from needing all the comforts of home to travel. If you want to go to Africa I can understand if you want a five-star safari experience, but take time to see other sides. Visit some villages and local communities. Have a meal with a local person along the way. Find ways to incorporate personal growth into your holiday.

Of the 17,000 tours you operate a year, what’s your favourite trip?

It’s hard to nail down one, but in my older years I’m enjoying wide open spaces. I’m enjoying being disconnected. Places that interest me right now are places like Antarctica, Galapagos, Mongolia—places where you can truly get a sense of being disconnected.

Describe the world that you want to live in.

For me it’s about compassion. I want a less charitable and more compassionate society. When you truly are compassionate, you understand what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes, it makes you want to create action. I believe there’s no faster path to peace than getting to know other cultures and the way other people live in this world.