On National Travel Agent Day, G Adventures is launching its 2019 search for seven new travel agents who will serve as its Ambassadors of Change.
The tour operator kicked off its third-annual, nationwide search for these agents who fuel its movement of spreading tourism as a force for global good.
"As an adventure travel company built on passion and purpose, we proudly support partners who share our vision of a world made better through responsible tourism," said Jennifer Stevens, G Adventures trade marketing manager for the U.S. "From embracing G Adventures' industry-first Ripple Score to competing for our 2019 Change Makers Challenge, our agent partners are among our most enthusiastic and aligned advocates in this movement toward sustainable, life-changing travel. We love teaming up with them, and would be thrilled to see 500-plus ambassador applications this year."
The Ambassadors of Change program began in 2016 and is designed to build on G Adventures' commitment to social entrepreneurship, sustainability and responsible tourism for local and global benefit.
The program is open to independent, home-based agents and those who work within agencies around the United States. Applying is easy and the only requirement for entry is the completion of a short form and answers to three written questions. The application period is open from May 1-31, 2019.
G Adventures will then select 30 semi-finalists who are invited to participate in the same type of "G-Factor" culture fit interview that G Adventures employees complete before they earn a job offer.
The term of each of the chosen ambassadors lasts from July 1, 2019, through July 2020 who are asked to help G Adventures promote the life-changing benefits of travel with clients, local media and peer communities.
Just like past year's ambassadors, this new crew will have the chance to experience the life-changing impacts tourism can have throughout the world. The last two groups of travel agent leaders collectively traveled more than 81,000 miles in 2017 and 2018 to participate in programs in 11 countries.
The outgoing 2018 Ambassadors of Change are Janelle Cook, Cassandra Harris, Sarah Nelson, Nick Salmen, Angela Shah, Julia Slatcher and Nicole Thibault, who represent seven states and three networks, including Travel Leaders, Signature Travel, and Virtuoso.
"One key insight I gained as a G Adventures Ambassador of Change is how a single person can create so much good in the world by making responsible travel decisions," said Shah. "By partnering with responsible companies, we can really impact future generations for the better by creating economic opportunities and protecting our planet."
For Salmen, participation gave him a fresh perspective.
"Being an Ambassador of Change forced me to reflect on whether my travel agency is changing lives for the positive or negative," said Salmen. "It gave me the motivation to take a step back and understand the industry, redefine my values from a work perspective, and then find companies and partners that share those values. I can better guide our travelers to make good decisions."
Harris praised G Adventures' for its dedication to authenticity.
"The way people are traveling is starting to change. They are opting out of large box hotels and opting for accommodations with a local flair. Sure, there are other tour companies going to these destinations, but none have this same level of detail and authenticity."
The 2019 Ambassadors of Change will be announced in late June after a review process that will identify 30 semi-finalists, then 10 finalists and seven ambassadors.
"This amazing program provides us with invaluable insights from the advisor community across geographies, consortia and workplaces. Our Ambassadors are the perfect conduit to the advisor community as a whole and are an integral component in our mission to change lives through travel. The judging panel and I look forward to seeing the passion expressed by this year's applicants."
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