G Adventures announced Wednesday it has closed a growth capital investment of an undisclosed sum from Certares, a private equity investment firm with offices in New York, Luxembourg and Dubai that specializes in the travel and hospitality sectors.
G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip remains the controlling shareholder of the business. He says the investment enables the company to accelerate its pursuit of merger/acquisition opportunities and investments in shared services platform upgrades. It also positions G for accelerated growth after the global pandemic, the small group tour operator said in a statement.
“I’m extremely excited that our partners at Certares share our vision and believe in us to identify and realize incredible opportunities for our people, our business, and our industry - they truly understand our company and are experts in the travel space,” says Poon Tip.
Certares is also a major investor in American Express Global Business Travel, Internova Travel Group, Liberty Tripadvisor Holdings, Latam Airways, and AmaWaterways, among other travel and transportation investments, Skift reports.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with G Adventures and supporting its growth initiatives,” said Greg O’Hara, Founder and Senior Managing Director of Certares. “G Adventures’ commitment to providing travellers with authentic experiences, and to benefiting the local communities in the places they travel to, has resulted in exceptional customer satisfaction and market-leading growth.”
