In a letter to the trade on 02MAR, G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip announced that the tour operator has cancelled all tours in Russia and travellers booked on forward departures will be refunded. In addition, G Adventures will no longer accept Russian nationals residing inside Russia on trips, nor will it take bookings from Russian agencies.
"It’s as though we’ve learned nothing in the past 75 years - I would have hoped we had learned from our collective experience. The past two years we have been living through a global pandemic that has caused physical separation for millions around the world. For the first time in our lifetime, we faced a common enemy, which gave us the opportunity to bring humanity together in a shared mission to eradicate the virus," Poon Tip wrote.
"We should have emerged shoulder to shoulder, more unified, compassionate and empathetic than ever before. And yet, here we are, on the precipice of a more dangerous chapter of our civilized history, driven purely by the need to divide."
"For our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, the nightmare is already very real. It is unthinkable that we are faced with a scenario where a sovereign European nation has been invaded, unprovoked and without justified cause. I stand with Ukraine. I stand for freedom and democracy. We are living in dangerous times, where people are divided and looking for division and this just shows us we still have a long way to go. We owe it to future generations to do whatever we can to bridge these divides."
Poon Tip continued: "I have always said travel can be the fastest path to peace, so it breaks my heart that it has come to this. If you are reading this and have the privilege to do so, please continue to be the shining light and get back out there and travel. It’s only by connecting with other cultures that we can foster connection and understanding between different countries and communities. This cultural exchange is the backbone of what I built this company on 32 years ago and it must continue."
He also thanked travellers, travel partners, and G Adventures team members, who "continue to show extraordinary resilience in our commitment to delivering these life-changing experiences, even when faced with the most challenging of situations."
"Thank you to everyone who has stood by us and who continues to be passionate about changing the world through travel."
"Travel is the most powerful way we can open our hearts, minds, and eyes to the beauty of the world, especially in the darkest of times," he concluded.
For more information on G Adventures, visit its web site.
