On Location: "There's so much energy": Cambodia is the star as G Adventures’ GX 2026 begins

“The destination is the star.”

For G Adventures Founder Bruce Poon Tip, that’s the guiding principle behind GX, the company’s annual community tourism summit. And this year, that star is Cambodia.

G Adventures and its non-profit arm Planeterra officially kicked off its fourth annual GX Wednesday night (Sept. 23) with a lively outdoor Temple Fair at Wat Phnom, an historic Buddhist temple in Cambodia’s buzzing capital city, Phenom Penh.

Under the glow of Wat Phnom’s pagoda and stupa, hundreds of attendees gathered as intermittent rain and drizzle swept through the grounds – a reminder that Cambodia, known as "The Kingdom of Wonder," is still in the thick of rainy season.

Ponchos came out. Umbrellas went up and down. But the party carried on.

It was an energetic start to an event built around a simple idea: travel can (and should) leave something meaningful behind.

“For everything we believe in, there's no better backdrop than Cambodia,” said Poon Tip, addressing attendees on a stage. “It’s a country that needs tourism, that has incredible tourism assets, but more importantly, can benefit greatly from the transformational nature of tourism when done the right way. It's a perfect partner for GX.”

Running Sept. 23-28, this year’s GX brings together journalists, influencers, travel advisors, travel executives, G Adventures and Planeterra staff, VIPs and travellers themselves across 10 different tracks led by G Adventures’ Chief Experience Officers, or “CEOs.”

Among them are 18 Canadian travel advisors – part of a strong contingent representing the trade at this year’s summit.

Made-in-Canada G Adventures has long been a pioneer in community tourism, building its small-group trips around local people and locally-owned businesses, with an emphasis on keeping more tourism dollars in the communities travellers visit.

That philosophy is at the heart of GX, and over the next several days in Cambodia, attendees will see what it looks like in action.

A Temple Fair with purpose

Wat Phnom provided an iconic setting for opening night. The grounds were transformed into a marketplace-style celebration of Cambodian food, culture and community tourism.

Local vendors served dishes such as fish amok with jasmine rice, noodles, and steamed taro buns, while organizations from Planeterra’s community tourism network set up shop to meet delegates.

They included Villageworks, which connects artisans, women and people with disabilities with markets for handcrafted goods made using sustainable and recycled materials; Epic Arts, which uses the arts to create opportunities for people with disabilities and promote inclusion; and Friends the Restaurant, which gives former street-connected and marginalized youth opportunities to build hospitality skills through practical work experience.

Planeterra, founded in 2003 by Poon Tip, works to turn tourism into a positive force for local communities, with a focus on keeping more traveller spending in the places people visit rather than seeing those dollars leak out to large external corporations.

There was plenty of fun, too. Activations were scattered throughout the grounds, including live Cambodian singers and a dunk tank, where Planeterra Foundation president Jamie Sweeting was spotted in the hot seat.

At a “Wish Tree,” attendees could donate to Planeterra for a chance to pull a star and win a prize. The biggest carrot? A spot at next year’s GX. (Wherever that may be? The 2027 destination has yet to be revealed).

Cambodian government officials also joined the celebration, including Minister of Tourism Huot Hak and Phnom Penh Governor Khuong Sreng.

A late pivot to Cambodia

Cambodia wasn’t originally supposed to host GX 2026.

The summit was initially slated for Morocco, but G changed course roughly eight months ago, saying the move reflected GX’s mission of using travel as a force for good in destinations where community tourism can have the greatest positive impact.

“We were supposed to be in Morocco, but we realized we couldn't do what we wanted to do there. So, we pivoted to Cambodia,” Poon Tip told the crowd. “Cambodia was not only receptive and responsive, but they've been incredibly gracious to open this temple [tonight]." 

Pulling off an international summit like GX, in just eight months, was no small feat.

“It couldn't have been done without the help of the local government and the people here,” Poon Tip shared.

G Adventures has invested in Cambodia for years, and Poon Tip acknowledged that the destination is currently experiencing a softer period.

“It's having a bit of a down moment, so we're here to show this beautiful country,” he said. “The star of GX is always the destination.”

Canadian advisors arrive in force

For travel advisors, earning a ticket to GX can happen several ways. 

Many are attending through “Change Makers,” G’s reward and incentive program recognizing advisors who champion community tourism. Those advisors earn a spot at GX (flight included).

Qualification for GX is based not on dollar sales, but on the number of travellers advisors book on G Adventures trips.

There are also wildcard opportunities. Advisors can participate in e-learning activities to earn entries into a draw, for example, while supporting Planeterra can also unlock opportunities to attend.

Then there are “Trailblazers” – travel advisors who pay to attend GX.

According to David Green, G Adventures’ VP of customer and sales operations and managing director for Canada, half of the advisors attending GX this year are first-timers, while the other half are returning.

For Frances Gertsch, a senior travel advisor at P.E.I.-based Stewart Travel Group, opening night marked her first taste of GX. 

“There's so much energy. I’m super excited to see what GX is all about and learn more about community tourism,” Gertsch told PAX at the event.

For her, G’s approach to showing where traveller dollars go is part of the appeal.

“It's all about the values of the company, as well as the transparency about where your money goes and how you're truly supporting the communities you're visiting,” she said.

Maude Mainguy of Quebec-based Passion Voyage, meanwhile, is attending her third GX.

“When you try it once, you understand the impact it has,” Mainguy said.

The experience, she added, makes tourism’s impact tangible. “I can concretely see the impact every traveller has when we go somewhere. You see the good it does. A trip can actually change people's lives – and it can change your own life,” she said.

Zeina Gedeon, CEO of Trevello Canada, was also spotted on the scene. She’s equally excited to be back at GX for another year

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Gedeon told PAX.

Asked what keeps her connected to G Adventures, Gedeon pointed to the company’s people and purpose. “The people, their spirit, and what they stand for,” she said. “The values of the company are phenomenal. I strive to be one tenth of what they are.”

Travellers want to go deeper

Anita Emilio, executive vice president and general manager for Flight Centre Travel Group in Canada, is also attending GX this year, for the first time.

Speaking with PAX, she said Canadian travel patterns increasingly align with the type of community-led experiences GX promotes.

“We’ve seen a change in the way Canadians are travelling,” she said. “They're travelling farther and they want to make sure they have the most immersive experience and really see an authentic destination.”

Hilary Arsenault, global purpose specialist for Quebec and Atlantic Canada at G Adventures, said bringing Planeterra partners together at GX gives advisors a clearer view of their role in that ecosystem.

“I hope they see how powerful community tourism is,” Arsenault told PAX. “Us bringing all the Planeterra projects together in one place really brings it to life.”

Cambodia becomes the classroom

GX Cambodia builds on the momentum of previous events held in Peru, India and Jordan.

Over the next several days, GX 2026 will move beyond Phnom Penh, using Cambodia itself as the backdrop for a deeper look at community tourism, culture and the country’s complex history.

That history carries extraordinary highs and devastating lows.

Cambodia was once at the heart of the powerful Khmer Empire, which flourished for centuries and left behind the monumental temples of Angkor.

But the country’s more recent past is marked by war, political upheaval and the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, which ruled from 1975 to 1979 and was responsible for the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million to two million people through execution, starvation, forced labour and disease.

The effects of that period still echo across Cambodia today. Yet so does the country’s resilience.

For GX, that contrast – combined with new tourism opportunities – will form an important backdrop to the week ahead.

The journey truly begins Thursday (Sept. 24) in scooter and tuk-tuk-filled Phnom Penh, where attendees will visit the Royal Palace and S21 prison (The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum), confronting a difficult chapter in Cambodia’s past while learning about the resilience of the Khmer people.

A private river cruise will then take the group to Silk Village, a Planeterra partner where traditional weaving generates income for local artisans while preserving techniques passed down through generations.

Attendees will get a hands-on look at the silk-making process – and meet the people keeping the craft alive.

On Friday (Sept. 25), GX leaves Phnom Penh and heads into the jungle for Sambor Prei Kuk, an ancient temple complex where centuries-old stone towers rise through the forest.

Lunch will be hosted by the Sambor Prei Kuk Community, another Planeterra partner supporting local livelihoods through tourism, before the journey continues to Siem Reap – a gateway to Angkor and the setting for some of GX’s biggest moments.

Sunrise, stilt villages & Siem Reap

Saturday (Sept. 26) starts before dawn, with tuk-tuk rides to watch the sun rise over iconic Angkor Wat, the largest religious complex in the world, built in the 12th century.

Transportation will be provided by Tuk Tuk Lady Driver, a Planeterra partner creating economic opportunities for women.

Later, attendees will venture to Kampong Phluk, a cluster of three stilted fishing villages, before dining at Spoons, a social enterprise that empowers Cambodian youth through hospitality training and career opportunities.

Then comes the grand finale. On Sunday (Sept. 27), World Tourism Day, all 650 GX attendees will come together for the World Community Tourism Summit, a day devoted to exploring how tourism can be a force for good.

Continuing GX’s “non-conference” approach, the program will mix talks and discussions with performances by Cambodian artists and community groups, as well as updates from G Adventures.

Returning speaker Judy Kepher Gona of Sustainable Travel and Tourism Africa will deliver a keynote on active listening and building meaningful dialogue with local communities.

Khadija Amahal, an Indigenous Amazigh community member and newly-appointed National Geographic Expedition Expert in Morocco, will speak about community, connection and storytelling.

Cambodian changemakers creating impact in their own communities will also take the stage.

And then, GX will shift from purpose to party. The wrap-up celebrations will begin with a private gathering at Bayon Temple, and then the night will shift gears at Labyrinth in Siem Reap, where world-renowned mashup artist DJ Earworm will headline the closing party.

G will finish GX the way it likes to: together, on a dance floor.

But between now and then, Cambodia gets the spotlight.

As G’s David Green put it: “No one else does this like us. We're the only company that brings all our different communities together in one space.”

Stay tuned for more of PAX’s on-location coverage from GX Cambodia! To see more pictures from the event, click and "like" our Facebook page here!

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