On Location: “This event touches so many lives”: G’s GX summit takes flight in Jordan to revive local tourism

What do you do when a country is caught in the crossfires of neighbouring conflict?

Stage the biggest tourism event the world has ever seen.

That’s exactly what G Adventures is doing this week, from Sept. 23-28, in Jordan at GX, an annual gathering that showcases the power of community tourism and the impact it can have on a destination, on local people, and on travellers themselves.

After launching in Peru in 2023, and expanding to India the following year, GX returns in 2025 with a renewed sense of urgency, setting its sights on reviving Jordan’s struggling travel sector.

Tourism in Jordan, which shares a border with Israel, has been hit hard since the Israel–Gaza war erupted in October 2023.

Despite being a safe and stable destination (one that’s often called “the Switzerland of the Middle East” for its neutrality), the mountainous country – renowned for the ancient city of Petra and dramatic Wadi Rum desert – has seen international arrivals drop dramatically.

Malia Asfour, managing director for the Jordan Tourism Board in North America, estimates that tourism is down by at least 35 per cent.

READ MORE: On Location: “Community tourism in action”: G Adventures' GX summit takes off in Delhi, India

In pre-war times, Petra, Jordan’s top attraction, would typically see upwards of 5,000 visitors a day, she said. Now, that number sits between 200 and 300.

Many hotels in the Petra area have been forced to close due to the sharp decline in visitors, Asfour said. 

“Tourism is our oil,” she said. “Most people in Petra work in the tourism sector. To go to no income is devastating.”

Just weeks ago in Jerash, the city’s remarkably well-preserved Roman ruins—normally bustling with visitors—stood nearly empty, a local guide told PAX, which is covering GX on location. 

GX Jordan (which also marks G Adventures’ 35th birthday) has convened nearly 700 global leaders in travel—including travellers, travel advisors, suppliers, executives, employees, influencers, and media—with the goal of challenging stigma and showcasing Jordan as a safe, welcoming destination that is open for business.

“I came to Jordan about a year ago,” said G Adventures’ Founder Bruce Poon Tip Tuesday night (Sept. 23), addressing delegates at GX’s buzzing, souk-inspired opening party in Amman, Jordan’s largest city and capital. “I saw how beautiful this country was and how they needed tourism back.”

“They’re caught in the crossfires of a lot of political things right now. Tourism is down significantly, and I love the power of using GX to bring tourism [back].”

All eyes on Jordan

It’s a form of G-powered magic that has proven its impact before.

Two years ago, in the wake of the pandemic’s devastating toll on tourism, Peru also faced a decline in visitation.

In collaboration with its local partners, G Adventures stapped in, with GX, to help reposition the destination and spark renewed momentum. (See PAX’s coverage from that inaugural event here).

The one-of-a-kind summit, which is co-hosted by Planeterra, G’s non-profit arm, has seen remarkable growth since that first year.

This year’s edition has doubled in size, bringing together more journalists, content creators, travel advisors, operators, and travel executives—each tasked with experiencing Jordan firsthand and sharing its story with the world.

“The hero of GX is the destination. The hero is Jordan,” Poon Tip said. “It’s a stunning, stunning country.”

GX attendees, starting today (Sept. 24), will get an on-the-ground idea of what that means.

The entire delegation has been organized into eight groups (tracks), each departing from Amman and venturing across Jordan – led by G's charismatic Chief Experience Officers (CEOs) – to explore the country’s most iconic sites and experiences.

As a long-standing media partner of GX, PAX will journey to precious locations, such as the ancient Greco-Roman city of Jerash, the historic town of Wadi Musa, Petra’s hidden tombs and temples, the otherworldly rock formations of Wadi Rum, and the restorative waters of the Dead Sea. 

Tourism for good

Along the way, attendees will also visit Planeterra-supported social enterprises to see firsthand how tourism dollars can empower and transform communities.

READ MORE: Countdown to GX Jordan: G Adventures reveals speakers for community tourism summit

Planeterra, a not-for-profit that Poon Tip founded in 2003, fuels entrepreneurship in the destinations that G visits, alleviating poverty.

Many of these projects specifically create income-generating opportunities for women.

Planeterra-supported enterprises in Jordan include Beit Khayrat Souf, a women-owned and operated café, and Safi Kitchen, which focuses on preserving local culture and resources through community programs.

(Canadian travel advisors with The Travel Agent Next Door may recognize these names: the host agency held its national conference in Jordan in June 2024, highlighting a selection of businesses supported by G customers),

On Tuesday night, GX’s opening party showcased twenty local enterprises in Jordan, including the Iraq Amir Women’s Cooperative, which empowers women from rural communities through handicraft workshops and cultural tours.

In between shots of date juice and a twirling folk dancer, delegates explored an open-air marketplace featuring food and artisan vendors – led mostly by women.

The climax of GX is this Saturday (Sept. 27), on World Tourism Day, when all attendees return to Amman for G’s World Community Tourism Summit. It’s a jam-packed day filled with inspiring talks about how community tourism can change the world.

Trailblazing leaders are set to take the stage, in a front of audience that is expected to grow to at least 800, and explain just how travel can transform the world—and lives.

“This event touches so many lives"

Zeina Gedeon, CEO of Trevello Travel Group, was spotted at last night’s opener, stopping to chat with the vendors—speaking to them in Arabic, connecting with their stories.

“This event touches so many lives. Everywhere you look, people are genuinely grateful for what G is doing—it’s phenomenal,” said Gedeon, who spent last week in her hometown of Beirut, Lebanon, before heading to Jordan to attend GX for the first time.

Addressing last night’s crowd, Malia Asfour at the Jordan Tourism Board called GX Jordan “a dream come true” as the destination tries to revive tourism.

She later told media that Jordan, in the shadow of the Israel-Gaza conflict, is a “victim of perception.”

“If there are riots in LA, should that stop us from going to Las Vegas or Santa Fe? If there’s a problem in Toronto, should that keep us from going to Montreal? This is the kind of perception we suffer from,” she said.

Canada on the scene

Like previous years, this year’s GX – supported by Royal Jordanian Airlines and the Jordan Tourism Board – will once again incorporate G’s Change Makers agent event, which brings top-performing agents from around the world together.

This year, 18 Canadian travel advisors earned their way onto the GX guestlist.

“I feel very grateful to be here,” said Quebec City-based Maude Mainguy of Passion Voyage, who attended GX India last year. “There are so many Planeterra projects here. I’m excited to see them and communicate that experience to my clients.”

“A lot of my clients are interested in Jordan and I’ll be able to tell them what it’s really like.”

Coquitlam, BC-based Siobhan Detkavich, also attending GX for the second time, called the trip “a surreal moment.”

The Flight Centre travel advisor and former “Top Chef Canada” contestant is drawn to G because it aligns with her values—both personally and professionally.

She’s excited by G’s emphasis on community tourism and giving back, which allows her to offer clients meaningful travel experiences where they can explore new destinations while knowing their dollars directly benefits local communities.

“G helps you differentiate if whether you’re a tourist or a traveller,” said Detkavich, who has a tattoo of G Adventures’ logo on her right arm. “It lets you experience destinations as a traveller, and turn your holiday into a way of giving back. That’s usually one of the biggest draws for my clients.”

Having a strong group of Canadian travel advisors at GX Jordan is strategic: Canada ranks as Jordan’s fifth-largest market, closely aligned with Spain.

“The Canadian market is so important to Jordan,” Asfour said, highlighting the steady growth in visitor numbers since the tourism board established its presence there in 2005.

Royal Jordanian Airlines operates direct flights to Amman from both Toronto and Montreal, and while Canada is not among Jordan’s top three markets, it has proven to be “the most resilient” during the downturn, she said.

A homecoming

David Green, VP customer and sales operations and managing director Canada at G Adventures, said “community is at the heart” of GX and ChangeMakers.

“Jordan is the perfect setting for what is going to be a fun-filled week of learning and appreciating the positive impact that we make when we travel with heart,” he said. “We’re bringing together almost 700 of our community from around the world to connect and discover how we can all play our part in transforming travel into a force for good – something that G Adventures has been championing for over 35 years now.”

Green has been following the excitement in a Canadian ChangeMakers WhatsApp group for months now.

“It's a very special community, and now that I'm watching their social posts as they proudly announce that they are flying to Jordan, I can already see the impact that this event can have on people – it really is a life-changing experience!” he said. “Our Canadian agents are ready for what will be another epic GX experience.”

On a personal level, Green is also looking forward to reconnecting with the Planeterra projects that attendees will see this week.

“It's my fourth time now in Jordan and it feels like I'm coming home,” he said. “The speaker lineup for the main event on World Tourism Day is exceptional and there might be one or two big announcements that I'm excited to talk about this later in the week!”

Of course, it wouldn’t be a G Adventures event without some epic and iconic parties.

Some can’t-miss moments include a Bedouin-themed bash in Wadi Rum on Sept. 25 and a white party at The Amman Citadel—known as the “White City” for its extensive white limestone architecture—on Sept. 27.

And, oh, The Jacksons – yes, The Jacksons – are set to perform at some point.

Can you feel it?

Stay tuned for more of PAX’s on-the-ground coverage from G Adventures’ GX Summit in Jordan.

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