G Adventures has announced the appointment of Sean Martin as its managing director for Australia and New Zealand.

Prior to joining G Adventures, Martin (pictured above) spent 15 years in a variety of roles at Flight Centre Travel Group.

Martin is most well-known for his role as general manager of the Student Flights and My Adventure Travel brands, and more recently Universal Traveller, where he worked closely with the small-group travel sector.

David Green, vice president of commercial at G Adventures, said Martin’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for the business.

“Australia and New Zealand continue to be extremely important markets for G Adventures, and we can’t wait to host our Aussie and Kiwi travellers as soon as the borders reopen for international travel,” he said.

“Like everyone in the industry, we are waiting for a clear roadmap from the government, but we know there will be a huge amount of pent-up demand.

“As we have already been running a significant number of tours overseas for travellers in markets that are able to travel, we are geared up and ready to welcome our friends Down Under the minute restrictions are lifted.

“Sean’s passion for G Adventures, his experience with the brand and his commitment to working with agents to change more people’s lives through travel make him the ideal leader for this role.

“I can’t wait to see what the future holds with Sean at the helm of our business in Australia and New Zealand.”

Martin said G Adventures’ commitment to its agency partners, its clear mission to change people’s lives through travel, and its strong values and company culture are what drew him to join the small-group tour operator.

“The most important consideration for me when choosing to join G Adventures’ was that their values are so closely aligned to my own,” he said.

“I have always believed travel can make the world a better place and change people’s lives, whether that is the lives of people in local communities, those of our customers and partners, or of our local and global team members.

“G Adventures’ commitment to its partners was also a huge deciding factor. Agents are going to be more important than ever before – the best experience a customer gets is when they book through a travel agent.

“Adventure travel is a complex purchase – even more so now with changing government regulations around the world – but we’re committed to leading with service to help our partners build their businesses back and continue to grow with us.

“It’s an added bonus that G Adventures has a portfolio of incredible trips that are exactly what Aussies and Kiwis will be looking for after such a long time without international travel.

“The breadth and depth of experiences is incredible – these are once-in-a-lifetime, bucket-list adventures in awe-inspiring destinations, all conducted in a way that benefits local communities.”

Martin’s appointment is effective immediately.