G Touring founder Bruce Poon Tip says the new tour range, the result of a partnership with the centuries-old Royal Geographical Society (RGS), gives agents "a different story to tell"
Each trip will be led by an RGS-trained holiday director, with guests gifted an RGS booklet collating hand-picked archival pieces correlating to that tour's destinations and experiences.
The inaugural programme includes a 'Grand Tour of Italy', following in the footsteps of iconic RGS explorers on a 15-day itinerary from £2,899 per person. Departures are currently scheduled between May and October 2025.
Guests will explore their destinations through the
lens of the RSG's near-200-year history. (Image Credit: ©RGS-IBG)
Jamie Owen, the Royal Geographic Society's licensing and commercial partnerships manager, explained, "A purposeful and responsible approach to travel is a key aim for the Society," hoping that the history of centuries' worth of archives behind these tours, combined with Travelsphere and non-profit partner Planeterra's storied commitment to travelling with impact, "can achieve this aim."
While the partnership might seem an unusual one and is, indeed, an unprecedented one for both the Royal Geographical Society and Travelsphere, Bruce believes it is a seamless fit, given the combined 250-plus years' experience in each organisation's respective field.
"The RGS is one of the world’s most respected organisations in its field, having supported geographical research, education, fieldwork and expeditions for nearly 200 years and, combined with Travelphere’s 60 years of escorted touring expertise, we’re bringing an offering to the market that allows travellers to see and learn about the world in a way like never before."
Naturally, breaking new ground in both the partnership and touring space represents more than a commercial opportunity. Jamie said, as "a new venture for the society, it has been a really exciting ride. Working with Travelsphere, Adam [Kemp, Travelsphere's managing director] and Bruce has been an absolute delight."
Adam added that, on the back of sales growth of over 20% in the last six months (with the trade outperforming even this with 30% growth), the new range "poses a great opportunity for agents to leverage the increasing demand... with a unique product that isn’t currently being offered anywhere in the market."
Further east, 'Japan - Land of the Rising Sun' also stars in the inaugural programme, tracing a path through history and examining the clash of ancient history and cutting-edge modernity on a 13-day route from £5,024 per person, departing between March and November 2026.
Elaborating on the opportunity presented to agents selling the new tours, Bruce noted that agents are "always at the forefront of [G Touring's] planning and decision-making. Selling programmes like this... travel agents become a very big part of what we do.
"[The new tour range] gives agents the opportunity to engage their customers and tell a different story around the product. They are always the face of our brand... they become the most important part of our sales process; they become our storytellers."
The Royal Geographical Society Collection is on sale now, with the first departures in April, but Bruce hinted at "some pretty big plans for the partnership": Adam Kemp encouraged agents to "watch this space."
