G Adventures managing director Brian Young outlines why the focus should be on what travellers can experience in destinations, rather than on-board amenities.

I am fascinated by the cruise industry. The sheer number of ships coming into the market is staggering. With a focus on building bigger vessels, every launch comes with the promise of new and better amenities, from dining and pools to go-kart tracks and climbing walls.

While I commend these new ships, the design and the expertise involved, it does make me think about travellers believing that bigger is better.

While river and ocean cruising are growing, both in terms of the industry and the vessels, we at G Adventures are taking the opposite view. Our philosophy is that small is beautiful and offers a more immersive experience.

I believe we should be focusing less on entertainment and activities and more on what travellers can do in the destinations they visit. Look at the power travel has to support communities, distribute wealth and create memories – why should cruising be any different? Challenges such as over-tourism can be reduced by offering more activities outside of these popular tourist sites.

This is where the beauty of small ships come into play. Take our G Expedition ship as an example. With just 134 passengers we can offer every traveller the opportunity not only to disembark at each stop, but also to explore areas larger vessels can’t reach.

Travellers on larger ships work up an appetite with gym classes on board, ours earn their lunch hiking around the Norwegian fjords, or over Antarctic ice.

The true joys of travel

We encourage passengers to get off the ship and to immerse themselves in local areas, so not only do they learn first-hand so much more about local cultures but also inevitably leave more of their traveller pounds in these communities.

At sea, having the opportunity to bond, learn and laugh with fellow travellers, without the isolation they might feel on a huge ship, is a very welcome prospect. This is even more so for solo travellers, an area I believe the industry can improve.

We see a large percentage of solo guests. With dedicated cabins and no solo supplements, those who want to take that adventure of a lifetime independently are drawn to the communal element of the G Expedition, attending lectures, eating and taking excursions with fellow visitors they will get to know very well.

Agents who have travellers seeking community, a chance to build friendships, solo travellers looking to explore and travellers wanting to experience more of a destination and to ensure their travel is doing good, should look beyond large ships and see the value in smaller vessels.

Travel isn’t about the latest tech, luxury sheets and robot bars – it’s about enjoying a hot tea with locals in a small cafe on the Norwegian fjords, or being captivated as a wild polar bear walks by in the distance. Travel is about feeling alive.

Visit www.gadventures.co.uk for more information.