Globus has been in the business of escorted travel longer than almost anyone. When Antonio Mantegazza began ferrying passengers across Lake Lugano in a rowboat in 1928, he had no way of knowing he was founding what would become one of the most recognised touring brands in the world..

G Adventures is not a tour operator that happened to develop a social conscience. It was built around one from the beginning. When Bruce Poon Tip co-founded the company in Toronto in 1990, maxing out two credit cards to fund the first trips...