Spotlight: Intrepid Travel
Photo: Intrepid Travel
Meet Intrepid Travel… the purpose-first adventure company redefining how we explore the world and the Seeing Green Solutionist of the Day. Intrepid raises the bar on what travel can be: rooted in connection, mindful of impact and always pushing toward a regenerative future.
A Journey with Purpose
Founded in 1989 by two adventurous Australians, Darrell Wade and Geoff “Manch” Manchester, Intrepid began as a single overland trip across Africa. From that modest beginning, they built a brand rooted in a radical belief: travel should connect not consume. Rather than insulating travelers from local realities, Intrepid leans into them — using public transport, staying in locally owned accommodations and eating with people in the places visited. Over time that ethos resonated. Today, Intrepid operates more than 1,000 itineraries in over 100 countries, always leaning toward stories, communities and experiences that matter more than mere checklists.
Adventures That Do More Than Delight
Intrepid’s travel offerings are wide-ranging — from trekking and cycling to culinary tours, family adventures and polar expeditions. What marks them out is the depth behind each itinerary: many now carry impact initiatives embedded in the journey itself — restoring ecosystems, supporting local cooperatives or promoting sustainable livelihoods.
They’re also innovating on trip design — swapping flights under 90 minutes for surface transport, adding walking and cycling segments and introducing new low-carbon alternatives across their product line.
The Weight of Travel — and the Need to Do Better
Travel carries paradox: it’s among the world’s most powerful tools for cultural connection and economic support yet pre-pandemic it made up roughly 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, tourism fuels employment (about one in ten jobs globally) and fosters cross-cultural understanding. Pulling back on travel isn’t the real solution — the solution lies in making travel better.
They frame it as agency, not austerity: we don’t have to stop exploring — we can choose how we explore. Choosing operators, routes and experiences that respect destination, climate and communities is what shifts the market.
Adventure, Regenerated
Intrepid doesn’t just talk about responsibility — they embed it. They became carbon-neutral in 2010 and today use carbon labels on more than 800 trips so travelers see footprints before booking. They’ve committed to science-based targets aiming to halve emissions per passenger by 2030.
Through The Intrepid Foundation, the company channels funding toward community, conservation and climate-resilience projects — from mangrove restoration to supporting Indigenous land rights. They’re also pushing suppliers and accommodation partners to improve, offering training, sustainability guidelines and pilot programs to help bring smaller businesses along their regenerative model.