Intrepid Travel has both new Toronto digs and a new medium to share its love of exploring the world with the travelling public at the same time.
The tour operator, which bills itself as the world’s largest adventure travel company, showcased its new downtown Toronto office to travel agents on Jan. 23, and distributed copies of a new book titled The Intrepid List: 100 Uncommon Ways to Change the Way You Travel, which chronicles adventurous experiences by dozens of travellers.
The event also coincided with the announcement that Leigh Barnes, who has been working in the company’s Melbourne headquarters, has relocated to this continent, and now carries the title of Intrepid’s president for the Americas. Intrepid’s North American headquarters in Toronto now spans 8,000 square feet, hosting 50 employees weekly. In total across North America, Intrepid now has 163 employees.
“We’re not just launching an office today. This is what we call a community hub,” Christian Wolters, who oversees Intrepid’s Canadian operation, told the Toronto gathering.
Wolters said the style of travel Intrepid offers revolves in large part around having clients understand the cultures in the countries they’re visiting, and recalled in his first tenure with Intrepid over a decade ago that it had a somewhat lower profile in this country. Now “tens of thousands of North Americans” are experiencing the tour operator’s travel style, he continued.
The company has set a goal of doubling its yearly customers to 600,000 clients and achieving US$850 million in revenue by 2030, contributing 1% directly to environmental and social purpose initiatives. “North America is Intrepid’s fastest-growing market,” said Wolters. “In 2024, we saw a record number of Americans join our adventures, and we’re just getting started. The future of travel is bold, sustainable, and meaningful, and we’re leading the way.”
Barnes in turn promised a heightened company presence here. “You’ll see a whole lot more of Intrepid.”
Among Intrepid projects is the Intrepid Foundation, which provides financial assistance to NGOs worldwide, including Water First which among other things works to provide clean water to Indigenous communities in this country. A Water First representative was on hand at the event to describe some of the work her organization does.
Barnes said that Intrepid Travel’s donating much of the revenue it earns from its tours to NGOs through its foundation is helping it create a better planet, as are its itineraries aimed at enabling tourists to gain insights into local cultures.
“It’s going to be a better world. People are going to be more empathetic,” he stated.
The “world needs more Intrepid people, ” he added.
