Intrepid Travel Sets Sights on North American Expansion

North America is the fastest-growing market for Intrepid Travel, and longtime staffer Leigh Barnes recently relocated to Seattle from Melbourne, Australia, to steward that growth as the company’s president of the Americas.

North American sales amount to about $150 million right now, according to Intrepid, but Barnes has his sights on $500 million. To hit that mark, he aims to build the brand’s North American customer base from its current number of 50,000, and to make Intrepid a “household name in the United States.”

Part of that growth strategy includes setting up headquarters in Denver, Colorado — a location steeped in outdoor adventure opportunities, plus proximity to like-minded brands such as The North Face and Leave No Trace, a nonprofit that champions caring for the planet.

"Our move to Denver is more than just an address change — it’s a statement of intent,” said Amanda Neiman, operations director for Intrepid Travel. “Making a holiday special doesn’t have to mean being on the other side of the world. We’re here to create deeper experiences and share our vision for a better way to travel in America.”

One way Intrepid is highlighting in-your-backyard travel is through its Urban Adventures, or “day tours with a difference.” These locally led, small-group tours help travelers dig a little deeper into urban centers (New Orleans, Boston, Philadelphia and more). The company is also doubling down on backcountry trips in the U.S. that model purpose-driven and sustainable travel, and to show clients that they don’t have to go far to have an adventure.

To learn more about all of this (and more), we chatted with Leigh Barnes just before his move to Seattle. Here’s what he wanted travel advisors to know.

Intrepid aims to be a “household name” in North America. What will the team do to hit that target?

First, we want to make a bigger push in the U.S. from a purpose perspective. We do a lot around storytelling, and public relations is a big component, whether it's through our trade partners or direct-to-consumer publications. We will also be expanding our options for Americans in America, and our new operational hub in Denver will help us do that. Then, we will set up the Intrepid Foundation in the U.S., a 5019(c) non-profit, and increase our diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the States.

Finally, a key to this is the expansion of our Urban Adventures into the U.S. We've brought all the city operations under the Intrepid banner (they were previously outsourced) and they are now operated by us. That is a way for us to be in touch with more Americans, more often. 

How else has Intrepid made inroads with travelers and trade partners?

We've been doing more around brand building. Last year, we spent about $5 million with a big brand campaign in New York, Ontario and Seattle, doing everything from podcasts to billboards, to make sure more people know and care about us. 

We've also increased the amount of people we have supporting travel agents. We hired two more people over the last six months, on the East and West coast of the U.S., who provide that travel agent support.

We've also increased the amount of people we have supporting travel agents. We hired two more people over the last six months, on the East and West coast of the U.S., who provide that travel agent support.

And we are seeing an increase in Americans searching for us. Specifically, in January, we saw a 90% increase in people searching for the brand term. We still have a lot of work to do, with travel advisors specifically. I think we've just scratched the surface with our business in the U.S.

How much business is coming through the trade?

About 80% of our business comes directly from Intrepid in America, which is probably healthy in some regards and unhealthy in others. We want to have a broad distribution, so I would love to see that get somewhere closer to 60% [direct] and 40% from travel agents. We do need to do a better job communicating that we are open for business and want to work with more travel advisors. And we are doubling our efforts to make sure they know us, through bigger brand activity and then, having boots on the ground and meeting travel advisors at conferences and events.

Let’s talk about the product portfolio. What should advisors know about Intrepid’s U.S. offerings?

We are currently operating more trips in the U.S. under the Intrepid banner than anywhere else. We also purchased one of the largest backcountry operators in the U.S., Wildland Trekking, which operates a range of backcountry hikes across the country. We're looking to expand the operations with that business. We think that people traveling in their own backyards is going to continue to be one of the biggest trends. And we're very conscious about the impacts of flying, from a carbon perspective; we want to be able to provide people with more climate conscious solutions. This also means more jobs in the U.S. and more money staying in the U.S.

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And again, our day touring operations are a great way for people to get a snack size of Intrepid — you can go on an Intrepid trip when you visit Boston or New York or Denver for the weekend. These tours enable you to get a flavor for that city, and to get a flavor for Intrepid in a more accessible way. You don't have to go away for 10 days, it's three to four hours. You learn about a city, you try the food and you get that real local insight about what's happening in that destination. I just did one myself in Brooklyn — I got to have my first knish (which was delicious), and I learned about the First Nations people, the bootleg trade and how Brooklyn was once full of apple orchards. These are all things that I would never have gathered if I was just walking around the city myself. So, we think this product is another way to be a bigger part of people's lives.

What else do you know about how travelers are interacting with Intrepid?

Our typical customer is probably traveling with Intrepid once every two years. If we're able to provide more products for people, they can engage with our brand more often.

Last year, we launched our first-ever book, The Intrepid List, and we're launching a range of destination guides this year. Australia is going to be the first one we launch, and then we’ll go around the world — Morocco, Iceland, Japan and Italy will launch over the course of the next 12 months. We are trying to have something a bit more physical, something people can have on their coffee table or bookshelf or give a gift to a friend.

Can you highlight a U.S. tour or two for those American clients who want an adventure near home?

Yes. We want to get that person out of their element and trying new things in the States that maybe they've never done before, even though they live in this country. For that, Alaska has been incredibly popular. It’s a place that’s a little bit more unknown, so people want to go with an operator. Alaska has been a really well-selling product for Americans.

Then, it’s the national parks. I'd say Zion has been the most popular. Overall, we’re seeing interest in national park tourism continue to boom, both from international and domestic travelers. There’s uncertainty about how you gain access to national parks and permits, so people are leaning on tour operators to help make that type of trip a reality. And I think we are being seen as a trusted brand delivering that.

How does Intrepid alleviate some of the hassles of national park travel? 

We have a trusted local on the ground with travelers — that's the difference for us on any trip, if it's in your backyard or in Vietnam or Morocco. That guide helps you navigate whatever's going to happen and gives you that local view on food, on the trails, on preparedness and on safety. Then, there’s the stories our leaders tell — content that gives you a sense of place and that you wouldn't get to learn about on your own. We think this is a great differentiator.  

We have a trusted local on the ground with travelers — that's the difference for us on any trip, if it's in your backyard or in Vietnam or Morocco.

The other things we do — which are getting harder and harder to navigate — is permits, so that our customers can walk right into that trip.

Intrepid has been committed to sustainability in travel for a long time. What do those efforts look like today?

That's a big question. Let’s start with the fact that this company was built with sustainability at its core, it wasn't added on. Our founders, Darrell and Manch, wanted Intrepid to be accessible — so price is really important — and to engage with local communities in a low-impact way. We have a responsible travel team built in, [and they look at] carbon reduction, carbon offsetting, community-based tourism and more. We want a trip to be a great experience, and to have a positive impact. 

Then, we want to ensure that we're engaging in local communities in the right way, that we are not contributing to the tourism crisis and that money is getting into the communities and to the people who need it most. That direct transfer of cash and wealth is incredibly powerful. Intrepid needs to have a social license to operate, and we need communities to want us to go there. 

And two additional key things to note. If we do not have a healthy planet — if there's no national parks, no gorillas, no Everest — we start to struggle to have a product. And then, if communities don't want our business, or our travelers, coming into the community to interact or to shop, again, we have a real issue. So, we focus on ensuring that our money stays on the ground and goes to the local communities.

Finally, we want to ensure we have a minimal impact [on the Earth]. We measure and try to understand our impact through B Corp methodology and science-based targets; if there's positive things, we try to do more of that, and if there are negative things, we try to mitigate them. And once we do that, we then advocate for the change we want to see in the world. If we believe there's a positive component of tourism that can have a great impact, we really like to talk about it. Conversely, if we think there's a change that needs to take place in the industry, we may need to pull up our socks more and again, get out there and talk about it. It's about measurement and transparency.

What do DEI initiatives look like for Intrepid?

We believe travel is a force for good, and we want it to be accessible. We believe that people from all walks of life want to travel and we want to represent them. So, we've been doing a lot of work with our ethical marketing guidelines around training and marketing to a diverse customer. We work with BIPOC creators and First Nation creators, and we're looking to increase that, so they can help tell the Intrepid story.

In North America specifically, we are partners with the Grand Canyon Conservancy, which is all about helping protect the Grand Canyon; we're raising funds through that organization. We have a water first program that's helping get clean water to First Nations communities in Canada. If we're able to conserve and protect the Grand Canyon, and support a healthy First Nations population, that means we're able to have travelers learn from those communities and see a beautiful part of the world. These are just an example of a couple of the different projects that we have.

What are the best ways for advisors to keep tabs on all of the above?

Obviously, the website is a great resource for our products. Then, we run a number of different training seminars all over the U.S., both virtual or in person, so keep an eye out for those. You can sign up for our different newsletters, which will give you access to different trainings — connect with us through our advisor hub.

And then, reach out to one of our BDMs and try and get yourself on a trip, whether it's a day tour or one of our other products. The best learning experience possible is getting out there and seeing the world.