When you get an email under the subject “In 5 to 10 years, forget southern Europe in summer,” you just have to read it.

Indeed, James Thornton makes some interesting—and timely—points in the message he sent me. “In 5 to 10 years, I think it will prove challenging to travel around southern Europe during July and August,” the Melbourne-based CEO of Intrepid Travel said. “Most people just won’t want to, it will be far too hot.”

Against the backdrop of heatwaves and fires in the Mediterranean countries, particularly in Athens and Rome, many tour operators are changing their itineraries, and travelers are planning more vacations in Read the rest of this entry »

Intrepid Travel has introduced ten new tours as part of its Intrepid Premium range. The new tours come a year and a half after Intrepid launched their inaugural Premium collection, a range of tours appealing to discerning travelers that feature hand-picked accommodations, private transportation, train journeys, and an array of signature stays and exclusive experiences. The addition of 10 new tours, which include 6 new trips in Europe and 4 new trips in North and South America, bring the total number of Intrepid Premium trips to 97, giving travelers a more sustainable choice for higher-end adventures.

With the introduction of these new itineraries, the Intrepid Premium range will now span across 42 countries and 5 continents. While Africa and Asia have been the two top-selling regions for the Premium range so far, the addition of these new trips will help bolster the Premium offering in other key destinations around the world, specifically in Europe. The 6 new Europe itineraries will mark the first Premium tours in the Baltics, Balkans, and Northern Spain and bring the total Intrepid Premium offering in Europe to 25 tours.

The launch will also mark the first Intrepid Premium itinerary in the United States with the introduction of Premium Alaska. It is one of 4 tours being launched across the Americas, including Premium Costa Rica and Premium Patagonia.

“Trends show that passengers are willing to pay for premium trips that offer an exceptional experience at an excellent value,” says Matt Berna, Intrepid Travel President, North America. “Like all Intrepid trips, these new itineraries are designed to minimize travelers’ environmental footprint and maximize their positive impact for local communities – this is what makes Intrepid Travel so special.”

Highlights of the signature stays and experiences on the new tours include:

Premium Sicily

• Spend 2 unforgettable nights in the Sicilian countryside at your Feature Stay accommodation, Baglio della Luna Foresteria, a countryside estate built within a medieval watch tower.

Premium Patagonia

• Spend three nights in a beautiful and sustainable Feature Stay hotel offering fantastic amenities and first-class views of the surrounding mountains and fjord – your gateway to Torres del Paine National Park.
• Spend the day with penguins on Martillo Island in the Southernmost city in the world.

Premium Alaska

• Take a private transfer to Fairbanks rail depot, where you will board your Deluxe Dome rail car for the scenic journey south to the town of Denali, the gateway to Denali National Park.

Premium Costa Rica in Depth:

• Learn about the culture of Costa Rica with Premium exclusive experiences: spend time with a local family and learn how to create traditional dishes in their kitchen, and visit Matambu, the only indigenous territory of the Chorotegan people, to learn ancient pottery techniques passed down for generations.
• Enjoy two nights at your Feature Stay – a stunning and sustainable jungle hotel next to the electric-blue Rio Celeste River. Settle into your cozy casita (bungalow), an exclusive retreat just for you, and surround yourself with the sounds of nature.

The 10 new Intrepid Premium tours are:

• Premium Northern Spain, 10 days starting from $5,575
• Premium Baltics, 10 days starting from $3,970
• Premium Balkans, 9 days starting from $3,970
• Premium Belgrade to Bucharest, 11 days starting from $3,875
• Premium Turkey, 8 days starting from $3,060
• Premium Sicily, 10 days starting from $4,760
• Premium Costa Rica, 9 days starting from $3,340
• Premium Costa Rica in Depth, 12 days starting from $5,455
• Premium Alaska, 10 days starting from $8,020
• Premium Patagonia, 9 days

Every Premium itinerary is led by Intrepid’s most experienced leaders and includes a feature stay and signature experience that will not be available on any other Intrepid trips.

Intrepid Travel – the B Corp certified world-leader in responsible travel – has added 15 new itineraries across the United States focused on backcountry and hiking adventures that provide both a minimal footprint and immersive nature-based experiences few others get to see.

The new trips will more than double Intrepid’s trekking portfolio within the U.S., with tours in sought after destinations such as Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion, and will primarily focus on backcountry adventures on off-the beaten-track trails away from most signs of civilization, allowing travelers to reconnect with nature in its purest form.

In 2021, over 3.3 million people visited Yosemite National Park, yet just 1% of visitors got off the main (and often crowded) trails. With the addition of these new trips to its U.S. tour range, Intrepid hopes to change this trend. Backcountry trekking allows adventurers to see these iconic destinations away from the popular trails, often times with no vehicles or fixed facilities in sight, while relying on responsible camping and a “pack in, pack out” philosophy that makes for some of the most sustainable holidays on the planet.

Demand for this style of travel in the U.S. has increased dramatically since the onset of the pandemic, which saw people wanting to get away from city crowds and closer to nature. In April 2022, the company saw bookings in North America up 208% year-over-year, with customers predominantly planning active summer trips. For the U.S. year-to-date, active trip bookings are up 61% vs. 2019, with walking and trekking tour bookings up a remarkable 211%.

Samples of the new backcountry trips offered by Intrepid include:

• Hiking and Backpacking Yosemite’s North Rim (4 days from $1,395 USD per person)

Explore the North Rim of Yosemite Valley during an early season Yosemite hiking adventure up to the rim that overlooks one of the world’s scenic treasures. Travelers will see Yosemite Falls, North Dome and Indian Rock while taking in expansive views of the entire Yosemite Valley and the incomparable High Sierra, and will sleep under the stars, witness Yosemite’s only above water natural arch, and climb to the summit of Half Dome’s smaller twin, North Dome. This small group backpacking trip offers a wonderful opportunity to escape the crowds and absorb some of the best views in Yosemite National Park.

• Hiking and Camping in Zion (3 days from $1,468 USD per person)

Travelers will sleep under the stars in the heart of Zion National Park on a backcountry camping and hiking adventure in Utah’s most famous national park. Highlights include strolling down the paved River Trail, buttressed by tumbling water and a 3,000-foot cliff face, experiencing the iconic Virgin River Narrows hike walking through moving water on the way to Orderville Canyon, and exploring Snow Canyon, which is like a mini Zion and cuts impressive walls from the lava-covered country above the rim through the slickrock country below.

• Hiking Washington’s Olympic National Park and Mt Rainier (6 days from $3,675 USD per person)

Travelers will discover the best of the Olympic Peninsula and Mount Rainier, from the high alpine ridges and glaciated volcanoes to dramatic waterfalls, wildlife, and lush rainforests. Hike along a ridge traverse 5,500 feet above sea level on a coastal hike to Shi Shi beach, one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, walk through the Hoh Rainforest to see some of the largest and oldest trees in Washington, and admire the Reflection Lakes at Mount Rainier. The trip also includes a visit to the famous Makah Museum to learn more about the cultural history of the local Makah people.

• Hike New Hampshire’s Appalachian Trail and Presidential Peaks (4 days from $1,265 USD per person)

Travelers will hike the highest mountains in New Hampshire, the Presidential Range, including the highest point in the Northeastern United States – the summit of Mount Washington – spending their nights in authentic backcountry huts. Visitors will enjoy stunning views of the Ammonoosuc River before rock scrambling among beautiful waterfalls, eat a picnic lunch at Lake of the Clouds hut perched above the trees near spectacular alpine lakes, and traverse some of the most famous Presidential Peaks, including Mount Monroe and Mount Eisenhower.

• Hiking and Backpacking North Carolina’s Appalachian Trail (3 days from $945 USD per person)

Discover the Cradle of Forestry area where American forest conservation began and stop at Looking Glass Falls, a stunning roadside waterfall, which features incredible 360-degree views. Travelers will spend two nights camping in the heart of the action near the famous and unique rock feature known as Shining Rock and take in sweeping views of the Appalachian Mountain Range as they enjoy lunch on the summit of one of the peaks or in the grassy meadows of Ivestor Gap.

The addition of these new experiences are a result of Intrepid’s recent acquisition of Wildland Trekking, an environmentally-conscious U.S.-based tour operator focused on walking and trekking experiences, which was done to build upon Intrepid’s operational capability in the United States, providing more diverse and robust outdoor adventure-based options for both domestic and international travelers.

Intrepid Travel also launched its own dedicated American operations hub in 2021, Intrepid DMC North America, to increase its capacity in the region, ensure the utmost quality control over each trip and incorporate the highest sustainable and responsible measures. The company has additionally been increasingly focused on building more impactful relationships with BIPOC-owned businesses and suppliers throughout the United States to offer its travelers a broader range of experiences and perspectives.

For more information or to book these trips, visit https://www.intrepidtravel.com/us/theme/walking.

As late as 1986, coal miners in the UK still carried canaries to detect carbon monoxide fumes in the mines.

If the canary died, trouble was afoot. These days, the World Wildlife Federation publishes a “species directory” – a list of endangered, vulnerable, and threatened animals and I find it ironic that the list has not been expanded to include humans. Perhaps it would be wrong to list humans under both threatened species and causation because no doubt there is a self-destructive gene somewhere in the human DNA spiral, and it seems to be expressing itself with increasing regularity.

So what has this to do with the travel industry?

The long-term health of our industry depends on what amounts in many cases to self-regulation. Tour operators and cruise lines operate without a great deal of oversight, even in the face of legal regulation and social pressure. Too often, a bit of excess oil is intentionally dumped overboard in our oceans or fragile environmental systems face the consequences of increasing numbers of affluent tourists. Climate change now hangs heavy over many destinations as ocean levels rise and glaciers melt. The ivory trade threatens the very existence of the planet’s largest mammals as thousands of elephants and rhinos are slaughtered for trinkets and pseudo medicines.   There are still porters in Peru and Tanzania who continue to work under inhumane conditions. Men from the United States travel to Thailand, Guatemala, and central Europe for encounters with underage victims of the sex trade.

As a travel professional, you can ensure your clients are informed of these problems, are aware of the issues involved, the countermeasures, and the travel industry’s responsibility for negating each.

In many cases, the real cost of the environmental impact is “off-balance-sheet” – absorbed by the environment rather than by the traveler. The cumulative effects often show in places where we least want to observe the impact of humanity. But it is not only the environment per se that bears the brunt of tourism’s numbers. Trafficking in human slavery, the exploitation of animals, and of cheap labor are all intersected at some point by our profession.

These are not esoteric causes, but problems at the heart of some of the planet’s most correctable pathologies. Some of the key points worth noting:

• While consumers believe travel service suppliers should be good stewards of their environment, over half (54%) also believe that individuals themselves have the greatest responsibility for preserving and protecting the environment.
• Six out of ten (58%) travelers say they believe that environmental programs by travel service suppliers could have a positive effect on the environment.
• The majority (51%) of consumers will continue to patronize “green” travel service suppliers regardless of an economic downturn. In fact, nearly half (48%) of travelers say that continuing to support environmentally-responsible travel service suppliers is a necessity, even in an economic downturn.
• Less than one-third (29%) say it is easy to find out about environmental policies and initiatives of travel service suppliers

These key findings hold the promise of gradual evolution to a more sustainable travel industry. Travel professionals can be an important catalyst in the transformation of our industry from a 19th-century model to a 21st-century ideal. If fewer than one-third of travelers find it easy to obtain information on sustainable travel, there is a role for the socially conscious travel consultant to play.

Many might argue travel is itself a part of the problem.  The footprint of tourism is heavy and deep and our impact on some very fragile environments is significant.  Yet, it is balanced by the opportunity for millions of people to acquaint themselves with new cultures, new ways of thinking, an expanded vision of being a world citizen. We can only hope. We can certainly do our part in playing a positive role to offset the negative influences of travel and tourism.

Many tour operators have been taking very direct actions toward sustainable travel for years. Companies like Intrepid and G Adventures have blazed a trail for us, but there is so much more to be done.

Collectively, our profession touches millions of people each year. Pick a good cause. Educate yourself. Pass along just a small bit of information to your clients each and every time you engage in a travel planning effort. Help to make us all better world citizens. Make sustainable travel an issue. Because it is. The evidence indicates your clients want this type of information.  Who better to provide it than a travel professional?

We will not always get second chances. Somewhere, a canary just lost its wings.

Intrepid Travel, the B Corp certified tour operator that has been a leader in decarbonizing the tourism industry, has put together a list of some of the company’s most low-impact trips ahead of Earth Day for travelers interested in a climate-conscious adventure.

While all of Intrepid’s 1,000+ tours around the world are fully carbon offset and the company itself has been carbon neutral since 2010, the past few years have seen an increased focus by its product development team to create trips that lower its carbon footprint even further, with a focus on removing internal flights, increasing its use of low-carbon accommodations and adding more human-powered adventures.

“Intrepid recognizes that travel has an environmental impact,” says Matt Berna, Intrepid Travel’s Managing Director for North America. “We are committed to ongoing improvement of our environmental performance in our operations and across our value chain to minimize our impact on the environment. Intrepid has developed more than 40 new low carbon trips, with a focus on activities including walking, trekking and cycling. Lowering the carbon output from our trips is also supported by the development of our new domestic range. In addition, flights have been removed from five top-selling products in Borneo, Cuba, Cambodia, Vietnam and Egypt.”

Here are 5 of its top picks for a low impact holiday:

• Vietnam Family Holiday – 13 days, from $1,400 USD per person

Trading planes for trains, taxis for cyclos

This 13-day tour from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh shows how travelling with a low footprint can help create a big impact. From navigating cities on a cyclo, a novel three-wheeled zero-emission wonder, to a family dinner at KOTO, a not-for-profit restaurant connecting at-risk youth with careers in hospitality, this trip is a perfect example of travelling with people and the planet in mind.

Climate-conscious tip from this trip: Beyond local, low-impact transportation and a focus on community operated restaurants, in 2022 we’ve replaced a flight from Hanoi to Hoi An with an overnight train. Rail travel is not only better for the planet but it often enhances the experience for travelers, seeing more of the countryside and smaller towns that you’d otherwise miss.

• Trek the Larapinta Trail – 5 days, from $1,264 USD per person

Off-grid is even better than offsetting

Going off-grid is one of the surest ways to minimize your environmental impact. On Intrepid’s Larapinta Trail adventure, travelers will tackle the rugged landscape of one of Australia’s greatest multi-day walks, where days are spent hiking and swimming in the wild and nights are spent camping in the wilderness in traditional swags under the star-filled desert skies.

Climate-conscious tip from this trip: While a digital-detox can help provide a much-needed mental recharge, it is also the most environmentally friendly way to travel. A 100% human powered adventure like this effectively means eliminating your footprint.

• Egypt Experience – 12 days, from $2,244 USD per person

Non-essential flights can essentially be the same as driving

This cultural expedition is filled with small examples of how travelers can make a big impact. From trains and boats to dinners with a Nubian family, you’ll quickly learn why locally minded travel is better for the planet.

Climate-conscious tip from this trip: In 2022, the flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel was removed in favor of driving. Between airport check-ins and wait times, it was calculated that door-to-door there was essentially no time saved from flying and lots of emissions to be saved by driving. Be sure you are looking at total travel time vs. flight time for the truest picture on how much “time” and “energy” a flight will take – the answer may surprise you.

• Premium Peru – 9 days, from $2,397 USD per person

Community-owned > foreign-owned

On Day 2 of Intrepid’s Premium Peru trip, travelers will visit Posada Amazonas, nestled on the side of the Tambopata River in the Peruvian Amazon. This lodge is community-owned by the Ese Eja Indigenous people and will host travelers for 2 nights. As traditional stewards of the land, the lodge was built using local materials and designed to work in concert with nature.

Climate-conscious tip from this trip: Community-owned lodges and hotels are collectively owned and developed to benefit multiple families and residents of a community. These types of properties are found all over the world and almost guarantee 100% of your tourism dollars genuinely support the community you visit. When looking for a unique stay, try booking a proper community-based hotel stay.

• Walking in Grand Canyon National Park – 5 days, from $1,845 USD per person

Undertourism that over delivers

Travelers will capture the magic of the USA’s famed Grand Canyon on a guided 5-day walking adventure, starting with a hike along the popular South Rim, soaking in spectacular views of the Canyon and Colorado River, before continuing to the lesser-visited and awe-inspiring North Rim that sees just 10% of the visitors of its southern counterpart. Local guides will show off hidden trails, secret look out points and unusual wildlife each day, before spending the evenings in a scenic campsite beneath a sky full of stars.

Climate-conscious tip from this trip: The road less travelled is often a much more sustainable and responsible one. By seeking under-touristed trails and lookouts, you are reducing the strain on the built environment and helping ensure other places and people benefit from tourism. Always seek out alternative views, perspectives and paths that will provide the same effect with a reduced impact.

ABOUT INTREPID TRAVEL
Intrepid Travel is a world leader in sustainable experience-rich travel that has been taking travelers to discover the world’s most amazing places for more than 30 years. The company’s mission is to create positive change through the joy of travel. The company offers more than 1,150 trips on every continent and every is designed to truly experience local culture. With its own network of destination management companies in 23 countries, Intrepid has unique local expertise and perspectives. Globally renowned as a leader in responsible travel, in 2018 the carbon-neutral business became the world’s largest travel company to be certified B-Corp. Intrepid Travel is the only global tour operator with verified science-based carbon reduction targets and its not-for-profit, The Intrepid Foundation, has raised more than $11 million for more than 130 charities around the world. For further information download the company’s 2021 Integrated Annual Report and follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Offering up the best of the best in travel isn’t easy; this takes tenacity, an open mind to the traveler’s wants and needs, and a healthy perspective on what a destination has to offer. And Intrepid Travel is a supplier that prides itself on these attributes. They have been a tour provider for 30 years with sustainable travel focused on local perspectives, an expansive list of countries, and even a not-for-profit foundation that has raised millions of dollars.

Intrepid Travel offers up more than 1,150 trips, in 23 countries, on every continent. These include family-friendly vacations, wildlife and polar tours, a journey through local foods, adventure cruising, and adventures like cycling and touring. The destinations of these tours span the world, from seeing Read the rest of this entry »

Known as the gateway to Africa, the country of Morocco is situated in the north of the continent and shares close ties to Europe… culturally and location-wise. With just 8 miles of sea to cross before reaching Spain, the mixture of sometimes vastly different places has created an exotic and exciting location. The busy streets of major cities like Marrakech and Tangier are perfect for people watching from cafes. The mix of cultures that have come together has a way of diversity seldom known around the world.
Read the rest of this entry »