Intrepid Travel, which refers to itself as “the world’s largest adventure travel company,” was founded 30 years ago by Australians Darrell Wade and Geoff Manchester. Today, the Melbourne-based tour operator carries more than 350,000 travelers annually to 130 destinations on every continent with a focus on sustainability and local experiences. We talked to Leigh Barnes, Intrepid Travel’s regional director for North America, about how the company distinguishes itself from its competitors, its changing demographics and its heightened focus on North America.

How does Intrepid set itself apart from other tour operator market?

We are all about being local and sustainable. We operate our own destination management companies in 20 destinations. There is always a leader who is locally based and there is a maximum of 15 people in a group. We eat in local restaurants and use local transport. Our leaders really help clients mingle with locals.

How has Intrepid evolved over the past few years?

We now place more value on the experience and cultural immersion. In response to changing demand, we have added destinations like Moldova, Djibouti, and Paraguay. And there are more adventurous activities like marathoning on the Great Wall of China and hiking/biking/kayaking tours. People want to challenge themselves and want to accomplish something. And we offer more options for travelers. A tour leader might say, “You can come with us to this restaurant or I’ll give you options for others.” If we’re going to a more upscale place and you want a beer and burger, we’ll find the best place for that.

Are the demographics of your clientele also changing?

We have more families who know that travel changes the way people see the world and the way they live. Our typical customers are university-educated females, 30 percent of whom are between 30 and 45 years old. That said, our demographic is getting broader and we have welcomed guests from five years of age to over 90. They are conscious of seeking out off-the-beaten-path places, and so we are offering more alternatives to the traditional destinations. For instance, we might offer the Tatra Mountains in Poland as an alternative to the Alps, or Cyprus as an alternative to the Greek Islands.

How are you targeting North American agents and travelers?

Our U.S. clientele has increased 60 percent in the past two years. We have had an office in California for a few years and just opened one in New York. We now have two business development managers in the U.S.—one in the Midwest and one on the East Coast. We would love to have more relationships with consortia and other agent networks but we are also very active with independent agents. Our website has an agent portal and we have seen a lot of growth there in the past year; it has grown from nonexistent activity to significant. Compensation depends on our relationships with the agent or network, but it is really attractive compared to that of our competitors.

Are there other benefits you offer agents?

Depending on when, where and how, we will provide a 75 percent discount to travel agents. We take groups of agents from larger agencies on fams. Our message to agents is that we’re open for your business and we want you to be part of our business. We offer an amazing product with good commissions, and our fastest growth is now in North America. And because of our global presence, we can provide 24/7 sales support.

How do you categorize the Intrepid product?

We have several levels—Basix, which is a budget product with lots of free time; Original, which is our core program with a mix of free time and activities and a higher level of lodging; and Comfort, with a more elevated standard of accommodations and more meals and activities included. We can customize any group for as few as two people, although there will always be a trip leader. Agents can create their own customized trip for a program.

What types of trends are emerging in the marketplace?

One emerging trend is solo parents traveling with their kids, and we now have tours for single parents. Of course, food is an ongoing trend, but it is getting more diversified. We now have Armenian and Georgia food tours. The Middle East is popular, including a tour that goes to Israel and the Palestinian territories. We also have an Iranian food program.

What’s new for this year?

While we have offered our off-the-beaten-path Expeditions program for a few years, we introduce new ones each year. In 2018 we introduced a walking safari in Kruger National Park in South Africa, a gorilla safari in Congo, a Siberia program with the Trans-Siberian Railway, and others. We also launched six new solo-traveler tours, because of a growth in bookings from that segment, to destinations including Bali, Morocco, India, Vietnam, Mexico, and Peru.

You will become Intrepid’s first chief purpose officer in July. Can you tell us about that?

We believe in a purpose beyond profits. We have been carbon neutral since 2010 and were the first global tour operator to ban elephant rides on all our tours. In 2018 we will be committing 0.75 percent of global revenue toward purpose-driven activities such as diversity and inclusion, carbon offsetting and community-based tourism.