Intrepid Travel continues to expand its global operations with the acquisition of hotels and a strong focus on rail travel.
It has also released a free-to-download 12-page handbook - How to be a champion of change: An agent’s guide to understanding sustainable travel_ –_ a practical resource designed to enable travel advisors to communicate and sell sustainable travel.
It contains facts, product case studies, easy-to-understand
definitions and ideas to help agents demystify and talk about
sustainability with their clients.
Intrepid’s new rail trip range includes 40 trips and three brand-new
itineraries” Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure, Express to the Orient:
Paris to Istanbul, and Paris to Rome By Rail.
Intrepid said the range will cater to the “rising trend of train
travel”, with new data showing 75% of travellers are hoping to take a
train on their next trip.
The launch reflects Intrepid’s long-term product development plans,
replacing internal flights with less carbon-intensive options, where
viable, as part of its global decarbonisation strategy.
Intrepid’s rail journeys offer travellers an added dimension of
discovery, allowing customers to travel slower and experience more of
the countryside and have more opportunities for local interaction.
As part of this newly dedicated trip category, Intrepid will offer
iconic routes such as Bangkok to southern Thailand and lesser-known
routes like Varanasi to Agra, India, as well as rail family adventures
from Tokyo to Kyoto.
Intrepid recently appointed French hotel veteran Celine Hurelle to
lead its expansion into hotels. Her appointment is aimed at accelerating
Intrepid’s strategic expansion plans into new verticals, which includes
accommodation.
She will also work with Intrepid’s executive leadership across the
world to identify new opportunities to acquire accommodation that
supports the company’s responsible and local travel ethos.
CEO James Thornton said, “Our vision is to grow with responsibly
operated, locally based accommodation that not only reflects the
destination and community, but that gives back as well.
“We also want to ensure that our customers have a true Intrepid
experience in all of our properties, and I look forward to seeing what
we achieve next.”