How it started
History
The company was founded in 1989 by two Australian university friends, Darrell Wade and Geoff "Manch" Manchester, after they quit their jobs and organized a six-month trip around Africa. The cofounders set out to create a new type of travel that gave back to the people and places that it visits. In its first year, Intrepid carried 46 passengers, with Geoff Manchester as its first tour leader, leading trips in Thailand.
In 2011, TUI Group acquired 60% of the company. However, in 2015, the founders re-acquired those shares after a disagreement in vision with TUI Group.
In 2021, Genairgy, the investment fund of the founding family of Decathlon, acquired a minority interest in the company.
In January 2022, the company acquired Wildland Trekking.
In February 2025, the company acquired Sawadee Reizen, which had $62 million in annual revenue, from Travelopia.
From Wikipedia’s article on Intrepid Travel, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2