Intrepid Travel helps you to travel ethically and sustainably

Intrepid Travel is a certified B Corporation with the mission to create positive change through the joy of travel

Intrepid has had a long-standing commitment to sustainability throughout its 34-year history. Intrepid was the first tour operator to introduce a responsible tourism department in 1998, achieved carbon neutrality from 2010 by measuring and offsetting all its emissions, and halted elephant riding on its tour products in 2014.

In 2018, Intrepid Travel went a step further to become a certified B Corporation where it measures and audits its impacts on the environment, workers, community, customers, and governance. Intrepid Travel achieved its first B Corp certification in 2018 with a score of 82.7 and has since improved its score by almost 10 points to 91.2 in its latest B Corp recertification in 2021.

In 2023, Intrepid redeveloped trip emissions in line with the best-practice requirements set by the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard, and as a result, redesigned their top 50 trips to remove at least 3,000 flights and include carbon labels to over 500 of their trips.

Intrepid Travel improved its B Corp score and delivered results on its overall Purpose strategy by embedding a consistent approach towards sustainable action through its Purpose team; implementing structural changes and resource investments, such as ensuring one of its six annual company goals is purpose-related; and being transparent and accountable about their impact journey via an annual Integrated Report.

Travel accounts for 8 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions annually, making climate action a key focus for Intrepid Travel. Intrepid has a longstanding commitment to climate action, self-declaring carbon neutrality in 2010 and becoming Climate Active carbon neutral certified and the first tour operator to implement near-term Science Based Targets in 2018. In 2023, Intrepid redeveloped trip emissions in line with the best practice requirements set by the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard, and as a result, redesigned their top 50 trips to remove at least 3,000 flights and include carbon labels to over 500 of their trips.

As part of its efforts to drive inclusive impact and reduce inequality, Intrepid has completed two Reconciliation Action Plans (RAP), including a Reflect and Innovate RAP from mid-2020 to mid-2023.

Intrepid has raised awareness surrounding colonialism, land dispossession, and racism and strengthened relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples through increasing First Nationsled experiences from 12 to 50 in Australia.

Intrepid Travel’s not-for-profit organization, The Intrepid Foundation, was established in 2002 to empower customers to make a positive impact on the communities they visit and has distributed $14 million to over 160 communities. To deepen customer engagement with local issues, Intrepid aligned Foundation partner organisations with every trip (over 800 products). Intrepid makes a company donation on behalf of every traveller and inspires customers to give to a local cause upon return. To date, Foundation partners have increased from 20 to 49 partners in more than 30 countries, spanning 11 SDGs.

By retaining its B Corp certification while growing the size and scale of its business, Intrepid is demonstrating that B Corps can be larger, purpose-led businesses that are commercially successful. Intrepid’s vision for its legacy is that it demonstrates that scaling positive impact is possible while decarbonising and growing demand for sustainable travel, creating a blueprint that the wider tourism sector can replicate so that travel can be here for generations to come.

Intrepid Travel was the winner of the Banksia Foundation's 2024 Sustainable Tourism Award, sponsored by Tourism Australia.

Website: intrepidtravel.com.au