The operator will wind down its youth-focused Geckos Adventures brand later this year and replace it with a global 18-29s operation.
Boss James Thornton told TTG while Geckos differentiated Intrepid’s 18-29 offering, sales were almost entirely exclusive to Australia.
“It was either accelerate Geckos beyond Australia or start a new Intrepid brand,” he said. “So that’s what we’ve done.”
Thornton said Intrepid’s first age-specific brand would introduce more young people to its style of travel at an earlier age - and encourage them to continue travelling with the group’s other brands.
“18-29s still travel extensively,” said Thornton. “But they want to do it in a more sustainable, experiential way with like-minded people their own age.
“We’re expecting the number of socially conscious, millennial, Generation Z travellers wanting our style of travel to continue growing.
“They want to stay with locals, see, hear and interact with locals, and have local experiences - we can offer them these kind of experiences they perhaps can’t access as independent travellers."
MORE: Intrepid Travel to create dedicated global 18 to 29s brand
Thornton said “freedom and flexibility” was key to its 18-29 programme: “Our itineraries are quite broad,” he explained. “They are organised in the sense we arrange accommodation and transport.
“However, when passengers arrive, they want a range of opportunities,” he said. “In the 18-29 age bracket, some want to party, some want a local meal, some want a cultural experience.
“This age group is also increasingly affecting travel trends, like the move away from elephant rides. They value travelling with a brand like Intrepid that makes bold decisions.”
