Veteran adventure travel company Intrepid have recently put out a brand new, and very substantial, brochure focusing on socially conscious millennial travel. In a nod to the growing importance of sustainable travel and reducing one’s carbon footprint, the 18 to 29s brochure spans more than 80 travel experiences and hops from bucketlist experiences like camping in Iceland, island-hopping in Croatia, exploring Russia, and taking to the skies in Turkey.
To get a better idea of just what Intrepid are offering with the new adventures, The AU Review caught up with Intrepid Travel’s Regional Director (Asia Pacific) Brett Mitchell who discusses what kind of feedback informed this change, the range that spans everything from a super affordable $390 five-night tour of Cappadocia to a whopping 46 days in Central America, and what to expect from the one of the brochure’s most exciting tours (in our humble opinion), that being 12 days in Cuba.
What changes in the ways millennials travel have inspired this new brochure?
The World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) recent annual report showed that to achieve inclusive growth through tourism, key priorities must be considered, including pursuing greater social inclusiveness through tourism and millennials are savvy to this.
We are finding that millennials are no longer looking for solo backpacking trips or boozy party buses, and instead looking for meaningful travel experiences that give back to the places and people that they visit.
These new trips have loads of interaction and incorporate small group trips and include homestays, travelling on local transport and visiting off-the-beaten-path destinations to gain insight into life as a local.
Cuba is still a relatively unexplored destination for Aussie travellers. What can people expect from that 12 day tour and what have been the main considerations in curating the program?
Loads of local interaction! Santiago is Cuba’s second biggest city and carnival offers the best way to experience it with locals – the festival is filled with music, rhythm and soul.
The Real Santiago de Cuba Carnival let’s travellers experience this unique festival, a mix of Spanish colonial and Afro-Cuban celebration and arguably Cuba’s biggest party.
There is also down time to relax in Trinidad, dance in Havana and explore the colonial town of Camaguey by foot.
The five day tour of Cappadocia is one of Intrepid’s most affordable. How are costs kept so low and what can people expect to take away from the program?
This trip includes accommodation, transport and has optional activities, plus free time. It also includes activities like dinner at a family home in Cappadocia and an underground city tour of Derinkuyu.
We aren’t all-inclusive and don’t include every meal on this trip, just some. We find that travellers sometimes like to eat at different local restaurants, so there is this flexibility that helps keep the cost down.
What would be the most intensive program in the new brochure and how so?
Intrepid’s 18-29 Epic Central America trip goes for 46 days and is the longest trip on offer in the range. It takes travellers to experience Oaxaca, Chichen Itza, Caye Caulker and the beaches of El Salvador.
We also offer a 15 day trip to Everest Base Camp where travellers can hike through the Himalayas and tick this off their bucket list.
Socially conscious and responsible travel is such a large focus of this brochure. Is there anything from previous Intrepid tours that have been avoided because of this?
In 2014, Intrepid Travel were the first global travel company to end elephant rides on our tours, following research collaboration with World Animal Protection and many in the travel industry followed suit.
Responsible travel is paramount to the industry and animal welfare is a big part of this.
—
For more information about what’s available as part of Intrepid’s new brochure and for bookings head to intrepidtravel.com.
