Intrepid Travel taps into growing families, active and premium demand

Intrepid Travel has hailed the role of the Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers (Atas) in helping the operator, agents and wider sector to capitalise on growing markets.

 

Carrie Grant, UK and Ireland head of industry partnerships, said the operator is seeing growth across a wide selection of holiday types, including active, premium, families, younger travellers, rail and off-the-beaten-track destinations.

 

Active holidays are “performing incredibly well”, she added, especially Intrepid’s new premium walking and trekking tours, as more clients seek wellness options.

 

Furthermore, the growing premium style offers agents opportunities as more customers tend book these tours via agents, she noted.

 

Meanwhile, family tours are 60% up as people want authentic, local experiences, she added.

 

More: Intrepid Travel more than doubles fam trips as trade sales surge

 

She recalled how the Nixon family proved to be a big hit at the Atas 2025 annual conference when they talked on stage about their trip to Borneo.

 

“The content they produced was so incredible. It was so heartfelt coming from all the family,” said Grant.

 

“They are our family ambassadors and are travelling with us to Slovenia in the summer.

 

“We have got a big commitment to growing our capacity to Europe [and] we want to lean into these less visited areas.”

She also said the emotions revealed during the Borneo holiday show why she is keen to get 350+ agents on fam trips this year to showcase touring and adventure.

 

“To have those moments where they get to connect and meet people from different parts of the world…is a really, really powerful moment,” she added.

 

Grant said Atas director Claire Brighton and her team do “an incredible job” connecting agents with operators, showcasing the adventure and touring market – and bringing new agents into the sector.

 

“The barrier to touring is sometimes perception. Rather than waiting for a touring customer, we want more agents to be able to suggest it, saying ‘this would be an incredible trip for you’,” she said.

 

“Atas has agent panels at events with great people. We all learn from our peers and we are really supportive of that.

 

“We have had some great trips with Atas to Lake Como and Morocco.

 

“Atas is doing a really great job with events around the UK and also offering these snippets of touring, so that people can experience them.”

 

She also highlighted the recent Atas trip to South Africa with Contiki, taking apprentices and young new-to-travel agents.

 

“Touring is not just that older demographic market – there is something for everyone, whether it is 18-35 or family or the active products,” she said.

 

“We are definitely seeing more younger people booking; our 18 to 35s range is doing really well.

 

“That is an opportunity for agents. We don’t get a massive proportion of those bookings via our agents.

 

“The 18-35 group now want Instagrammable moments and real connections, and to meet people along the way.

 

“If agents can tap into those local markets, if they live in a university town or suchlike, that is a really great opportunity for them.”

 

Another growth area is homeworkers, so Grant aims to bring more groups together in 2026 for gatherings such as midweek brunches.

 

Investment in Ireland has paid dividends too, with sales up by more than 60% thanks to offers priced in euros and flight-inclusive packages from the republic.

 

The annual National Travel Agent Day, established by Intrepid in 2020, is expanding, with the operator giving away more trips than ever last September.

 

For this year’s edition, the operator is planning to take 80 agents on a fam trip to coincide with National Travel Agent Day.

 

“The industry is powered by agents, they are integral. It is really nice to have a day that celebrates them,” she continued.

 

Furthermore, she said agents on trips can also see Intrepid’s sustainability credentials in action.

 

“Agents care about the planet. They travel more than most people so there is a vested interest in looking after our planet and the people around it,” she said.

 

“We don’t preach to agents. We showcase the good things.”

 

The rail programme continues to grow, offering clients a way to reduce their carbon footprint, especially with Europe’s train network.

 

“We have got incredible experiences on our doorstep, and many of them connected by rail. We will be investing more in that,” she added.

 

Intrepid is also shining the spotlight on less-well-known destinations to tackle problems of overtourism, with its Not Hot List, and has new tours to countries such as Romania and Sierra Leone.