A new range of ‘closer to home’ tours introduced by Intrepid Travel aim to support local communities striving to recover from the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Twelve of the 14 Intrepid Retreats are based across the UK and Europe, with one in the Middle East and one in North Africa. They range from three to five days in duration.
UK destinations include Scotland, Cornwall and Suffolk, plus walking and cycling trips in the Lake District and the Peak District.
Webcast: Intrepid Travel chief executive James Thornton and EMEA MD Zina Bencheikh
Those abroad include remote locations in Greece, Croatia, Iceland, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, Morocco and Jordan.
The programme is based on accommodation ranging from small boutique properties to glamping, with experiences ranging from hikes to wineries to fishing, cooking, cycling and stargazing.
The trips will be available from July 29, pending Foreign Office guidance which currently bans all but essential overseas travel.
The new range has been developed in direct response to local restrictions beginning to lift following the Covid-19 outbreak, with domestic and regional travel starting to re-open in some areas of the world.
They tours are designed to “empower and support” local communities during the economic recovery.
The development follows research by the operator of more than 1,000 UK travellers which found that 87% of people plan to travel in the UK in 2020, with 47% opting to go abroad.
When asked what motivated them to travel, 78% sought hiking and nature walks, 62% sought history and culture experiences, 46% preferred to relax and unwind, while 38% wanted multi-active trips on their next travel experience.
The company’s EMEA managing director Zina Bencheikh said: “We are excited to launch Intrepid Retreats, our latest product range created by locals for locals that brings travellers safely back together, offering trips closer to home that support local communities and businesses rebounding from the pandemic.
“We’ve worked hard to respond to our customers’ feedback and travel preferences post-pandemic, whilst continuing to deliver on sustainable experience-rich travel experiences.
“Our Retreats offer a diverse range of experiences from ‘comfort’ style hiking trips in the Scottish Highlands, to staying in a national park on one of Croatia’s remotest islands.
“As with all our tours, Intrepid Retreats are 100% carbon offset and designed to have a low environmental footprint while having a positive impact on local communities.”
Intrepid Retreats will be operated under new Safe Travel protocols developed and endorsed by the World Travel & Tourism Council.
A new flexible booking policy enables travellers to change, move or cancel their trips “with no fuss”.
Rates lead in at £425 per person for a three-night stay un a Yurt in Suffolk, while a four-day trip based in Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands starts at £840pp.