Intrepid Travel targets AU$1bn in sales after posting ‘best results’ in history

Intrepid Travel is aiming to surpass AU$1 billion in bookings for the first time in its history this year after reporting its “best results” in 2025.

This is despite travel disruption caused by the Middle East conflict impacting operations and consumer confidence since the end of February.

The tour operator recorded a 26% year-on-year jump in bookings to AU$873 million for 2025, while revenue increased by 29% to $809 million and Ebitda, a measure of profit, rose by 26% to $53.9 million.

In a webcast with Travel Weekly editor-in-chief Lucy Huxley, chief executive James Thornton said: “They’re the best results in our 37-year history.”

He added: “It’s a reflection of the great job that our team’s doing, the demand that customers are seeing for sustainable, experience-rich travel, and just how big we can grow the business with impact moving forward, so it’s a really exciting time.”

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Thornton revealed the last three months had been the company’s biggest-booking months in its history, until the Middle East conflict intensified on February 28.

The tour operator has paused trips across Egypt, Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia but is “hopeful” of restarting tours in Egypt from the start of April.

Thornton said Egypt had been “one of the standout performers” in terms of booking demand in the months leading up to March.

Speaking about the impact of recent travel disruption, he said it had been “really challenging”, adding: “We went from having record sales in January and February, to the next 10 days which were tough in terms of consumer demand.

“It’s an unsettling time, but hopefully we’re going to get some stability in the weeks ahead. It’s challenging at the moment for everyone who relies on global flight routes.”

Thornton revealed the company’s trading from Australia and New Zealand – which accounts for 40% of its overall business – had suffered as “more than 50% of flight routes [from the region] tend to go through the Middle East”.

He reported some customers with tours to or transiting through the Middle East were looking to change their bookings to other destinations while others were “waiting to see what happens” in April and May before deciding what to do, or postponing to later in the year.

Looking to the year ahead, he said: “Notwithstanding challenges in the Middle East, we are hoping that 2026 will be the year we finally go through the $1 billion dollar bookings mark, or £500 million.

“It’s been a long-held aim of ours and is not a billion dollars for a billion dollars’ sake, but more so because of the impact that we can have for communities around the world.”

He added he was “open” to exploring more acquisitions “when it makes sense”.