Intrepid Travel has revealed plans to increase its ownership of accommodation globally as part of its strategic expansion plan.
Group chief executive James Thornton said the move aimed to solve accommodation supply issues and attract new customers.
He cited the type of accommodation the operator would be interested in acquiring as riads in Morocco and eco lodges in Scandinavia.
The plan follows the acquisition of the 15-room Daintree Ecolodge in Queensland, Australia, last October.
Prior to that, in 2022, it took a 50% stake in low-impact accommodation start-up Cabn, which comprises 30 ‘off grid’ cabins across southern Australia. It also has a three year lease on a 19 room property in Vietnam.
“We are increasingly moving into accommodation to solve supply issues where we cannot get access to accommodation or because we want to attract a new type of customer,” said Thornton.
“Riads in Morocco or eco lodges in Scandinavia are examples of places we would have interest in to expand our portfolio.”
The company, which sells one million room nights a year, already owns nearly 30 destination management companies which operate tours on the ground.
Thornton added: “We have already seen the benefits of vertical integration. Accommodation is what we are now exploring.”
The company is also planning to work with more outdoor clothing and equipment companies to leverage branding opportunities to increase awareness of the Intrepid name, and is bringing out The Intrepid Hotlist.
Destinations on the list will feature in three glossy coffee-table books over the next three years, showcasing destinations Intrepid offers and what is available to do and see, written by the operator’s staff in destination.