Pragmatic Dreams

Geoff started his business as a traveller. He didn’t start with profit in mind, and yet it’s been a great success. Why? Focus on purpose, service and culture, and the rest comes.

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It was while Geoff was on a cycling tour in China in 1987 that he began to wonder why group tours needed to stay in luxurious hotels and have organised banquets every meal. Surely there must be another way to travel, with the advantages of a group, but living and travelling more as independent travellers do?

Two years later Geoff was leading the first Intrepid trip to Thailand and before long Intrepid was running trips all over Asia, with passengers from all around the world. Intrepid is now recognised as a world leader in adventure travel and especially in ‘responsible travel’, with over 350 local leaders working in 110 countries, introducing travellers to the ‘real life experiences’ of the Intrepid style of travel.

Since the early days, Intrepid has continually supported people and communities in need. Now, through The Intrepid Foundation, it supports 45 small on-the-ground NGO projects as well as 10 international NGO’s. Intrepid is happy to stand out on issues of importance such as global warming, protecting the north-west shelf or the benefit of girls’ education.

Try asking Geoff about the Intrepid culture. Chances are he will not mention something important as he sees it as normal when it is in fact at the forefront of company practice.