Intrepid forecasts strong US, UK growth

Intrepid forecasts strong US, UK growth
By admin


Intrepid Travel's new managing director has set his sights on doubling the operator's turnover with the US and Europe to drive growth over the next few years.

While Australia sales will continue to rise, James Thornton predicted the operator's major growth will come from the northern hemisphere.

Australia makes up approximatey 50% of Intrepid's sales, with Thornton suggesting that could fall to a third as its US and European operations expand.

"We should come close in 2013 to $150 million turnover which is pretty sizeable from where we have come from," he said. "I see no reason over the next three to five years why we can't double that.

"North America in particular has been a huge growth channel, both in the US and Canada," he continued. "We are aggressively over-investing in those markets to continue to stimulate that growth. Australia has a population of 22 million and represents around half of our revenue. The UK has a 60 million population and the US 250 million so we are only scratching the surface. There is no reason why we can't get strong growth from those markets."

Not that Australia will stagnate, he added, stressing that outbound travel has "boomed" in the last three months.

"We need Australia to perform but in terms of chunky growth, I see that coming more from the northern hemisphere," he said.

Thornton took the managing director role in October taking over from Geoff Manchester, one of Intrepid's founders. It is the first time the company has been led by anyone other than Manchester and his business partner Darrell Wade.

Thornton denied he was intimidated at leading a business in which the founders are still so closely involved, Manchester as the director of PEAK Adventure Travel Group and Wade its chief executive.

Thornton said the presence of the founders will enable him to bounce ideas off them.

"I am inheriting a pretty impressive business so I want to continue the legacy of innovation that has been established by Darrell and Manchester," he said. "They are incredibly respectful and have given me the support to make the changes I think we need to make to ensure our ongoing growth.

"The guys put their ultimate trust in key management personnel to run the business and I am solely accountable for the performance of the business.

"I have a three to five year vision and they have given me the autonomy to make that happen."

Not that 31-year-old Thornton is a stranger to the business. He has been with the company for seven years, the last four in his native UK as global sales and marketing director.

Thornton said he wanted to drive innovation in terms of "product, distribution and responsible tourism" as well as ensure the "overall commercialisation of the business".

The operator has recently focused on new food and family products, the latter in collaboration with UK-based The Adventure Company, part of PEAK.

"We are looking to leverage greater relationships and explore opportunities within PEAK and starting to work closer with some of our sister companies," he said. "We can take product that potentially we don't offer and drive them through our global distribution network."

 

Latest News

  • Cruise

Silversea sets sail on its 2025 World Cruise

Experiential luxury and expedition travel brand, Silversea, has set sail on its 2025 World Cruise, Controtempo, taking guests to 59 destinations over 136 days. The cruise set sail from Tokyo on 13 January and arrives in New York on 29 May 2025. Guests will experience many of the most iconic cities and off-the-beaten-path gems in […]

  • Hotels

Dusit International announces two new hotels in the Philippines

Thailand hotel and property development company Dusit International has strengthened its presence in the Philippines with two new hotels in Mindanao, set to open in late 2029. The company, represented in the Philippines by Dusit Thani Philippines Inc., has signed hotel management agreements with IDC Prime. IDC Prime is a wholly owned subsidiary of Italpinas […]

  • Destinations
  • Hotels

Elite Havens adds luxury new villa to its portfolio

Elite Havens, a premier luxury villa rental and management provider, has added a new villa to its existing portfolio of over 250 villas now available for rent in Phuket, Thailand. The Surin Seaview Villa is a three-storey hillside retreat nestled on the hills of Phuket’s beautiful west coast and offers breathtaking views of the Andaman […]

  • Destinations
  • Events

Lunar New Year celebrations across Asia

As the Lunar New Year approaches, various destinations around Asia have announced the different celebrations they have lined up. Fire show, live band, instrumentalists, and bartenders flair show The Anam Group’s two beachfront resorts in Cam Ranh and Mui Ne will celebrate the most significant time in the Vietnamese calendar, Tet, with a broad spectrum […]

  • Conferences

The Australian Tourism Exchange heads to Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 27 April

The Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE) will be held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from 27 April to 1 May 2025. Tourism Australia requires all sellers attending the event to submit a front panel graphic with one image representing their business for marketing purposes at ATE25, while Destination NSW requires sellers to submit a […]

  • Appointments
  • News

New acting CEO of Destination NSW appointed

Karen Jones has commenced her role as Acting CEO of Destination NSW, taking the reins for an interim period of approximately six months. During this time, the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport will recruit for a permanent CEO. Jones brings over 27 years of leadership experience in state and local government. Most […]