“I rode an elephant”: Intrepid’s CEO challenges agents to confess to travel mistakes

“I rode an elephant”: Intrepid’s CEO challenges agents to confess to travel mistakes

There are plenty of things I’ve done over the course of my life that I’m not proud of. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn’t made mistakes in their lifetime.

If we never made mistakes, we’d never grow into functioning, morally-minded, opinion-having adults. And sometimes you need first-hand experience of a particular issue to know where you stand on it, and what you do the next time you’re face-to-face with it.

And so, as CEO of one of the world’s largest sustainable travel companies, a travel company that five years ago made the decision to ban elephant rides on all of its trips, I have a confession to make:

In 2004, I rode an elephant in Thailand.

I know. I don’t feel great about it. In fact, I didn’t feel great about it at the time, and that was before we knew how much these animals have to suffer for our enjoyment. But – and this is going to sound like a complete cop-out – it’s just what people did back then.

We’ve all been in those situations, and they can be particularly prevalent when we’re travelling, when something might just seem a little bit off-kilter (lukewarm food, I’m looking at you). But everyone else goes along with it, so you do too.

I’m no veterinarian but those elephants in Thailand didn’t look particularly happy. But there was part of my brain that said, “surely, if this was dodgy in any way, we wouldn’t be allowed to do it.” And so on I went, just another one of the tens of thousands of tourists sucked in by this heavily-touted ‘once in a lifetime’ experience.

elephants on safari in National Nature Park Udawalawe in Sri Lanka

As I mentioned above, mistakes are an essential part of life. As a company, Intrepid made the mistake of offering elephant rides for nearly 20 years. And as a company, as soon as Intrepid realised that mistake, we invested the necessary time, money and energy to fix it.

In 2010, we partnered with World Animal Protection, a global not-for-profit animal welfare group, to commission one of the first studies into elephant conditions on the ground.

We looked at 118 wildlife projects and businesses all over Thailand. The results revealed an industry that was trading on animal cruelty.

In 2014, we removed elephant rides on all our trips. It was an industry-shaking move at the time. Intrepid was the first global travel company to take this stance, but happily, we weren’t the last. Since then, over 200 travel companies around the world, including heavyweights like TripAdvisor, have followed our lead and removed elephant riding from their itineraries.

Now every action has a reaction, so from 2020, Intrepid will be offering new trips and initiatives in Thailand and Laos that help support the animals and mahouts (elephant handlers) impacted by our 2014 decision.

Travellers will be able to watch elephants roam and swim in their natural habitat at MandaLao, the first non-elephant riding sanctuary in Luang Prabang. And Intrepid’s not-for-profit, The Intrepid Foundation, will also be raising funds to help support the organisation.

In Thailand, travellers will be able to visit the ChangChill, an organisation that supports the protection, conservation and lifestyle of free-roaming elephants in the area. These new experiences will be totally immersive, educational and experiential – and they will cause absolutely no harm to the elephants.

I wanted to talk about this on World Elephant Day because I think it’s important for us all to face up to the mistakes we’ve made – whether in travel or everyday life. Positive change doesn’t happen when we’re living in regret, fear or shame. Positive change happens when we’re able to be honest and open with our community and say, “Yep, I messed up. But here’s what I’m going to do about it.”

It doesn’t end with being honest about our mistakes, either. We also have a responsibility to listen to what other people have to say without judging of chastising them. One of the best things about mistakes, actually, is that we can also learn from the mistakes of others. So the more we share, the more likely we are to make better decisions moving forward.

So, I’ve told you mine, now you tell me: what mistakes have you made since you’ve been exploring the world?


Speaking of responsible tourism, this year’s Travel DAZE focuses on sustainability, and we’re not just talking about planting trees. Find out more here.

Latest News

  • Famil

TravHost launches expert hosting service to transform industry famils

TravHost offers a pioneering service bridging the gap between media professionals, travel agents and tourism organisations, addressing the demand for exceptional famil hosts. Founded by seasoned travel media professionals Fiona Harper and Carolyne Jasinski, TravHost is poised to revolutionise the way tourism organisations and travel companies approach famils. With decades of experience in tourism and […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Travel Agents

Book big and bag a spot of the TTC Tour Brand’s Top Achievers’ Famil

TTC Tour Brands’ Top Achievers Famil incentive is back, rewarding top-selling agents with the chance to embark on an unforgettable trip to a destination that remains a secret – for now. Agents who have sold any Luxury Gold, Insight Vacations, Trafalgar, Costsaver and Contiki, from 1 December 2024 to 14 March 2025, go into the […]

  • Business Travel
  • Conferences

New Zealand International Convention Centre to open in February 2026

The New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) has announced it is opening its doors to New Zealand and world conferences and events in February 2026. The long-awaited NZICC is set to transform New Zealand’s conference and events industry, boosting visitation and the wider economy with its world-class facilities. Located in the heart of Auckland’s CBD, […]

  • Cruise
  • Events

AmaWaterways invites AU/NZ travel trade to An Evening with AmaWaterways events

AmaWaterways has announced the dates of its upcoming An Evening with AmaWaterways events for travel advisors, just over a year after it entered the Australian and New Zealand markets. Dedicated to travel advisors, the events will be held in six cities and will be hosted by AmaWaterways’ regional sales managers, plus feature a presentation from […]

  • Destinations
  • Tourism

Mooloolaba cruise season boosts Sunshine Coast tourism and trade

Mooloolaba is set to welcome a series of cruise ships through February and March 2025, significantly boosting local businesses and tourism to the Sunshine Coast. Their arrival is expected to create a vibrant atmosphere and provide a substantial economic uplift to the region. Viking Sky kicks off the season on Sunday 8 February, with 930 […]

  • Food & Beverage

Little Pete Brewing opens first of its kind open-air bar

Little Pete Brewing has opened a new open-air bar at 543 Step Rd, Langhorne Creek, a must-visit South Australia destination for a drink with a view. The first-of-its-kind open-air bar sits on 8ha, surrounded by vineyards and paddocks, with the Bremer River flowing nearby and framed by majestic ancient river red gums. “We always felt […]

  • Events

CENTREPIECE is set to make a splash at AIME 2025

CENTREPIECE is set to make a splash at AIME 2025 with a one-of-a-kind activation that showcases their world-class event capabilities to inspire event planners and decision-makers. CENTREPIECE is located in the heart of Melbourne & Olympic Parks, Victoria’s epicentre for live sports and entertainment and home to world-renowned venues including Rod Laver Arena, AAMI Park, […]

  • Destinations
  • Tourism

NYC Tourism + Conventions announces two exciting new events

NYC Tourism + Conventions has announced ‘NYC Off-Broadway Week 2025’ and ‘Value Family Activities’ events lined up for this year. NYC Off-Broadway Week 2025 2-for-1 ticket sales for this event have begun with this season’s program featuring 29 Off-Broadway performances, including 18 new participants. The twice-yearly program runs from 17 February through 9 March with […]

  • Events
  • Tourism

Jeju wins bid to host 2028 Asia-Pacific Microscopy Conference

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has successfully secured the 14th Asia-Pacific Microscopy Conference (APMC14) for Jeju in November 2028. This was achieved in partnership with the Korean Society of Microscopy, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju Convention Bureau, and Jeju International Convention Center. Korea was selected as the final host after strong competition at the 13th […]

  • Cruise
  • Food & Beverage

Oceania Cruises sets new standard for onboard dining: one chef for every 10 guests

Oceania Cruises, renowned for The Finest Cuisine at Sea, has set a new standard for onboard dining with an exquisite new menu evolution in The Grand Dining Room. Launching on its newest 1,200-guest ship, Allura, in July 2025, the reimagined menus introduce over 270 brand-new recipes, from curated Signature Eggs Benedict breakfast selection to a chic French […]