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7 March, 2022

Intrepid Travel relaunches its Women’s Expeditions with COVID recovery twist

By Alexandra Coulton

Intrepid Travel is bringing back its Women’s Expeditions range, complete with new tours alongside redesigned old favourites.

As an added bonus, the tour operator has launched its annual $1 Deposit sale for departures before 31 December 2022 on bookings made before 1 April 2022.

Just in time for International Women’s Day, Intrepid has reintroduced its Women’s Expeditions with new destinations and experiences to help support and empower communities that have been affected by the pandemic.

The range – which has been on hiatus since the COVID-19 pandemic kicked off – was introduced in 2018 to offer a deeper understanding of female culture in more conservative destinations that wouldn’t typically be feasible in mixed-gender settings, and to challenge traditional gender boundaries in tourism.

“Relaunching Women’s Expeditions is a significant and exciting step forward for Intrepid Travel, enabling us to continue our support for some truly inspirational women who rely on tourism to support themselves, their families and their communities – many of whom suffered greatly because of the COVID-19 pandemic and are eager to welcome tourists back,” said Erica Kritikides, general manager of global product at Intrepid Travel.

As an added bonus, the tour operator is currently running its annual $1 Deposit Sale for departures before 31 December 2022 on bookings made before 1 April 2022.

After initially launching as a limited-edition range with tours in Morocco, Jordan and Iran, the trips became some of the most popular in the company’s 30+ year history, prompting Intrepid to add tours in Turkey, Kenya, India and Nepal in 2019.

Now in 2022, Intrepid will reintroduce them in countries that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

Intrepid’s newly reimagined Women’s Expeditions will include:

India Women’s Expedition – Not only did more women lose their jobs in India due to COVID-19 than men, but fewer are returning.

Data shows there are 22 per cent fewer women employed in India in 2021 than in 2019. The tourism industry in the country has long been male-dominated, and this trip aims to help advocate for more opportunities for women in travel and tourism.

Highlights: travel by public transport in the female-only carriage of the Delhi Metro, explore the colourful bazaars and architecture of Old Delhi, a night under the stars in the Thar Desert with traditional food and dance performances by the local women (while the men cook dinner), and a city tour onboard an eye-catching pink rickshaw of Pink City Rickshaw Co, a non-profit.

Iran Women’s Expedition – The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted women in Iran, where women’s economic participation has dropped 20 per cent. This trip shows the power of tourism as a force for good and as an economic driver in Iran’s recovery.

Highlights: step inside the hidden world of an Iranian beauty salon, wander through a women-only park, experience rural nomadic life with Qashqai people, meet female entrepreneurs and learn secret recipes from those in the know.

Jordan Women’s Expedition – Travellers will spend a night in Wadi Rum and learn the traditional art of henna with Bedouin women, spend an afternoon at a local female-only beach, discover the Dead Sea, visit Petra, learn the art of Arabic cooking with their local host in her home and join a local female shepherd for a mezze breakfast where they’ll learn about her life.

Morocco Women’s Expedition – Before the pandemic, Zineb was using her hospitality and passion for food to experience some financial independence and is now finally ready to welcome travellers into her home again to share a meal with her family.

Highlights: break bread with Berber families in private homes in remote areas, see how an artist co-op is empowering female rug-weavers in small villages, take in the verdant beauty of the far-flung M’goun Valley, and enjoy the singing and dancing of Moroccan women in cultural ceremonies in small villages.

Peru Women’s Expedition – Travellers will spend four days trekking the Inca trail accompanied by female porters (a role traditionally held by men) to visit Machu Picchu and hear how history unfolded here from a female perspective.

They’ll also learn about traditional techniques and the importance of weaving to the women of the Umasbamba community in the Sacred Valley, and dine at Mama Seledonia’s in Cusco, a restaurant that supports single mothers from underprivileged backgrounds by providing employment and culinary training.

Featured image: Cusco, Peru (supplied)

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community travel COVID-19 Erica Kritikides intrepid travel Women's Expeditions womens only tours