Intrepid Travel will purchase 20 boutique properties across the globe over the next three years, after the first successful full year of operation of its Daintree Ecolodge in Far North Queensland, with its next property purchase in Tasmania expected to be announced this month.
With Intrepid Travel ANZ managing director Brett Mitchell leading on mergers and acquisitions and general manager of Accommodation, former Accor executive Celine Hurelle, guiding its domestic and global accommodation strategies, the pair unveiled the bold move – to be known as An Intrepid Stay – to Travel Weekly at an intimate famil at Daintree Ecolodge today (Friday).
Daintree Ecolodge also has planning permission to add five more cabins to the existing 15 cabins at the property north of Mossman in Far North Queensland. The Tasmanian property purchase may happen as soon as Wednesday.
“You’ll see a huge focus going forward on domestic travel,” Mitchell said. “And coming out of COVID, I think was really went to business, try not to waste a crisis.”
“We’re trying to find ways to play a more meaningful part in our community’s lives on a more regular basis. When you start to extrapolate that, you think, well, it sort of means product.”
That means a transition from small group tour operator to full travel lifestyle brand, focusing on domestic travel and sustainable practices. It has acquired and partnered with local accommodations, aiming for 100 per cent First Nation-owned itineraries in Australia via those venues.
“Ultimately, how can we create and innovate more areas that are strong to our belief that can help the customer and help move travel on the spectrum to become more responsible?” Mitchell asked. “So, so yeah, I think we’re trying to move to a travel lifestyle brand.”
Intrepid Travel, started 36 years ago by two Melbourne mates Darrell Wade and Geoff Manchester, became 100 per cent carbon neutral almost 20 years ago and is now a certified B Corporation company. It moves than 250,000 clients to over 100 countries and is responsible for 1 million nights’ accommodation across the globe. The diversification evolved out of identifying revenue sources post-COVID with Wade developing the idea over a few years.
But after a record-breaking 2024, celebrating 35 years in business, and being named Australia’s second fastest-growing company, and continuing its path to $1 billion by 2030, it’s not all been smooth sailing for Intrepid’s accommodation play.
In 2023, it acquired Daintree Ecolodge just months before Cyclone Jasper struck. A year on, Daintree Ecolodge rebuilt and revitalised now presents as a modern eco stay, woven in with First Nations experiences, sustainability initiatives, and conservation efforts to protect the Daintree, including planting rainforest trees in reclaimed sugar cane fields.
Full report in Travel Weekly next week.
