While global restrictions continue to impact international travel, Intrepid’s first tour provides some good news and a glimmer of hope for the industry.
The global travel industry is in need of some good news right now, and here’s something that provides a glimmer of light, amidst the COVID-19 storm.
Intrepid Travel has officially departed on its first tour since March 2020.
On August 6, 2020, six travelers, all from the United Kingdom, departed from Athens on Intrepid Travel’s new 5-day Greece Retreat: Syros Island tour.
The Retreat is primarily aimed at travellers from the UK, where the government has removed restrictions on a specified list of countries. This means that UK travellers can visit Greece without having to quarantine when they return home.
“For over 30 years we have built a business on providing sustainable and innovative experiences. These new departures were developed in direct response to COVID to help travelers continue to explore safely and with peace of mind,”
James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel.
Although borders are still closed on this side of the world, we hope that this is the start of the return of travel, and we can set off on overseas adventures sooner than we think.
We WILL travel again.
The Greece Retreat
The Greece trip is part of the newly launched product range called Intrepid Retreats.
This new category is a first for Intrepid, in which groups immerse themselves in one location, in handpicked accommodation ranging from small boutique properties to glamping, with nearby experiences.
These retreats celebrate ‘slow travel’ and allow adventurers to engage with the surrounding communities away from the crowds and in a more controlled setting.
The Greece Retreat, which visits secluded beaches and offers a taste of local life, will operate under Intrepid’s new Safe Travels health protocols, developed in partnership with the WTTC.
“We all have a role to play in a more equitable future for the travel industry. For us, overtourism is one issue we are closely watching. The fact our first trip is to Syros, and not somewhere like Santorini, shows our commitment to combatting mass tourism,”
James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel.
Preparing for the return of travel
While this is by no means a return to normal, Intrepid hopes these trips will serve as a source of hope and inspiration for the industry after several months without travel.
“The global pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our industry, but we can’t help but find some hope and inspiration in seeing our first group depart on an international adventure,”
James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel.
In preparation for travel to resume, Intrepid has recently introduced a new Flexible Bookings policy to make travelers feel at ease when booking their holidays, which permits changes to travel plans 21 days before a scheduled departure, allowing for new travel dates or an entirely different trip with no change fees.
Intrepid will be running its second tour on August 7, the 4-day Cycle the Peak District in the UK Highlands, another new product developed in response to the global pandemic.
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