Saturday 12th July 2025 • Promotional Content


T e Travel Guide 11 Taking the path less travelled


F


or more than 35 years, Intrepid Travel has been a leader in small-group adventures. And


over that time, it’s seen a lot of change. Destinations


that would once


welcome travellers with open arms are growing weary of mass tourism, inappropriate tourist behaviour and the money from tourism not benefi ting local communities. But Intrepid believes that the most


important thing it can do is not to stop travelling to these places. Rather, it’s to advocate, educate and tackle the root cause of the problem — how we travel. T is is all because there’s a lot of


good that travel can do. It brings people together during divisive times, it lifts communities up and creates mean- ingful wealth distribution, employ- ment and benefi ts to all stakeholders along the way. For Intrepid, the ‘how’ means small groups that are locally led, and ensuring that the needs and wants of both residents and travellers work together. And recent data suggests


Intrepid’s travellers are listening and taking action. More than half of Intrepid travellers


going to Europe are visiting popular European countries (like Greece, Italy and Spain) in the shoulder seasons of April, May and September, rather than the peak season of June to August. In Italy and Croatia, bookings to


travel in peak season are even in decline, while off -season travel has risen by 166% and 179% respectively. It’s not just the ‘when’ that makes


a diff erence, but the ‘where’, too. Increasingly, Intrepid’s seen a rise in travel to alternative destinations in peak summer months — think adventures to Andorra, Serbia and Estonia. Intrepid’s annual


‘Not Hot


List’ advocates for underrated and overlooked destinations, like Guyana or Morocco’s Anti-Atlas Mountains. T at mindset even applies to how


its trips are designed. On the 10-day Explore Southern Italy trip, travel- lers now stay in the village of Minori.


T: 0808 274 5111 intrepidtravel.com/uk


Further up the Amalfi Coast, it’s away from the crowded areas in Positano and businesses are locally owned, with authentic Italian shops, cafes and restaurants. Intrepid also ensures the benefi ts of


tourism fl ow directly to the communi- ties it visits. By staying at the historic Hotel Las Casas de La Judería during the 11-day Premium Spain trip,


for


example, it supports the local family who owns and operates the hotel, preserves its cultural heritage and contributes to the local economy. In Portugal, while many tourists to well-known


fl ock restaurants,


Intrepid’s eight-day Portugal Real Food Adventure takes travellers to local markets and family-owned wineries, to participate in cooking classes with local ingredients and to stay overnight in a traditional Portuguese home. T is supports local businesses fi nancially and promotes a deeper understanding and appreci- ation of Portugal’s culinary heritage. As


Erica Kritikides, Intrepid


General Manager of Experiences, puts it, “When done well, tourism can uplift communities and signifi cantly grow economies. We’re committed to working closely with local policy- makers and communities to advocate for better tourism, minimising the social and environmental toll of visi- tation and putting meaningful money into local jobs and businesses.” While Intrepid might be over over-


tourism, it’s not over the endless potential that tourism has to create positive change through the joy of travel. And with thousands of real and remarkable experiences to uncover on its small-group trips, there’s plenty of opportunity for travellers to be part of the change.


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