Intrepid Acquires France’s Altai Group in Record Deal

Intrepid Travel announced Tuesday that it has acquired French adventure travel company Altai Group. This marks Intrepid’s second major investment in Europe following its acquisition of Sawadee Reizen last year, and the largest acquisition in the company’s history (Intrepid did not disclose the purchase price).

Intrepid, in its announcement, said that the deal provides a strategic entry into France, which is one of the largest adventure travel markets in Europe and a key outbound source market for its U.S. and Canadian guests. The acquisition also expands Intrepid’s Destination Management Company (DMC) relationships in Chile and Canada, which includes a new operational base in Montreal, and gives it a better chance to engage with Quebec’s French-speaking population.

Altai, which mirrors Intrepid’s focus on small-group and tailor-made travel, operates several distinct brands, including Atalante, Altaï Travel, Copines de Voyage, and Les Aventureurs. Altai’s existing branding will remain in place, at least in the short-term, under the continued leadership of Managing Director Yann Wulser, who will report to Intrepid’s Managing Director for EMEA, Zina Bencheikh.

“We’re delighted to welcome the Altaï Group to Intrepid. We see the French-speaking market as a massive opportunity to further propel our growth,” said James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid. “We believe the world needs more Intrepid people—and now we can add French-speaking customers to that ever-growing list of Intrepid people.”