Intrepid Acquires Dutch Tour Operator Sawadee Reizen

Adventure tour operator Intrepid Travel has acquired Dutch tour operator Sawadee Reizen in what the company says is its largest acquisition ever.

The Amsterdam-based Sawadee is one of the largest experiential tour operators in the Netherlands, running 250 trips across 100 countries with a global team of 180 people. It has been operating for more than 40 years, offering a wide-range of sustainable group tours to destinations around the world.

Intrepid said the acquisition, which closed on Jan. 31, will add $64 million to its revenue and 20,000 customers annually. The company also said the deal supports its 2030 Strategy, a six-year plan to expand its customer base and revenue while benefiting local communities with an ultimate goal of growing to more than $1 billion in the next five years.

“We’re delighted to welcome the Sawadee team to Intrepid after more than a decade working successfully together,” said Intrepid CEO James Thornton. “Intrepid aims to be the world’s largest vertically integrated experiential travel company, and bringing our two brands together is a major step toward that. We also both believe that travel can be a force for good in the world.”

With the deal, the Netherlands is now Intrepid’s fourth largest source market after Australia, the U.S. and the U.K.

Sawadee will keep its Amsterdam base of operations and will continue to operate with its existing name and brand. The company will still be led by managing director Berend Simons, who will report to Intrepid’s Managing Director EMEA, Zina Bencheikh.

Sawadee will also work towards becoming B Corp certified, joining Intrepid, which has been a B Corp since 2018.

Last year, Christian Wolters, Intrepid’s general manager of North America marketing, told TMR that small group adventure travel is poised to grow globally, and Intrepid has the brand recognition to be a market leader in the segment.