Beyond tours, Intrepid Travel is now opening its own hotels and resorts

It used to be one of those unwritten laws in travel – accommodation companies did accommodation, tour companies did tours.

That was before tour operators broke the mould with expansion into river and small ship cruising, a common synergy these days.

One shining example is Abercrombie & Kent, with its A&K Sanctuary division, comprising 15 African safari camps, lodges and five Nile riverboats with plans for further expansion internationally.

Australia’s famous tour company Intrepid Travel has also made a splash into the accommodation market, recently buying a resort in Tasmania and a riad in Morocco.

This follows its 2023 acquisition of the Daintree Ecolodge in Queensland, and lease of a property in Hoi An, Vietnam.

It basically means cutting out the middle man – the company plans to own 20 such sites within the next three years.

Intrepid’s Australian purchase is of The Edge of the Bay, a previously family-run property on Tasmania’s Freycinet Peninsula that will now see Intrepid Foundation partner Greening Australia at the property, introducing new nature-based guest experiences, as well as fundraising for the NGO.

In Marrakesh, Morocco, its guesthouse was also acquired from a private owner. Guests will be able to enjoy culinary experiences in the medina and onsite, with chefs recruited via another foundation partner, the Amal Association, which provides culinary training to women in Morocco.

The properties can be booked independent of Intrepid tours.

See intrepidtravel.com