TORONTO — Intrepid Travel is expanding its global footprint with the acquisition of French adventure travel company Altaï Group, marking the largest deal in the company’s history and a significant push into non-English speaking markets.

The acquisition sees Intrepid take full ownership of Altaï Group from the investment company of Julien Leclercq, Chairman of Decathlon and a key shareholder of Intrepid. The move positions France as Intrepid’s fourth-largest market globally and strengthens its presence in one of Europe’s largest adventure travel sectors.

The deal is part of Intrepid’s broader strategy to grow its responsible small group travel model across Europe, while also enhancing operational capabilities in the Americas and key outbound markets including Canada and the United States. It follows the company’s 2025 acquisition of Dutch tour operator Sawadee Reizen.

Headquartered in Lyon, Altaï Group specializes in nature-based, active and small group travel, as well as tailor-made experiences. The company operates through multiple brands, including Atalante, Altaï Travel, Copines de Voyage and Les Aventureurs, and manages much of its global programming through its own network of destination management companies.

Intrepid said the acquisition will add more than AU$100 million in revenue and approximately 35,000 customers annually, while opening up new opportunities across its global network.

GROWTH OPPORTUNITY FOR CANADA

In particular, Intrepid pointed to expanded destination management capabilities in Chile and Canada, including an operational base in Montreal and increased access to wilderness and adventure experiences in Northern Canada. The deal is also expected to support stronger engagement with French-speaking travellers in Quebec through localized marketing and sales efforts, while driving additional inbound travel from France to destinations such as Canada, Peru and Chile.

“Canada is now Intrepid’s fastest-growing market,” said Christian Wolters, General Manager for Canda, Intrepid. “This acquisition gives us the capability to expand our operations and better serve travellers in French-speaking Quebec, which represents a quarter of the Canadian population and billions in adventure travel spend.”

AN IDEAL MATCH

Altaï Group will continue to operate from France under its existing brands in the short term, with Managing Director Yann Wulser remaining in his role and reporting to Zina Bencheikh, Intrepid’s Managing Director EMEA.

“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, Intrepid CEO. “We believe the world needs more Intrepid people – and now we can add French-speaking customers to that ever-growing list of Intrepid people.”

Julien Leclercq, who became a key shareholder and board member of Intrepid in 2021, said the acquisition represents a natural next step for both organizations.

“This is the ideal match for the Altaï Group, which will allow the business to expand further under Intrepid’s global footprint and expertise. It has been a pleasure working with the Intrepid team, since first becoming a key shareholder in 2021 and I’m looking forward to deepening my commitment in the years ahead,” he said.

Lead image caption (from l-r): Darrell Wade, co-founder of Intrepid; Zina Bencheikh, Intrepid EMEA managing director; Yann Wulser, chief executive of Altai; James Thornton, chief executive of Intrepid; and Julien Leclerq, chairman of Decathlon — CREDIT Intrepid Travel