Comment: It’s time to welcome back the joy of travel

James Thornton, chief executive of Intrepid Travel, says tours give clients a new perspective and fresh appreciation for our planet

At Intrepid, we talk a lot about the power of travel to change the way we all see the world.  We believe that travel can give us a new perspective on life, a fresh appreciation for the planet and even create a shift in mindset.

Last month, Intrepid recertified as a B Corp, a rigorous process that we go through every three years.

This provided us with an opportunity to demonstrate whether we’re fulfilling our mission. We were challenged by B Corp to gather data to prove what we think is true – that travel is a truly transformative experience.

How did we prove this to B Corp? Well, we identified three elements where we believe travel has a positive impact:

• Education – often through knowledge shared by our local tour guides.

• Cultural connection through homestays or community-led experiences.

• Physical and mental well-being through active travel or wellbeing experiences.

Then we asked people how they felt about these three elements after travelling with us. Our survey results showed that nearly all Intrepid customers experienced a positive impact through education (99%), culture (98%) and health and wellbeing (91%).

Interestingly, it was the learning aspect that had the greatest impact on the enjoyment of their trip.

Increased knowledge and education were named by 69% of people as the most important benefit of travel, followed by cultural connection.

Travellers told us they loved learning about the daily lives of local people, the history and culture of destinations and hearing stories and insights from their guides.

Some even reported long-term changes, with two-thirds saying that their travel experience motivated them to improve their lives.

One client told us: “I’m much more aware of different cultures and experiences when meeting other people and understanding why things are happening in the world.”

Another said she felt more “empowered as a woman,” while another quit their job and changed careers.

This is a fantastic endorsement of the work my team does every day.

But more than that: after two of the toughest years travel has ever faced, these comments are a timely reminder of why we all work in this industry.

As the world gradually opens its doors, it’s time to welcome back in the joy of travel.