Intrepid Travel, the world’s largest adventure travel company, is featured in The Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) first-ever global digital series, Travel Redefined: Tourism for People and Planet, produced in partnership with strategic content creator Content With Purpose. As the world embarks on a new era of travel, this dynamic series supports the urgent need, and growing appetite, for sustainability practices in tourism worldwide.
Travel Redefined aims to build awareness on how tourism can create positive social, cultural, environmental, and economic change. For policymakers, industry leaders, travelers, and changemakers, it is a call-to-action to use tourism as one of many solutions to mitigate climate change, overtourism, and ecological degradation. Featuring real stories and expert insights from inspiring voices and organizations, the series creates an in-depth look into how sustainable and regenerative tourism supports people, the planet, and prosperity.
“Intrepid: Purpose Led Travel” follows local team members Fernando Rodriguez, Maritza Chacacanta, and Alejandrina Vega Punal as they journey through remote mountainous communities in the Sacred Valley; visit their porters’ warehouse in Ollantaytambo, the gateway to Machu Pichu; and explore Intrepid’s contribution to preserving culture and promoting economic development through tourism.
The series also features an interview with Intrepid Travel CEO, James Thornton, sharing how Intrepid’s global scale is leveraged to create positive change and value for local communities.
Sara King, General Manager of Purpose at Intrepid, said, “Sustainability isn’t a competitive advantage. We know it will take a collective effort for the industry to make progress on our goals.” King continued, “We hope that showcasing the work of our team in Peru to sustain cultural traditions, create value that stays within local communities, and positively shape the future of travel inspires other operators to think about how tourism can be done responsibly.”
Travel Redefined comes at a critical time for the global tourism industry. As of Q1 2025, the World Tourism Barometer reported that global international tourist arrivals grew 5% compared to 2024, putting the industry on track to reach a new record this year. The full recovery of global tourism creates an urgency to rethink how the industry operates.
Randy Durband, CEO of GSTC, said, “Travel Redefined is a powerful reminder that every journey holds the potential to leave a positive legacy.” He added, “Many of the featured stories come from GSTC Members who are already putting these values into practice. They serve as real-world examples of what’s possible when sustainability is placed at the heart of tourism.”
Filmed across six continents using local film crews, this ambitious series spanned more than 50 filming days to create 24 cinematic short films, 22 thought leadership videos, 10 expert interviews, and three case studies. The films showcase sustainable best practices and examine the role of tourism in promoting biodiversity conservation, carbon reductions, green mobility, responsible waste practices, equitable economic development, cultural preservation, and accessible experiences.
Max Smith, Founder and Managing Director at Content With Purpose, said, “We have embedded sustainability into every step, reflecting our environmental commitments, from using local crews to telling real-life stories that empower communities and protect the planet - proving that a flourishing, sustainable industry isn’t a distant vision. It’s happening right now, and we all have a role to play in this transformation.”
From the coasts of California to community-led conservation in The Philippines, Travel Redefined takes viewers on a journey across continents to meet pioneers who are radically re-thinking tourism to make it work for people and the planet. Begin your journey here.