Intrepid Travel has acquired the French adventure travel company, Altaï Group, from the investment company of Julien Leclercq, Chairman of Decathlon, the global sporting goods retailer, and a key shareholder of Intrepid.
It marks Intrepid’s largest acquisition ever and grows the company’s strategic footprint into France, one of the largest adventure travel markets in Europe, positioning it as the company’s fourth-largest market globally.
The deal is the latest move in Intrepid’s expansion into non-English speaking markets, and a clear signal of intent to grow its style of responsible small group travel in Europe, while also creating new opportunities for growth across the Americas and key outbound markets like the U.S. and Canada.
It is Intrepid’s second major investment in Europe, following the acquisition of leading Dutch tour operator Sawadee Reizen in early 2025. The acquisition will add AU$100M+ in revenue and an additional 35,000 customers a year to Intrepid.
Christian Wolters, General Manager for Canda, Intrepid, said: “Canada is now Intrepid’s fastest-growing market. 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.”
The Altaï Group is headquartered in Lyon and operates nature-based, active, small group and tailor-made travel experiences through several brands, including Atalante, Altaï Travel, Copines de Voyage, and Les Aventureurs.
Like Intrepid, Altaï Group is a vertically integrated business operating most of its trips across the globe through its own network of Destination Management Companies (DMCs).
The acquisition unlocks new opportunities for Intrepid around the world, and specifically in the America region through:
- Expanded DMC capabilities in Chile and Canada, including an operational base in Montreal and access to wilderness and adventure-led experiences in Northern Canada.
- Better engagement French-speaking travellers in Quebec with local language marketing and sales.
- Increased inbound travel demand from France to regional destinations like Canada, Peru, and Chile.
Julien Leclercq became a key shareholder and Board member of Intrepid in 2021 and the company has experienced significant growth since then, including record financial results each year since 2023.
Altaï Group will continue to be led by Managing Director Yann Wulser, who will report to Intrepid’s Managing Director EMEA, Zina Bencheikh. Altaï Group will remain based in France and will continue to operate with the existing names and brands for the short-term.
James Thornton, Intrepid CEO, said: “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. We believe the world needs more Intrepid people – and now we can add French-speaking customers to that ever-growing list of Intrepid people.”
And Julien Leclercq, Intrepid non-executive Board member, added: “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.”
Go to www.IntrepidTravel.com for more.
Photo credit – Intrepid Travel
