Travel Marketing Summit: ‘We weren’t even profitable… but the big bet paid off’ – How Intrepid came back from the brink of extinction

When Covid hit, sustainable travel company, Intrepid Travel, was on the brink of extinction and forced to confront who it is as a business. It made a bold decision to double down on purpose and its mission through brand marketing rather than traditional performance marketing, and is now thriving and on its way to being a billion dollar brand. Natalie Placko, general manager of global brand, walked us through that journey.

Presenting at last week’s Mumbrella Travel Marketing Summit, Placko explained how Intrepid completely transformed, emerging from the pandemic successfully unlike some of its travel counterparts. Having worked at Intrepid from 2001-2008, and re-joining in 2016, she said she’s seen “the good times, the bad times, and definitely the changing times”.

“While we don’t talk about the pandemic anymore, because its a scar for us in travel, it was a really key time for Intrepid,” she said.