Intrepid Travel acquires Australian tour operator Joob

A sustainability focused travel company Intrepid Travel has acquired a majority stake in an Australian adventure tourism business and destination management company JOB (Jumps out of bed).

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Australia-based Intrepid Travel says the acquisition will support the growth of its destination management company (DMC) in Australia, which was established in 2021. Intrepid also says the purchase of JOOB increases its Australian offering by 45%.

According to Intrepid Travel CEO James Thornton: “Over the years we have built an outstanding global operational capability and Intrepid’s vertical integration is a core part of our strategy. However, the missing piece was our very own DMC in Australia. JOOB completes the puzzle.”

Founded in 1989, Intrepid Travel is a global adventure tour operator with a network of destination management companies and a non-profit foundation. Intrepid offers more than 1,150 voyages on all seven continents. The company is majority owned by its co-founders and employees.

Founded in 2019, JOOB comprises three brands – hiking company Inspiration Outdoors, adventure tour specialist Waratah Adventure Tours and kayaking business Sea Kayak Rottnest Island. Together they offer guided tours of Australia’s nature tourism destinations.

Under the deal, JOOB CEO Simon Mendelawitz will join Intrepid as general manager of Australian DMC.

Thornton says: “I am delighted to welcome Simon and the JOOB team to Intrepid. Together, we will develop even more exceptional journeys for our own customers as well as other leading travel brands, taking more travelers to the most spectacular and rugged parts of Australia.”

Mendelawitz adds, “We at JOOB believe that adventure, giving back to communities and having fun along the way are important, and that’s why we’re such a perfect fit for Intrepid. We bring decades of operational experience and know-how to Australia, a vast and operationally complex country. I am incredibly excited to join the team and continue to build extraordinary adventures together.”

Intrepid’s acquisitions in the past 12 months include majority stakes in Haka Tours and ANZ Nature Tours in New Zealand and Wildland Trekking in the United States.

In May, Intrepid Travel invested a $7.85 million stake in Australian out-of-network accommodation provider CABN.

In 2021, Intrepid announced a strategic partnership with France-based investment firm Genairgy to help Intrepid become the first $1 billion adventure travel company by 2025.