Intrepid Travel has acquired French adventure travel company Altaï Group, its largest acquisition to date. Altaï Group was acquired from the investment company of Julien Leclercq, chairman of Decathlon and a shareholder in Intrepid Travel.
The deal expands Intrepid’s presence in France, positioning the country as its fourth-largest market globally.
Altaï Group, headquartered in Lyon, operates nature-based and small group travel experiences through brands including Atalante, Altaï Travel, Copines de Voyage and Les Aventureurs. Altaï Group operates a vertically integrated model, delivering trips through its own network of destination management companies, similar to Intrepid’s approach
“The acquisition of Altaï Group is a significant step forward for Intrepid's global growth,” said Leigh Barnes, president of the Americas at Intrepid Travel. “It expands our distribution in Western Europe, strengthens our operations in Chile and Canada and opens up new inbound demand from France.”
The deal also adds operational capabilities in Canada, including a base in Montreal. The move is expected to improve engagement with French-speaking travelers in Quebec while driving inbound demand to destinations such as Canada, Peru and Chile.
The acquisition follows Intrepid’s purchase of Dutch tour operator Sawadee Reizen in early 2025, part of a broader strategy to expand in non-English-speaking markets. Intrepid in 2021 partnered with investment company Genairgy with the aim of becoming a $1 billion adventure travel company.
Altaï Group will continue to operate under its existing brands, with managing director Yann Wulser reporting to Intrepid’s EMEA leadership.