Intrepid Travel, the world’s largest adventure travel company, has selected Sri Lanka as the host city for its annual global conference 2025. This marks only the second time the company has hosted the annual event outside its headquarters in Melbourne, Australia.
Intrepid established its office in 2012 and has gone from strength to strength. From a hub of capabilities managing trips across the island and a country office, the new location will become the main operations center for Sri Lanka, supporting technology, product management, human resources, product services, finance and customer service. The size and reach of Intrepid’s local team, with 276 office-based staff and 45 local tour leaders, combined with the strong performance of the destination, made it a natural choice for the prestigious event.
Intrepid’s Global Summit, scheduled for February 24-27, 2025, will bring together over 50 stakeholders from its 40+ offices, including Intrepid’s board, co-founders and core management team, and 300 from its local teams.
The four-day summit will feature strategy discussions, leadership workshops, local community engagements and familiarization tours for its people around the world. This initiative aligns with Intrepid’s broader mission and plays a role in shaping its group operations business. Bringing together key stakeholders in Sri Lanka demonstrates a strong commitment to strengthening global teams and strengthening the organization’s presence in Asia.
It is fitting that Sri Lanka was chosen to host the event, with Intrepid named Best Travel Loyalty Partner at the 2024 Sri Lanka National Tourism Awards, and shortlisted as a finalist for Best Sustainability Practice.
“Our company in Sri Lanka is a very important part of our company and our customers love this incredible and vibrant country,” said James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel. “Our vision for Sri Lanka goes beyond tourism; it is about sustainable growth and creating meaningful, lasting connections. The growing number of Intrepid travelers choosing Sri Lanka is realizing its immense potential, and we are committed to ensuring that the communities benefiting from this success are shared. I am delighted that we are able to share the culture of Sri Lanka, supporting local businesses and communities,” Thornton continued.
In 2024, Intrepid achieved remarkable growth, welcoming over 4,000 tourists to Sri Lanka, a 206% increase over 2023, which is related to pre-COVID-19 levels. The company has ambitious plans to welcome over 15,000 tourists to Sri Lanka by 2030. Sri Lanka’s tourism and growth are significant The contribution benefits local communities, tourism leaders and small businesses.
“We are delighted to welcome our global leadership and colleagues from around the world to the city. This is a unique privilege and a great opportunity to showcase Sri Lanka’s incredible offerings as a destination, share our vibrant culture and celebrate our biggest in-person event in our production calendar in my home country,” said Purnaka Delpachitra, General Manager, Sri Lanka, Intrepid.
