Intrepid Travel has acquired Dutch tour operator Sawadee Reizen from Travelopia in a landmark deal, signaling a major step into a new market and an ambition to grow its style of responsible small group travel in Europe. Headquartered in Amsterdam, Sawadee is one of the largest experiential tour operators in the Netherlands and delivers more than 250 trips across 100 countries with a global team of 180 people.
The acquisition will add $62 million in revenue and an additional 20,000 customers a year to Intrepid, boosting EBITDA by an extra $3.1 million. This supports Intrepid’s "2030 Strategy," which aims to grow to more than $1 billion in the next five years. It immediately makes the Netherlands Intrepid’s fourth largest source market after Australia, the U.S. and the U.K.
Intrepid and Sawadee have enjoyed a successful working partnership since 2011. Intrepid DMC operates a number of Sawadee’s trips to deliver high-quality, locally focused, immersive travel experiences with a commitment to responsible travel. Both Intrepid and Sawadee achieved record financial results in 2024 and share a strong cultural alignment in their commitment to customers and their teams.
“We’re delighted to welcome the Sawadee team to Intrepid after more than a decade working successfully together,” said Intrepid CEO James Thornton. “Intrepid aims to be the world’s largest vertically integrated experiential travel company and bringing our two brands together is a major step towards that. We also both believe that travel can be a force for good in the world,” he added.
Under the deal, Sawadee will continue to be led by Managing Director Berend Simons, who will report to Intrepid’s managing director EMEA, Zina Bencheikh. Sawadee will remain based in Amsterdam and will continue to operate with its existing name and brand, which is well-recognized in the Netherlands.
Thornton went on to signal that Sawadee will work towards becoming B Corp certified, building further on its sustainability credentials, which includes it having the highest level of Travelife certification since 2014. Intrepid has been a B Corp since 2018, achieving a score above 100, meaning its social and environmental credentials are among the best in the world. Both Intrepid Travel and Sawadee are signatories of “Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency,” as well as numerous other sustainability initiatives.
For more information, visit www.intrepidravel.com.
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