Intrepid Travel launched its first Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan in Naarm last week, setting out an ambitious three-year roadmap to embed reconciliation across every level of the business.
Covering 2025 to 2027, the plan signals a shift from aspiration to accountability, with measurable commitments around employment, procurement, truth-telling, and cultural partnerships.
At the launch, Brett Mitchell, Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand, underscored the company's responsibility as a global travel brand.
"We know we have a responsibility to help travellers understand the full story of this country," he said.
"Employment is about creating meaningful opportunities, and the key word there is meaningful. Procurement is about doing business with purpose, choosing to work with First Nations-owned suppliers and embedding reconciliation into our supply chain."
The plan sets out clear, practical steps. A paid Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Body will guide decision-making and engagement. Employment targets include lifting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to 1.5 per cent of the workforce and ensuring 10 per cent of Australian tour leaders are Indigenous by 2027.
Procurement commitments will see annual spending with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses rise by 7.5 per cent, with more than 90 per cent of itineraries to feature a First Nations-owned supplier or experience by 2027. Truth-telling is central. Guidelines will be developed for leaders and content teams, and a white paper on truth-telling in tourism will be published by 2026.
To create future pathways, Intrepid will provide annual internships and a tertiary scholarship for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and mentor 150 Indigenous-owned businesses by 2027.
Reconciliation Australia's CEO, Karen Mundine, welcomed the commitments.
"Intrepid understands its responsibility as a travel provider to respect and preserve Country and First Nations cultures. It does so by taking the lead of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples," she said.
The launch also marked the culmination of a journey that began with initial commitments in 2019. Over this time Intrepid expanded its Indigenous travel offerings significantly, engaging more than 50 First Nations providers and introducing over 40 Aboriginal cultural experiences to travellers worldwide.
The new plan takes this work further, embedding cultural competency training for staff, truth-telling protocols for leaders, and anti-racism education across the business. Every Australian-based employee will participate in on-Country learning opportunities, and all itineraries will undergo review to ensure respectful, accurate, and decolonised language.
Its impact is already visible in partnerships with Aboriginal-owned enterprises.
In Central Australia, Intrepid has joined with 100% Finke River Culture and Adventure to co-deliver the first First Nations-guided trek on the Larapinta Trail. This collaboration gives Western Arrernte guides the platform to lead travellers across their Country and share cultural knowledge in a way that directly aligns with Intrepid's employment and truth-telling goals.
As Western Arrernte guide Vincent Forrester put it: "A lot of our stories are being lost. Sharing them with travellers helps keep them alive."
For the wider industry, the plan is more than a corporate strategy. By tying reconciliation to employment targets, procurement growth, truth-telling programs, and education pathways, Intrepid is demonstrating how a global operator can make reconciliation a business priority.
As Mitchell summed up, "this work will stretch and challenge us, but our commitment will not falter".