We are once again delighted to share the news that Intrepid has been named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.
This list brings together businesses from around the globe and across sectors that are finding new and creative ways to make an impact. While this isn’t the first time we’ve made the cut, this is the first year we’ve been recognised beyond the travel category, ranking third overall among the top 10 companies in corporate social responsibility across all sectors.
Fast Company recognised our ongoing work to help push the envelope on diversity, equity and inclusion, while helping amplify marginalised voices. But to understand how we got here, let’s go back a bit.
In June 2020, in the wake of social unrest in response to George Floyd’s murder, the Black Travel Alliance was born and called out the many travel companies that posted a black square on Instagram in support of the rising Black Lives Matter movement. “Dismantling systemic racism requires more than social media activism,” Jeff Jenkins, founding member of the alliance, said at the time.
Not long after we had posted our own black square on Instagram, we followed up with our plan to become a more diverse and inclusive travel company, which included a commitment to amplifying BIPOC voices. Then we got to work. Here’s how we’ve been working to make that happen since then.
1. We launched our first trip dedicated to Black culture in America
We recently launched our first ever trip that is 100% centred around Black culture in America – Charleston to Savannah: Exploring Gullah Geechee Culture – which you can read more about in Anela’s story about her recent experience on the trip.
2. We introduced more experiences that empower BIPOC travel
Last March, we launched eight new experiences on trips in the United States that celebrate BIPOC culture – from visiting the only Black-owned cooking school in New Orleans to spending a full day with a Lakota guide on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
3. We invested in Indigenous tourism in Australia
In Australia, we increased the number of Indigenous experiences on our trips over fourfold, which are estimated to have injected over half a million dollars into First Nations businesses last year.
4. We introduced the travel industry’s first ethical marketing guidelines
We kicked off 2022 by putting brand-new ethical marketing guidelines into action. No other travel company had published this kind of plan before. Our guidelines are driven by a single proposition: how can we hold ourselves accountable in becoming a more diverse and inclusive brand?
5. We’re committed to a more inclusive Intrepid
We’re certainly nowhere near finished with this work. For 2023, we have over 100 Indigenous experiences on trips around the world, beyond Australia and the United States and into Mexico, Costa Rica, Kenya, Guatemala and more. On our trips, in our offices and through the voices we amplify and the stories we share, we’re committed to building a more inclusive Intrepid and shaping a more diverse travel industry.
Check out Fast Company’s full list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies and learn more about Intrepid’s approach to responsible business.
