Intrepid moves into French-speaking market with Altaï acquisition

Intrepid Travel has announced the full acquisition of France-based adventure travel company Altaï Group from the investment company of Julien Leclercq, chairman of Decathlon, a sporting goods retailer, and a key shareholder of Intrepid.

It marks Intrepid’s largest acquisition ever and grows the company’s footprint into France, “one of the largest adventure travel markets in Europe,” the company said in a press release.

The deal is the latest move in Intrepid’s expansion into non-English speaking markets, signalling its intent to grow in Europe, while also creating new opportunities for growth across the Americas and outbound markets like the U.S. and Canada. 

This is Intrepid’s second major investment in Europe, following the acquisition of Dutch tour operator Sawadee Reizen in early 2025.

The acquisition will add AU$100M+ in revenue and an additional 35,000 customers a year to Intrepid, the company said.

“Canada is now Intrepid’s fastest-growing market,” said Christian Wolters, general manager for Canada, Intrepid, in a statement. “This acquisition gives us the capability to expand our operations and better serve travellers in French-speaking Quebec, which represents a quarter of the Canadian population and billions in adventure travel spend.”

Headquartered in Lyon, the Altaï Group operates nature-based, active, small group and tailor-made travel experiences through several brands, including Atalante, Altaï Travel, Copines de Voyage, and Les Aventureurs.

Like Intrepid, Altaï Group is a vertically-integrated business operating most of its trips across the globe through its own network of Destination Management Companies (DMCs). 

The acquisition unlocks new opportunities for Intrepid around the world, and specifically in the America region through expanded DMC capabilities in Chile and Canada, including an operational base in Montreal and access to wilderness and adventure-led experiences in Northern Canada.

It unlocks better engagement with French-speaking travellers in Quebec with local language marketing and sales. 

It also increases inbound travel demand from France to regional destinations like Canada, Peru, and Chile. 

Julien Leclercq became a key shareholder and Board member of Intrepid in 2021 and the company has experienced significant growth since then, including record financial results each year since 2023.  

Altaï Group will continue to be led by Managing Director Yann Wulser, who will report to Intrepid’s Managing Director EMEA, Zina Bencheikh.

Altaï Group will remain based in France and will continue to operate with the existing names and brands for the short-term. 

“We're delighted to welcome the Altaï Group to Intrepid. We see the French speaking market as a massive opportunity to further propel our growth,” said James Thornton, Intrepid’s CEO, in a statement.

“We believe the world needs more Intrepid people – and now we can add French-speaking customers to that ever-growing list of Intrepid people.”

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