Tours of a Lifetime

Cycling Tours, Once for the Extreme Cyclist, Appeal to Mainstream Market

Rapid growth in North American bookings on Intrepid Travel’s cycling tours prompts world’s largest adventure travel company to launch 12 new trips, for all fitness levels

Intrepid Travel – the world’s largest adventure travel company—launched 12 new cycling tours in 2019, bringing the total number of tours to over 40, as two-wheel travel becomes increasingly popular, regardless of fitness level and experience.

Since launching its range of cycling tours in 2016, Americans and Canadians have continued to drive bookings; in 2018 alone, Intrepid’s North American bookings on its cycling tours increased 30 percent.

According to the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s Adventure Travel Trends Snapshot report published in 2018, cycling is in demand with travellers globally and is increasing in popularity.

Intrepid Travel attributes the rising trend to the fact cycling tours have become more affordable and the design of cycling itineraries has allowed various fitness levels to participate. For instance, most of the company’s cycling tours have a support vehicle that cyclists can use to rest for an hour or a day, while some even have an e-bike option for anyone who may not be able to ride for the duration of the trip.

“The strong interest we’re seeing in this style of travel proves that cycling tourism is no longer for hard-core cyclists, but for travellers who want to better connect with the sites, smells and sounds of the destinations they pass through,” said Darshika Jones, regional director of North America for Intrepid Travel. “What we’re noticing is that our North American customers are eager to experience the world in unique ways, relying on their own energy and power to see the destinations they’re visiting.”

The expanded range of cycling trips includes tours throughout Europe, Central and South America, Asia, and New Zealand, ensuring a diverse collection of locations for all tastes and budgets.

The 12 new tours – each led by a local leader — will explore the Camino de Santiago in Spain; Colombia; Costa Rica & Panama; Nicaragua & Costa Rica; Northern Vietnam; New Zealand; the Balkans; Croatia & the Balkans; Northern Sri Lanka; India’s Kerala region; and Cuba and Eastern Cuba (not available to U.S. travellers).

Priced from $810 USD per person, travellers can cycle through Colombia’s famed coffee region, learning how to roast the perfect blend, ride through the deep rainforests of Central America to the Panama Canal, and bike down roads between the lush forests of India’s Western Ghats and the golden sands of the Arabian Sea.

Ensuring that Intrepid stays true to its sustainable principles, the entire range, like all Intrepid tours, is 100% carbon offset. Additionally, The Intrepid Foundation donates a portion of each trip cost to Bicycles For Humanity on behalf of every cycling tour booked. Using its business as a force for good, the partnership helps alleviate poverty in Namibia through sustainable transportation and employment.

For more information on the cycling tours please visit:

www.intrepidtravel.com/us/theme/cycling

About Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel is a global adventure travel company that has been taking travellers off the beaten track to discover the world’s most amazing places for 30 years. The company offers more than 1,500 trips in more than 120 countries and on every continent. Every trip is designed to truly experience local culture – to meet local people, try local food, take local transport and stay in local accommodation. A world leader in responsible travel, Intrepid’s award-winning tour leaders, small group sizes and included activities mean they offer travellers great value for money.
www.intrepidtravel.com/ca