Intrepid Travel completes largest ever acquisition of France’s Altaï Group

April, 2026

Deal is latest step in expansion into non-English speaking markets in Europe 

Intrepid Travel has fully acquired French adventure travel company Altaï Group from the investment company of Julien Leclercq, who is a key shareholder of Intrepid and also chairman of Decathlon, the global sporting goods retailer. This expands Intrepid’s strategic footprint into France, one of the largest adventure travel markets in Europe. 

It's the latest step in Intrepid’s expansion into non-English speaking markets, and a clear signal of intent to grow its style of responsible small group travel in Europe. This is the business’ second major investment in Europe, after it acquired leading Dutch tour operator Sawadee Reizen in early 2025. 

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, which completed this month, will add $100+m in revenue and an additional 35,000 customers a year to Intrepid. It will unlock further potential in Europe and allow for growth in French-speaking markets beyond France, including Switzerland, Belgium and Canada.  

Julien Leclercq became a key shareholder and Board member of Intrepid in 2021 and the company has gone on to experience significant growth since then. The business has gone on to achieve 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 and look forward to sharing our strategic vision of the world needs more Intrepid people with new, French-speaking customers,” said James Thornton, Intrepid CEO.  

“This is the ideal match for the Altaï Group, which will allow the business to expand further under Intrepid’s global footprint and expertise. It has been a pleasure working with the Intrepid team, since first becoming a key shareholder in 2021 and I’m looking forward to deepening my commitment in the years ahead,” added Julien Leclercq, Intrepid non-executive Board member.  

Intrepid and Altaï Group both focus on nature-based adventures and trips that support local communities. Like Intrepid, Altaï Group is B Corp certified, which means it operates with the highest levels of environmental and social standards.