Small-group tour operator Intrepid Travel moved more than 35,000 travellers around the world in September 2026, the biggest month in its history, and Australians made up a whopping 43 per cent of them. The company says monthly departed revenue climbed 11 per cent year on year, with Europe, Asia and the Middle East leading the charge.
The timing matters. Intrepid credits the surge to travellers shaking off earlier-in-the-year uncertainty in the Middle East, plus the growing appeal of shoulder-season trips — milder weather, thinner crowds, better prices. Managing director for Australia and New Zealand Brett Mitchell said demand was exceptional despite rising costs and geopolitical wobbles, and that the company's customer satisfaction score (NPS) landed at 83, ahead of target.
Where are Aussies actually going? Vietnam tops the list, building on a 30 per cent surge in Australian travel there in recent months. Domestic trips within Australia come next, then New Zealand — where Australian bookings jumped 145 per cent year on year — followed by Morocco, India and Egypt. Kiwis, meanwhile, are eyeing Vietnam, Morocco, Egypt (up 61 per cent), Sri Lanka and Turkey.
Globally, Morocco took the top spot as September's most popular destination, ahead of Vietnam and Italy. But the more interesting story is in the lesser-known corners: Ecuador bookings rose 93 per cent year on year, Argentina was up 59 per cent, and Uzbekistan climbed 40 per cent. Travellers, it seems, are increasingly happy to go off the beaten track.
Intrepid has read the mood and responded. It has added more than 80 new trips for 2027, covering closer-to-home options in Australia and New Zealand, Europe and North America, plus niche routes like Turkey's Black Sea coast and Spain's Picos de Europa mountains. There's also rising demand for active and nature-based adventures and family trips with young kids — worth knowing if you've been putting off that active holiday because you thought the kids were too small. The company was also recently recertified under B Lab's tougher new B Corp standards, which will matter to travellers who care about how their tour operator treats people and planet.
Why should a traveller care? A record month like this is a signal, not just a stat. Shoulder-season travel is clearly having a moment — you get Europe or North Africa in September rather than July, with fewer queues and gentler temperatures. And the small-group, locally led format keeps proving popular, with more product and routes than ever to choose from. If Vietnam, Morocco or Egypt have been sitting on your list, you're far from alone — but booking early for 2027, when the new trips go live, gives you the best pick of dates and small-group spots.
