Sustainable Management and Marketing Strategies of Intrepid Travel

This report provides a comprehensive marketing analysis of Intrepid Travel Group, an adventure travel company known for its sustainable practices. It examines the company's organizational objectives, target audience, and marketing mix (product, price, promotion, and place). The report details Intrepid Travel's products and services, focusing on their commitment to responsible tourism and social causes. Pricing strategies, promotional techniques, and distribution channels are analyzed, along with a comparison to competitors. The report concludes with recommendations for improving the marketing mix and enhancing competitiveness while maintaining a focus on sustainability. Appendices include a SWOT analysis and a positioning chart, offering a complete overview of Intrepid Travel's marketing landscape. Desklib provides access to this report and many other student-contributed assignments.

Running Head: Sustainable Management & Marketing
Intrepid Travel
Sustainable Management and Marketing

Sustainable Management & Marketing 1
Executive Summary
Marketing is the term used to develop and maintain relationships. It plays vital role in spreading
information through various mediums in relevance with the organizational context. Under
marketing term, various processes are being included such as market research, situational
analysis, promotional and advertisement techniques, etc. Under this report, marketing strategies
will be covered in relevance to the Intrepid Travel Group. This group is known for providing
qualitative adventurous tourism services in more than 100 countries.

Sustainable Management & Marketing 2
Table of Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................1
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Organizational Objectives...............................................................................................................4
Intrepid Travel’s main products, services, suppliers and customers...............................................6
Target Audience...........................................................................................................................6
Marketing Mix.................................................................................................................................7
Product.........................................................................................................................................7
Price.............................................................................................................................................7
Promotion.....................................................................................................................................8
Place.............................................................................................................................................8
Comparison with Rivals................................................................................................................10
Product.......................................................................................................................................10
Price...........................................................................................................................................10
Promotion...................................................................................................................................10
Place...........................................................................................................................................10
Recommendations..........................................................................................................................11
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................12
References......................................................................................................................................13
Appendices....................................................................................................................................15
1. SWOT Analysis..................................................................................................................15
2. Positioning Chart................................................................................................................16

Sustainable Management & Marketing 3
Introduction
Intrepid Travel Group is an adventure travel company based in Melbourne, Australia. It was
founded in 1988 and it was a division of PEAK Adventure Travel Group and a joint venture
organization of Intrepid Travel group and TUI Group. Under this joint venture, several tour
operator companies exist. Intrepid Travel Group was separated in 2015 and from that period,
they have been the most successful adventure tour operator company. Intrepid Travel Group has
adopted various marketing strategies for spreading the awareness in relevance with the company
and its functionalities. This report will identify the effectiveness of the marketing principles and
the strategies used by the organization in the global market. With the help of these strategies,
organization could be able to expand its market share in the global tourism industry. In this
report, marketing mix techniques, competitive analysis, and the sustainability practices will also
be considered in relevance with uplifting the Intrepid Travel Group’s functionalities.

Sustainable Management & Marketing 4
Organizational Objectives
Adventure Travel is the most vital element of the travel industry. Intrepid Travel group and
various other companies are engaged in this segment of the travel industry to acquire the growth
and the expansion. In terms of attaining the growth and the expansion in the adventurous
traveling industry, primary concerns of Intrepid Travel Group are to provide real life experiences
to its travellers and contributing towards various other social care objectives such as preventing
human rights, preventing animal welfare, etc. Organization does not focus on making profits
only, their other objectives are protecting human rights, animal welfare, development of society,
etc. For these objectives, organization invests a large part of their revenues. Apart from this,
Intrepid Travel is a customer obsessed company engaged in enhancing the efficiencies of their
travellers with the view to expand their business in the other parts of the globe (Morrison, 2013).
Intrepid Travel Group has developed their vision so as to fulfil the travellers’ needs and
requirements in order to build customer relations. Apart from this, organization has also built
their vision in relevance with maintaining an effective position in the adventurous tourism
industry. For attaining their desired goals and the objectives, organization has adopted various
innovative and advanced marketing strategies (Proctor, 2014).

Sustainable Management & Marketing 5
Intrepid Travel’s main products, services, suppliers and customers
Intrepid Travel’s primary products and services are linked with the tourism industry. They
provide real life experiences of adventurous tourism. Apart from this, they are known for
carrying the responsible tourism as their core value of their functionalities. They also contribute
towards various social causes such as preventing human rights, prevention of environment,
animal welfare rights, etc. Along with these services and the products, their tour packages
include accommodation facilities, transportation facilities, local leaders cum experts, etc. (Kumar
& Christodoulopoulou, 2014).
Hotels, transportation industry travel agents, tour operators, etc. are some of the major suppliers
for tourism industry. The same are the suppliers for Intrepid Travel and in order to enhance the
organizational efficiency; management has tied up with certain hotels, transportation services,
etc. for rendering the effective and adequate services to its travellers. This helps the organization
to develop its certain and crucial position in the target market and it is also essential in gaining
the competitive advantage in the tourism industry (Bowie, et. al., 2016).
Target Audience
Intrepid Travel Group’s target audience is the people who love to explore the new destinations
along with the real life experience. Target market is the strategy used to select the most
appropriate market to sell the products and the services to the suitable audience. With the help of
this, organization could enhance its revenues and the profits. Along with enhancing the revenues
and the profits, organization could easily attain its desired goals and the objectives. In this
scenario, Intrepid Travel’s target audience will be the people who want to break from its daily
routine life and want to explore new places, and want to experience the adventurous trips. To
convince these people towards the company’s services, organization has adopted various
innovative marketing strategies. This also includes the digital medium and the print medium of
advertisement and the promotion. With the help of these mediums, organization could easily
attain its set targets of enhancing their revenues. As the major objective of Intrepid Travel is
beyond making profits, thus, the other objectives would also be attained in an appropriate and in
effective manner (West, Ford & Ibrahim, 2015).

Sustainable Management & Marketing 6
In terms of setting the effective position in the target market, organization has developed their
crucial position through effective marketing strategies. Apart from the marketing strategies,
organization has fulfilled its consumer’s needs in an effective manner in order to attain the
customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is the most crucial objective to attain the success
and the growth in the global tourism industry. This is the reason organization has attained the
position of world’s largest adventure company in the globe. Apart from Australia, organization
has numerous clients across the other parts of the globe (Percy, 2014).

Sustainable Management & Marketing 7
Marketing Mix
Product
Products for Intrepid Travel are the services linked with the adventurous tourism. They are
majorly known for providing real life experiences in order to enhance the travellers’ satisfaction
level in terms of travelling (Leonidou, Katsikeas & Morgan, 2013). Adventurous tour is a crucial
segment of the tourism industry and it is not chosen by all travellers because this segment
includes certain level of risk which may turn into hazardous disaster. But without risk,
adventurous tour cannot be completed, hence; organization has adopted various measures in
relation to the adventurous tourism to make it real, safe and secure. This helps them to attain vast
number of audience across the globe as well as they have also adopted the strategy of being
responsible tour operator company through which travellers could easily rely upon the
organization and upon its functionalities (Suet Leng & Badarulzaman, 2014). Along with the
objective of responsible tourism, organization has also adopted certain crucial objectives in order
to enhance their services’ efficiency and effectiveness in the target market. These objectives are:
 Organization used to perform its functionalities in an effective manner with the view to
enhance the organizational image in the industry. For this, organization used to respect
all those destinations which are covered under their tour packages.
 To enhance the traveller’s experience, organization used to appoint local leaders which
help them to coordinate with the local people, and it also helps them to understand the
religion, tradition, and culture of the particular place (Armstrong, et. al., 2012).
 Apart from these services, organization is committed to preventing environment, rights
of most vulnerable, as well as they, also contribute towards the development of the
local communities (Buil, De Chernatony & Martínez, 2013).
In terms of adaptation of the suitability of the organizational decisions, organization has
developed and implemented unique techniques in the functions of an organization to mitigate the
risk factors involved in the particular environment. Apart from this, it is also necessary to sustain
the performance of the organization because with these measures, organization will be able to
develop its effective position in the target market as well as a positive image will be developed in

Sustainable Management & Marketing 8
the travellers' mindsets in relevance with the organizational context. Some of these measures are
adaptation of risk mitigation strategies, consideration of rules and regulations in relevance with
adventurous tours in Australia and in other parts of the globe. In Australia, every state has
separate laws in relevance to the sports activities, adventurous trips etc. which are also known as
civil liability act. Thus, these should be adopted in the functionalities of the organization for
avoiding glitches in the functionalities of the organization (Fleming & Mixon, 2013).
Price
In order to enhance the market share of the organization in the global tourism industry, Intrepid
Travel has adopted several pricing strategies in order to target vast number of audience. Under
this, organization has provided several options to its target audience in terms of budget,
activities, place, etc. With the help of this, organization will be able to attain its set targets in
terms of gaining a sufficient number of audience. This will lead the organization towards growth
and expansion which will ultimately enhance the revenues and profits (Freeman, 2010).
Intrepid Travel has adopted cost-leadership and competition based pricing strategy in order to
maintain their peak position in the adventure tourism industry. With the help of cost leadership
strategy, they could acquire huge number of audiences while competition based pricing strategy
helps them to deal with its competitors. Apart from this, organization is known for providing
adequate and effective services to its customers in the certain period of time at affordable prices
which becomes the positive factor for attaining the competitive advantage. The pricing strategies
applied by the organization results in the sustainable practices which would help them to remain
on their position in the target market for a long period of time as well as it is also essential in
order to attain its desired goals and the objectives (Gordon, 2012).
Promotion
For spreading the awareness amongst the public in relevance with the organizational unique
products and services, organization has adopted effective promotional techniques. Promotional
techniques are the medium through which sufficient target audience could be acquired and along
with this, organization could also attain enhance the demand for their services and products in
the international market. This will be the factors through which organization could easily attain
its desired goals and the objectives (Hollensen, 2015).

Sustainable Management & Marketing 9
In terms of organizational promotional strategies, effective and unique platforms are being
adopted along with the brand value of the organization. Organization has made a unique brand
image in the industry through which company could attain an advantage for enhancing the
demand of their tour packages. Mixture of print medium and digital medium platforms of
advertisement and promotion are being adopted by the organization for spreading the awareness
amongst the international market in relevance with expansion of the business in the international
market (Keller, 2010).
Communication strategies have also been adopted by the organization for attracting and
satisfying its stakeholders’ needs through committing them for providing them the optimum level
of satisfaction with regards to their interest in the organization. Intrepid Travel Group is also
known for contributing a huge share of its profits and revenues towards economic, social and
environmental development. This helps them to build an effective image of the organization in
the global market (Kotler, et. al., 2015).
Place
Place of distribution plays crucial role in terms of enhancing the demand for the products and the
services in the target market. Operating organizational functionalities at the centralised locations
and at the famous places will help the organization to acquire major number of consumers.
Intrepid Travel has approximately 24 offices in more than 100 countries which play crucial role
in terms of increasing the market share for organization. Company has promoted its activities
and services which will be rendered in the adventure tour packages for attracting the audience in
terms of attaining the goals and the objectives.
All the offices of the organization are located at the centralised locations for attaining the great
number of audience. Centralised locations’ offices help the people to reach easily and it also
creates a positive impact on the organization's image (Lefebvre, 2011).

Sustainable Management & Marketing 10
Comparison with Rivals
Rival is the term used to describe the primary competitors who are also engaged in the same
industry and rendering or providing same types of products and services within the same target
market. G Adventures, Geographic Expeditions Adventurous Trips, Austin Adventures, etc. are
certain primary competitors for Intrepid Travel Group. They all are present in the global market
along with the same types of services which are provided by the Intrepid Travel Group
(Lovelock, 2011).
Product
Intrepid Travel Group and its primary competitors are engaged in the adventure tourism industry
with almost same types of products and services which makes them the primary competitor for
each other. But Intrepid Travel offers its tour packages at affordable prices which makes them
unique from its competitors. This also helps them to attain the competitive advantage
(Rosenbloom, 2012).
Price
Intrepid Travel is enjoying the peak position in the global market and with this; they are also
engaged in providing travelling services at cheap rates from its competitors. Cost-leadership
pricing strategy is being adopted by the Intrepid Travel Group which makes them unique from its
rivals.
Promotion
Intrepid Travel is based in Australia and in Australia only; there are lot of places which are
famous for adventurous trips, sports activities, etc. Thus, Intrepid Travel has utilised the
available resources in terms of promoting the Australian places for experiencing the adventurous
trips.
Place
Intrepid Travel is present in more than 100 countries with approximately 1600 employees across
the globe with 20 offices. While G Adventures covers all the 7 continents with more than 1200
itineraries. Geographic Expeditions Adventurous Trips are majorly known for providing treks,
walks, expeditionary voyages in China, Nepal and in Ghana. And Austin Adventures covers the

Sustainable Management & Marketing 11
area of Alaska, Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada, Yosemite National Parks, etc. (Sharma & Lambert,
2013).