The past few months have been a challenge for most of the world, and the travel industry is no exception.
As much as we love travelling, nothing is more important to us than the safety and wellbeing of all our local leaders, staff, suppliers and of course, you – our travellers. And because of that, Peregrine made the difficult decision to cancel most of our 2020 tours so far.
Despite pressing pause on international travel for now, we want to do everything we can to continue to support the local communities around the world who rely on our tourism.
Image by Matt Cherubino.
At the moment, while most people can’t travel far, there are a few ways you can support these communities. One is to make a donation through Peregrine’s not-for-profit arm, The Intrepid Foundation, where 100% of costs are delivered directly into the hands of the projects we support, with no administration fees. Another thing you can do is book a future Peregrine tour for 2021 or beyond, and plan to return to the destination you love or have always dreamed of visiting, as soon as it’s safe to do so.
And now there’s another way.
Some of you may know that Peregrine has a sister company, Intrepid Travel. Just like us, Intrepid are passionate about using local knowledge to take travellers off-the-beaten-track. They’re a B Corp, committed to sustainable tourism and connecting like-minded, responsible travellers seeking immersive, local travel experiences on a small group tour.
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The past few months, Intrepid have been working tirelessly to create brand-new local travel experiences, for passionate travellers who are seeking adventures a little closer to home in 2020. With all the challenges the travel industry is currently facing, Peregrine decided the best use of our efforts as a global workforce would be to support Intrepid’s local range and as a result, the communities who will benefit from those tours. And we’re really proud of what we’ve been able to achieve with the first of these tours that have run over the past month or so.
If you’re itching for an adventure a little sooner, we’d invite you to explore Intrepid’s range of local tours, in particular their brand-new style, Intrepid Retreats. If you’re already familiar with Intrepid, you will know that some of their itineraries cover a lot of ground. But Retreats are entirely focussed on slowing down, so you can immerse yourself in a specific region near you. You’ll discover the hyperlocal culture and cuisine, with plenty of time for relaxation, as well as ample opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors after too much time at home. And as a bonus, you stay in the same accommodation for the entire getaway, which means you only have to unpack once!
VIEW INTREPID TRAVEL’S NEW RANGE OF RETREATS
By travelling locally and sustainably, we are able to support the communities closer to home who are working to rebuild and recover from everything 2020 has thrown their way. And while to most of us, the idea of an adventure has always involved a long-haul flight, passports and visas, if this year has taught us anything, it’s that you can find joy in the simplest of things. You can still experience all the little moments that make travel special – connecting (from a socially acceptable distance!) with a stranger, that incredible meal you’ll remember forever or the unexpected interaction that causes you to laugh until you cry – no matter whether you’re two hours or two days from home.
Image by Miles Holden c/o Tourism New Zealand.
But the downside? While we’re dedicating ourselves to supporting this important work, for the next little while you might not hear from us as often as you normally would.
Of course, if you have a future tour booked with us already or would be interested in booking one down the track, Peregrine’s Customer Care team is still available to talk over the phone, live chat or answer emails seven days a week. And if you’d still like more frequent doses of travel inspiration, you can subscribe to Intrepid’s emails and check out their blog, The Journal.
We look forward to exploring the world with you again soon. Whether that be on a Peregrine tour in the future, or through our sister-brand, Intrepid sometime soon.
Hero image by Ryan Bolton.
