In light of, you know, 2020 as a whole, Intrepid has replaced its annual ‘where to go’ lists with the company’s first-ever ‘How to Go in 2021’ list.

The new list outlines five key trends that make up the tour company’s new 2021 offerings.

The trends were developed by looking at booking data, search data and societal trends and aim to form a foundation of how Intrepid tours are reimagined in a post-COVID world.

Here’s a rundown of the Hot to Go in 2021 list:

1. Go slower

Over the past six months, Intrepid has launched a new style of tour called Retreats, where clients can stay in the one place and explore at a slower place.

The trips were developed in direct response to COVID-19 for travellers to engage with surrounding communities away from crowds and in a more controlled setting. The Retreats speak to the growing popularity of the “slow travel movement”, a trend developing among other tour operators.

2. Go into the wild

In 2021/2022, Intrepid will depart its first-ever expedition to Antarctica on the Ocean Endeavour making the tour operator a seven-continent operator.

Intrepid saw a 70 per cent increase globally in searches to its Antarctica pages in September 2020. Early signs show strong demand for all types of wilderness experiences. In Australia, recent analysis of social media and online activity by Neighbourlytics showed a clear shift towards nature-related activities compared to pre-pandemic.

3. Go on your terms

As travellers around the world face varying levels of comfort and travel restrictions, customisation and flexibility will be two key pillars for the future of travel, prompting Intrepid to revamp its Tailor-Made offering.

In 2021, all 800+ Intrepid Trips will be fully customisable and available for travellers to book with their own private group, whether it is their family, their ‘bubble’ or beyond.

The tour operator has already seen a 120 per cent increase in global search traffic for the custom offerings over the past six months. As people are debating their personal level of comfort before travelling, many travellers are choosing to simply go on their own.

4. Go on a human-powered adventure

Intrepid has released four new cycling trips and four new walking trips, in addition to over 90 active itineraries available in 2021. Cycling globally has been among the most widely adopted hobbies during the pandemic.

Cities like London have seen up to a 300 per cent increase in cyclists and, in Australia, cycling is surging with a survey by Bicycle Network finding the number of riders on key bike paths around Melbourne increased by 270 per cent from November 2019 to April this year.

5. Go to regenerate, not just sustain

The company recently open-sourced its carbon management plan and animal welfare policy as tools for other travel companies and consumers to travel more responsibly in the future.

Prior to the pandemic, the global tourism industry contributed to 8 per cent of global GHG emissions and accounted for one in 10 jobs around the world. In the future, regardless of where travellers go, adopting sustainable and regenerative travel practices has never been more important.