An Intrepid travel group trekking through the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal.
Courtesy Intrepid Travel

When travel ground to a halt in 2020, the benefits of reduced air pollution became obvious. “We saw villagers in India and Nepal being able to see the Himalayas for the first time,” says James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel, which has focused on small-group travel since its founding 34 years ago. People want to travel more responsibly—both environmentally and socially—and business is booming for the certified B Corp, which saw record-breaking booking days after launching a flight-free program (and more than 100 Indigenous-led tours) last year. The carbon-neutral company was the first global tour operator to establish verified, science-based carbon-reduction targets.

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