Leigh Barnes Talks Meaningful Travel and Growing Intrepid's Brand Presence in the U.S.

Leigh Barnes Talks Meaningful Travel and Growing Intrepid's Brand Presence in the U.S.

From Humans of Travel by TravelAge West - Hosted by Emma Weissmann

June 1, 2026 · 23 min · Season 7 · Episode 11

About this episode

Leigh Barnes discusses meaningful travel and Intrepid's brand growth in the U.S.

Leigh Barnes is president of the Americas for Intrepid Travel , a small-group tour operator that’s been in business since 1989. Once known as a “social Jedi,” Barnes says he came to the travel industry at the right time and with the right digital skill set. He’s been with Intrepid more than 16 years now, and he’s leading the brand’s expansion in North America. On this episode of Humans of Travel, Barnes discusses the company’s mission to create positive change through sustainable and meaningful travel, and what that looks like in the U.S. specifically. Barnes also shares his pre-Intrepid path into digital marketing, a formative Everest Base Camp trek that reshaped his worldview and how travel trade sales continue to grow thanks to key partnerships and expanded sales support. This episode is sponsored by Brendan Vacations .  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Intrepid Travel Intrepid’s Travel Agent Hub Intrepid’s U.S. National Park Tours Intrepid Active-ism Trips On TravelAge West: How — and Why — Intrepid Travel Is Working to Protect U.S. National Parks Right Now On TravelAge West: Intrepid Announces New…

People in this episode

Host: Emma Weissmann

Guest: Leigh Barnes

Topics covered

  • meaningful travel
  • sustainable tourism
  • digital marketing
  • brand expansion
  • travel industry partnerships

Keywords

  • Intrepid Travel
  • sustainable travel
  • digital marketing
  • travel partnerships
  • Everest Base Camp

Sponsors

Brendan Vacations

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Intrepid Travel, TravelAge West

Places: U.S., North America, Everest Base Camp

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