Latest Updates Australian travel company Intrepid Group establishes Japanese corporation in Kyoto

Nov 10, 2017

Intrepid GroupExternal site: a new window will open. is a leading travel agency with head offices in Australia. The company is a collection of six tour operator brands, united by the vision of changing the way people see the world. The company offers more than 2000 different small group adventures that travel to more than 100 different countries around the world. Part of the Intrepid Group for more than 10 years, PEAKExternal site: a new window will open. has been delivering destination management solutions for the world’s leading travel brands. It now has 42 offices operating trips across more than 90 countries.

logo of Intrepid Group

Through a service agreement with other companies, Intrepid Group has sold tours featuring Japan, including “adventure tours,” previously. However, in order to expand and diversify the trips offered, the company established PEAK DMC Japan Co Ltd. in Kyoto in March 2017. This is the first foray into Japan by a leading Australian travel agency. Since opening for business in August, PEAK DMC Japan has provided small group adventures for 500 travelers visiting Japan with Intrepid, Peregrine and Geckos brands. In the future, the priorities in Japan will be to expand existing markets and explore new ones by offering unique trips in other destinations within Japan which are away from the regular tourist trail.

For the establishment of the company’s base in Japan, the JETRO Kyoto and the JETRO Invest Japan Business Support Center (IBSC) in both Tokyo and Osaka assisted the company in moving into Kyoto Research Park, completing procedures for the establishment of the company (registration, visa, tax and labor matters) and searching for properties and human resources. JETRO also provided information related to the market (such as on procedures for acquiring membership in the Japan Association of Travel Agents), information on licensing for travel agencies, referral to service providers (administrative scrivener office, bank, Industrial Employment Stabilization Center, and service office), arranging interviews with local governments (Kyoto Prefecture) and information for expatriate staff concerning daily life in Japan.


Celebrating the opening of PEAK DMC Japan from left to right Accountant PEAK DMC China Sunny Gu, Managing Director PEAK DMC Natalie Kidd, Intrepid Group CEO James Thornton, Operations and Purchasing Manager PEAK DMC Japan Erika Ueda, Operations and Purchasing Coordinator PEAK DMC Japan Rebecca John, Senior Accountant Yuko Iwazaki, General Manager PEAK DMC Japan Jo Crisp


Cracking the sake barrel at the opening of PEAK DMC Japan with official guests and speakers from left to right the Director of Industry and Tourism Bureau Yasuji Kitamura, the Executive Vice President JETRO Shigeki Maeda, Intrepid Group CEO James Thornton, Consul General and Senior Trade Commissioner (Osaka) David Lawson, the Deputy Governor of Kyoto Prefecture Takeharu Jofuku, Managing Director PEAK DMC Natalie Kidd, General Manager PEAK DMC Japan Jo Crisp

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