Intrepid Travel has announced that it will provide a full refund to moviegoers who see Al Gore's new documentary An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power in Australian cinemas this month.

The Melbourne-based adventure company's offer to fully refund cinema tickets could cost Intrepid Travel thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of staff time. Intrepid Travel staff were obliged to post almost 1500 hand-written cheques around Australia ten years ago, when the company's offer to refund moviegoers tickets to An Inconvenient Truth went 'viral'.

Al Gore's award-winning original documentary brought climate change into the heart of popular culture and shocked Intrepid Travel in to taking action. A decade ago, the company not only launched the original refund scheme that would go on to encourage hundreds of sceptical Australians to see the film, Intrepid also started on the path towards becoming a carbon neutral business.

Recognised as a global leader in responsible travel, Intrepid's co-Founder Darrell Wade had 'an existential crisis' when he realised the impact of the global tourism industry on the environment. Wade was one of the first Australians to undergo Al Gore's Climate Project training and committed Intrepid Travel to a Carbon Management Plan. Intrepid has been a carbon-neutral business since 2010 that carbon-offsets trips on behalf of travellers. Since 2014 the company has also carbon-offset for sister brands Peregrine Adventures, Geckos Adventures, and Adventure Tours Australia.

An Inconvenient Sequel follows former Vice President Al Gore in the lead up to the Paris Agreement as he influences international climate change policy through his belief that the perils of climate change can be overcome with human ingenuity and passion.

The new film is particularly important for Australians to see, says Intrepid Travel co-Founder Darrell Wade, because it shows how close the world is to a renewable energy revolution while demonstrating the power of the people to influence governments and big businesses to create real change.

“We are the lucky country. A nation of travellers, yet it appears many Australians have their 'heads in the sand' when it comes to climate change,” Darrell Wade, Intrepid's co-Founder and Executive Chair said this morning.

 “Our finance team are going to hate me for doing this. Sea level and cinema ticket prices have both risen over the past ten years. We're expecting to do hundreds of individual movie ticket refunds, so this is going to cost us big time – but if it inspires just a few people to ask inconvenient questions then it's all worth it,” Wade added.

The Aussie passport is among the world's most powerful, opening the door to hundreds of countries and ABS data shows over 8 million Aussies head overseas each year. Yet, a study published in Global Environmental Change journal found that Australian's were among the world's biggest climate change sceptics.

“As a travel company we see the environmental impacts first hand, at home on the Great Barrier Reef and in places like Antarctica. We want to preserve these amazing places for future generations and that's why we think it's so important that Aussies see this documentary.”

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power is in cinemas from Thursday 10 August. A decade on from the original 'Inconvenient' offer, all refunds will again be individually issued by Intrepid staff – but with money transferred online this time. Moviegoers will need to visit www.intrepidtravel.com/au/ticket-refund and provide a copy of their movie ticket to be eligible for a refund. Full terms and conditions are outlined on the website.

*Full terms and conditions are outlined on the website.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

For more information and interviews please contact: Kate Parker, PR Manager Australia and New Zealand on kate.parker@intrepidtravel.com or +61 481 009 149 or Mia Ferreira from Seven Communications on mia@sevencommunications.com.au or 0405 020 288

About Intrepid Travel Intrepid Travel is a global adventure travel company that has been taking travellers off the beaten track to discover the world's most amazing places for 28 years. The company offers more than 1,000 trips in more than 100 countries and on every continent. Every trip is designed to truly experience local culture - to meet local people, try local food, take local transport and stay in local accommodation. A world leader in responsible travel, Intrepid's award-winning tour leaders, small group sizes and included activities mean they offer travellers great value for money. www.intrepidtravel.com

About the Intrepid Group

Independently-owned by the original founders of Intrepid Travel, the Intrepid Group is now a collection of six tour operator brands and 19 destination management companies united by the vision of changing the way people see the world. For the past 28 years, we've been taking small groups to travel the local way, on real life experiences that give back to the places and people we visit.  As this style of travel has caught on, the Intrepid Group family has grown to now offer around 2000 trips to more than 100 countries and on all seven continents. We cater for all ages, budgets, and appetites for adventure through Adventure Tours Australia, The Family Adventure Company, Geckos Adventures, Intrepid Travel, Peregrine Adventures and Urban Adventures. Globally-renowned as a leader in responsible travel, Intrepid has been a carbon-neutral business since 2010. Our not-for-profit, the Intrepid Foundation has raised $5m AUD for over 75 local and international charities by matching traveller donations dollar-for-dollar. For more information, visit: www.intrepidgroup.travel 

As a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the Intrepid Group has also released its UNGC report for 2016. The report highlights Intrepid Travel's commitment to support public accountability in environmental stewardship and highlights how it has reached the following milestones:

• Carbon neutral business since 2010
• Over 1,400 Carbon Offset trips across the Intrepid Group
• 27 offices are carbon neutral across the intrepid Group
• 42,000+ tonnes of carbon offset globally in 2016
• AUD $1.6 million invested into renewable energy projects since 2010
• 50,000 trees planted in Australia, Kenya & Thailand