Of course, there are many new partners who will be launching tours in their destinations over the coming months. Included in this mix are 13 established whl.travel local connections from Athens (Greece), Boracay (Philippines), Brunei, Cappadocia (Turkey), Dominica (Caribbean), Foz du Iguassu (Brazil), Jamaica (Caribbean), Madeira (Portugal), Riga (Latvia), Rio (Brazil), St Lucia (Caribbean), Thessaloniki (Greece) and Merida (Mexico).

Despite this incredible progress, the Urban Adventures sales team is far from at rest. They have been working hard to recruit and sign new partners in other major destination throughout Europe and North America including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Budapest, Dublin, Florence, Rome, St. Petersburg, New Orleans, Ottawa, Philadelphia, San Diego, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver… among many others.

The Urban Adventures buzz has carried across to consumers as well, especially through the tester program, where travellers have the opportunity to win free Urban Adventures in select destinations each month. Almost 12,000 testers have registered so far. Every month, these testers receive email notifications of the freebies up for grabs on a first-in-best-dressed (i.e. first-come-first-served) basis. In addition, more than 12,000 travellers have registered to receive the monthly traveller newsletter –’The Urban Adventurer’.

Basically, if you haven’t yet heard of Urban Adventures yet, you will soon. Negotiations continue with various global distributors, some of which already list some Urban Adventures on their websites, including Expedia, Viator, STA, Isango, Keith Prowse, Virgin Blue Holidays and Flight Centre.

About Urban Adventures

Intrepid Travel and whl.travel have joined together to create Urban Adventures, a new style of travel experience for those who want to get off the beaten path and really connect with the destination. Urban Adventures are city tours with a difference! The experience can be as short as a couple of hours, or a whole day, but in every case, Urban Adventures will take you to interesting places to meet locals and really see what makes the place tick, getting to know it like a local. In fact many of our travellers are locals, seeing their own cities in a different way.

Whether it’s your first time or your hundredth, we’re confident that Urban Adventures will open up a whole new dimension on many of your favourite cities around the world. Every Urban Adventure is also designed to support local communities, their cultures and the environment. As such, Urban Adventures are fun, insightful and true win-win experiences.

Urban Adventures range from two-hour to one-day adventures and uncover back streets, hidden gems and fascinating sights. While these adventures may be short in duration, they’re long on real-life experiences. Step into the lives of the locals, find out what makes the city tick and get acquainted with the local food, culture and traditions, all in the company of an expert local guide. See more than just the usual sights on an Urban Adventure.

The Urban Adventures business is a unique and exciting new concept developed by leading adventure travel operator Intrepid Travel and WHL Group, the biggest local travel company in the world. Urban Adventures relies on a combination of Intrepid Travel’s experience in designing and running the world’s best experiential trips; plus WHL Group’s whl.travel network of local operators and the technology to sell these trips at low cost. Intrepid and WHL Group share a commitment to sustainable travel and minimising impact on the environment and on communities.

Anchored at launch in approximately 20 cities, Urban Adventures will be available in 65 cities with over 200 trips within six months. Departures are daily and prices start from US$15.

whl.travel is particularly proud of its partners in the following destinations who have been selected as Urban Adventures Partners and are or will soon be offering tours that bring their cities to life: Athens, Boracay, Brunei, Cappadocia, Dominica, Foz do Iguassu, Jamaica, Livingstone, Madeira, Riga, Rio, Samoa, St Lucia, and Thessaloniki. More will be added in the weeks and months ahead.

Urban Adventures drop the barriers between visitors and hosts, bringing you in direct contact with the people who give a place its character. Kids in Cambodia are especially expert at making you feel right at home.

So whether you’re after an evening of home cooking and hanging locally in Istanbul, a full-day exploration of the magnificent temples of the Angkor complex in Cambodia, visiting the history and people of Johannesburg by bicycle or sampling Los Angeles, from Hollywood glitz to the quirkiness of Venice Beach, Urban Adventures really connect with the destination.

Become a Free Urban Adventures Tester

To celebrate the launch of Urban Adventures, Intrepid Travel and WHL Group are offering travellers (and locals) the opportunity to tour for FREE.

Travellers can register to become an Urban Adventures tester. By doing so they will be notified of free spots on Urban Adventures around the world that will be allocated on a first-in-best-dressed basis. The first trips will be made available on 21 October. In return for a free adventure, testers write trip reviews and take photos for the Urban Adventures website. In addition, travellers who submit feedback could win a monthly Urban Adventures prize pack.

Being an Urban Adventure tester suits everyone from round-the-world backpackers to business people and travellers who enjoy discovering what makes cities tick. The program is ongoing so people can register whenever they go on holiday.