REI Brings Back its Travel Business

Less then a year after axing its “Experience” business and laying off the entire team, now under a new CEO, REI is bringing back its travel business in partnership (outsourced) with Intrepid.

Shop Eat Surf & Outdoors has the story:

The new partnership will offer a range of U.S. and international excursions for REI members and customers starting in January 2026. The collaboration will introduce two distinct collections of guided adventures: REI Exclusive, which offer an exclusive discount to REI members, and REI Recommended.

Can a new deal like this be made in under a year? They cancel that side of the business in early January, receive feedback from their customers that they miss it and relaunch with a new partner. Or was this outsourced partnership already in the works before they shut down their entire internal team?