International Expeditions
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Adventure tourism, Travel |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Founder | Dr. Richard Ryel, Steve Cox |
| Fate | Rebranded as Exodus Travel in October 2021 |
| Headquarters | Helena, Alabama , United States |
Area served | Ecuador, Kenya, Tanzania, Patagonia, Peruvian Amazon, Galápagos Islands, India, Cuba |
Key people | Van Perry (President from November 2011) |
| Parent | Travelopia |
International Expeditions (abbreviated as IE) was a travel enterprise that specialized in adventure tours for small groups. Established in 1980 and based in Helena, Alabama, the company was rebranded as Exodus Travel in October 2021, operating under the ownership of Travelopia.
Company overview
International Expeditions centered its offerings on small-group adventure journeys to unique locations such as Ecuador, Kenya, Tanzania, and Patagonia. Its range of travel experiences included both land-based expeditions and cruise voyages to wildlife-abundant regions like the Peruvian Amazon and Galápagos Islands. While the majority of its trips were land-focused, IE also arranged charters of riverboats and yachts for cruises in areas including Patagonia, India, Cuba, the Amazon, and Galapagos.
As a subsidiary within Travelopia—a collection of niche travel brands previously part of TUI Group—International Expeditions was part of a broader portfolio that includes AmeriCan Adventures, Exodus, Grand American Adventures, Headwater, Quark Expeditions, Sawadee, TrekAmerica, World Challenge, and Zegrahm Expeditions.
Leadership
The company was co-established by Dr. Richard Ryel and Steve Cox. Dr. Ryel additionally held the position of Chairman for the International Ecotourism Society. Van Perry took on the role of president at International Expeditions in November 2011 and simultaneously manages Zegrahm Expeditions, an adventure travel firm headquartered in Seattle, Washington.
Controversy
In April 2016, a fire broke out aboard International Expeditions' vessel "Estrella Amazonica" (currently named "Amazon Star"), leading to the deaths of two American passengers, Drs. Larry and Christy Hammer. Investigations identified the cause as a power strip without surge protection or safety certification; furthermore, the cabin where the victims stayed lacked an internal fire alarm. Video evidence showed that crew members delayed evacuation efforts by more than 22 minutes while attempting to rescue one of the victims.
Following this tragedy, International Expeditions asserted that several local authorities had declared the vessel safe; however, these claims have not been independently confirmed. The company and Van Perry faced scrutiny for restarting operations within two days despite an incomplete understanding of the fire’s origins and unresolved safety concerns.
By September 2016, Perry informed People magazine that improvements had been made to firefighting equipment and that crew members underwent refresher training; nonetheless, no independent validation has been publicly released.
In April 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported on a Peruvian Navy investigation which revealed that the ship’s fire alarm system was completely nonfunctional and that crew members lacked adequate training and proper equipment, constituting breaches of maritime regulations. The article also discussed how the Death on the High Seas Act could potentially exempt International Expeditions from liability regarding the Hammers' deaths. Through legal representatives, the company communicated to the victims’ family that it does not bear financial responsibility under this statute.
Similar conclusions were echoed by coverage from the Omaha World-Herald and Cruise Law News, with maritime attorney Jim Walker describing this legislation as "one of the cruelest and most unfair" protections shielding cruise companies from accountability after passenger fatalities.
In July 2017, Good Morning America covered ongoing legal actions pursued by the Hammers' family related to this incident.