With a long and established legacy in the travel industry, Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic is not just a pioneer of the expedition cruise industry, but also a leader in sustainable and responsible tourism. And, in recent years, parent company Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. has acquired brands for land-based travel, creating new opportunities for fans of the cruise line to travel with other companies that uphold similar values.
"We have long understood that it takes more than a single business to change the world, and recognize the power of travel to make a difference," said Noah Brodsky, chief commercial officier for Lindblad Expeditions. "In recent years, we've been fortunate to grow our corporate portfolio and integrate several land-based brands into the Lindblad Expeditions ecosystem."
Here, Brodsky shares an overview of the family of brands, as well as the values and innovations that keep driving the company forward.
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic is iconic, but what other brands fall under the Lindblad umbrella?
In addition to our flagship expedition cruise brand, we have four other brands within our family: Natural Habitat Adventures, which partners with the World Wildlife Fund to offer and promote conservation and sustainable travel that directly protects nature; Off the Beaten Path, known for providing distinctive insider national park experiences and connecting the heart of the traveler with the soul of the place; DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co., a luxury cycling and adventure company focused on providing immersive cultural experiences across the globe; and Classic Journeys, which crafts cultural walking adventures that empower you to see the world on foot and at eye level.
These are brands that align with our core values and guiding principles, and that are working [on] conservation, exploration and education efforts and priorities worldwide.
How do the brands prioritize sustainability?
Every single decision we make at Lindblad Expeditions — and our sister companies — is made with a deep respect for the planet and with the intent of being a catalyst for meaningful change. Every employee at all levels of our rapidly growing organization has learned to make decisions through an environmentally mindful lens, with sustainable practices always top of mind.
That’s the Lindblad way, and I believe it’s the reason the company has been so successful and has earned so much respect from the people and communities in which we operate.
How does Lindblad stand out in the expedition cruise market?
For nearly 60 years — since the Lindblad family took non-scientific citizen travelers to Antarctica in 1966 and to the Galapagos in 1967 — we have been leading expeditions exploring the world’s most fascinating, wild geographies. These journeys were a precursor to today’s “expedition cruise” concept.
At our core, we deliver unmatched expertise you can only find when you travel with an operator that has such a rich, pioneering heritage.
At our core, we deliver unmatched expertise you can only find when you travel with an operator that has such a rich, pioneering heritage. Today, we sail to more than 120 countries and territories on all seven continents across 170-plus unique itineraries, operating upward of 550 annual departures on 17 ships. Plus, for nearly 20 years, our alliance with another pioneering company, National Geographic, strengthened existing relationships and helped forge an immediate connection with key players and thought leaders in environmentalism to provide the utmost experience to our guests.
How is Lindblad evolving its products and services?
Earlier this year, we announced the launch of our most comprehensive, full-service trade initiative ever. Encompassing four key pillars of training, service, technology and appreciation, Expedition 360⁰ is significantly enhancing our ability to better serve our travel advisor partners, and provides a full complement of resources partners need to grow their business.
New for the upcoming 2023-2024 Antarctic season, we will be bringing some of the world’s most renowned scientists and researchers, birders, archeologists and explorers onboard to educate guests. Next year, we’ll also be debuting an exclusive new partnership with Food & Wine to take travelers on an immersive culinary journey along the Columbia and Snake rivers. Then, in 2025, we’re premiering a new nine-day “Exploring Egypt” expedition in partnership with National Geographic that traces the highlights of Egyptian history onboard the newly chartered Sun Goddess.
