A Purposeful Pioneer

It’s been just over 50 years since the late Lars-Eric Lindblad started taking travelers to places that, until then, were primarily the domains of scientists—places like Antarctica and the Galápagos Islands.

Widely regarded as the father of ecotourism, he encouraged people to travel with a purpose using his company, Lindblad Travel, which he had launched nine years earlier.

In 1979, son Sven-Olof Lindblad formed a company division called Special Expeditions—which eventually became Lindblad Expeditions—after spending seven years in the wilds of East Africa. Today, under Sven-Olof Lindblad’s leadership as CEO, the company operates 13 owned and chartered expedition ships, including two that are based in the Galápagos year-round.

“It’s like taking people out on safari, but it happens to be on a boat,” he said.

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Among other accomplishments, Lindblad Expeditions pioneered travel to the High Arctic, Costa Rica, Panama and Baja California’s Sea of Cortez; created an in-depth expedition program in Alaska; expanded its offerings to include history and culture in destinations like Greece and Turkey, Vietnam and Cambodia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand; and launched what it calls “Epic Expeditions,” which are in-depth, ambitious voyages focusing on natural and human history in the Arctic, Patagonia, West Africa and South America.

“I built ideas with teams that reflected what I cared about and what I thought other people cared about,” Lindblad said.

He also introduced programs and activities like kayaking in polar regions and in the Galápagos, plus expedition photography with instruction and assistance. The company partnered with National Geographic in 2004 and now has NatGeo photographers on some of its ships, along with NatGeo writers, scientists and other experts.

While several travel companies offer ecotourism cruises and tours, what sets Lindblad Expeditions apart is its level of focus and commitment, according to Lindblad.

“A lot of people have decided that expedition travel is a good business idea,” he said, adding that at least 20 new expedition ships, accommodating up to 600 people, will be built for various companies from 2018 to 2020.

“The difference is that expedition travel isn’t a side business for us; it’s the central focus. You need a deep understanding of geography, appropriate ships for the mission and, above all else, a community that can create opportunities and stretch the envelope to maximize people’s time and do it safely – and do all of this simultaneously.”

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Capacity on Lindblad Expeditions’ vessels ranges from 28 to 148 guests.

“The economies of scale on paper are better if you build larger ships,” he said. “But the reality is that, at a certain point, you’re not going to provide an expedition any longer, because there are too many people.”

Among the company’s ships are eight equipped with Zodiacs, kayaks, scuba and snorkeling gear, hydrophones (underwater microphones for listening to marine mammals), remotely operated vehicles (allowing for undersea views as far down as 1,000 feet) and standup paddleboards. Some vessels are also equipped with ice hulls.

Two are riverboats sailing on the Amazon and Mekong Rivers, two are mega-yachts in Cuba and Scotland, and another is a tall ship plying the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas.

When choosing a new destination for its portfolio, the company looks for at least one of three fundamental aspects: high-quality nature, cultural interest (modern or ancient) and/or history.

For example, Antarctica fulfills the nature aspect and provides a history of exploration. The South Pacific, where the company launched new itineraries this year, “has a lot of history and cultural value,” Lindblad said.

Lindblad’s target market, then, is more about like-mindedness than demographics, he said, referring to the company’s guests as “people who have an affinity with an idea.”

Although the average per-diem is around $1,000, many guests aren’t wealthy. For example, Lindblad said he met a baker from South London on an Antarctica expedition who had saved up six years for the trip.

So how does a travel agent qualify potential Lindblad Expeditions guests?

“If you’ve identified someone who’s interested in experiential travel and likes the idea of going to remote places, that’s the first filter,” he said. “If it’s someone who wants a deep expedition experience, I believe we would rise to the top.”

The company provides training on its product through organizations in which it’s a preferred supplier, including Virtuoso, Signature Travel Network, American Express and Ensemble Travel Group, said Jacinta McEvoy, Lindblad Expeditions’ vice president of global sales. It also offers webinars and an agent web portal.

Instead of group fam trips, fam opportunities are available for preferred agents on an individual basis.

“We want travel agents to experience our itineraries the way our guests do,” she said.