TORONTO — With all the focus on travellers’ bucket lists, we sometimes forget that industry types have dream trips too.
For Cara Matthew, one of those dream destinations is the Galapagos Islands. As the new Regional Sales Director – Canada for Lindblad Expeditions, not only will Matthew see her dream realized, she’s setting sail next month, onboard National Geographic Endeavour II.
Cara Matthew
“I can’t wait! I just received my pre-departure package and I’m starting to prepare,” Matthew tells Travelweek.
Demand for expedition cruising is through the roof, and will just keep increasing as experienced travellers seek new ways to see the world’s most remote and precious lands. The thrill of adventure that keeps so many people coming back to travel is magnified ten-fold with expedition cruising.
Plus, supply is more than meeting demand, and often with high-end offerings, ensuring this niche is a profitable one for travel advisors. Read all about it in Travelweek’s recent two-part series on expedition cruising, here and here.
This week we’re connecting with Matthew to find out more about her new role, the Lindblad difference, how the company works with travel advisors and more.
Travelweek: You’ve been hired as Lindblad Expeditions’ first-ever Regional Sales Director, Canada. Why is the company now prioritizing the Canadian market?
Matthew: “Expedition cruising is one of the fastest growing segments in the travel industry, and the Canadian market has a lot to contribute to it. Major players in the expedition space of the travel industry are no longer overlooking ‘The North’ as a serious market. I saw an interesting stat last year at a Virtuoso conference, which mentioned there will be one million NEW millionaires in Canada in the next five years. I realize that this can be calculated in many ways, but the reality is, there are wealthy Canadians living in every province ready and eager to travel.”
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Travelweek: How do Lindblad’s Canadian passengers differ – what itineraries do they gravitate to, trip duration, spend, that sort of thing?
Matthew: “Canada is filled with nature enthusiasts, active travellers and people that are passionate about cultural experiences and the planet.
“Canadians are cherishing a variety of experiences with us, such as a 10-day Galapagos itinerary, that offers an abundance of wildlife and adventure. Guests that have cruised Alaska on large ships gravitate towards coming back to Alaska with us on one of our nimble, intimately scaled 100-guest expedition vessels, where guests on our U.S.-flagged ships can spend eight full days deeply exploring iconic and harder-to-reach Alaskan fjords, hiking secluded forests and kayaking in secluded inlets.
“Canadians are also choosing our six- and eight-day Baja programs to escape our chilly winters. All three of these destinations offer our National Geographic Global Explorers Program, which is our exclusive family program, where kids and teens will learn about these wild corners of the world. Many Canadians are travelling with their families, and all of our daily activities are included with our voyages!
“All in all, we offer expeditions on all seven continents, across 120+ countries, with itineraries ranging from four days to 34 days.
“Offering a variety of destinations, experiences of various lengths, and a fleet of 17 purpose-built and chartered vessels, there’s truly something for various types of travellers.”
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Travelweek: You’re no stranger to expedition cruising. What do you personally love about this segment of the cruise industry, and have you experienced any Lindblad sailings yet?
Matthew: “The only way to access some of these remote, pristine places on the planet is by travelling on an intimately scaled expedition ship, designed to maneuver and explore these far-flung regions.
“Many travellers who are new to expeditions may never have stepped on a ship in their lives. The whole reason we are on these small ships is to get off as much as possible to explore where we are.
“I love that you only need to unpack once and that in the morning I can wake up to a completely different view and location. I also love the word expedition, because this encompasses a diverse group of travellers, from active and fit travellers to leisure travellers.
“Small ships can accommodate activities for a wide range of interests, ages and people can do as much or as little as they want. We can choose. The first time I went to Antarctica was with my Aunt Lucie, who was 66 at the time. One afternoon she decided to stay onboard to go through her photos and enjoy happy hour and the stunning scenery from the comfort of the ship, while I went zodiac cruising and on a longer walk. We were able to have dinner together that night and bond over our stories and what each of us experienced. The next morning we jumped in a zodiac together and cruised amidst icebergs and witnessed lazy seals, while we were side-by-side. Expedition travel creates memories that last a lifetime.
“I have never been to the Galapagos before and it’s a dream come true for me to be able to go with Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic on board National Geographic Endeavour II this March! I can’t wait … I just received my pre-departure package and I’m starting to prepare!”
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Travelweek: How does Lindblad work with Canadian travel advisors and what do you want Canadian agents to know about Lindblad’s offerings in 2024 and 2025?
Matthew: “I love teaming up with advisors for small events, where I can share what expedition travel entails and even my personal expedition stories with their clients.
“I am also enthusiastic about visiting advisors in their office to provide a lunch or breakfast presentation to help our travel advisor community learn more about Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic.
“As much as I enjoy connecting with partners in person, virtual training sessions, virtual events and virtual calls are a great way for me to support travel advisors as well. My passion lies in helping advisors find the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic client, who in their database might be a perfect first-time expedition traveller and supporting advisors in creating small groups!
“We have an excellent training and sales enablement platform called Expedition360. This provides advisors with access to marketing tools, special first booking bonus commissions, opportunities for educational trips as well as special Advisors Educational rates … and that’s not all! When an advisor becomes a LEXpert (a Lindblad Expert), we will do our part to try and generate new clients for them.
“Our bookable travel advisor portal is another way we support the trade community. The booking portal makes live inventory and pricing available at the advisors’ fingertips, yet we of course have an informative team of Expedition Specialists available Monday to Sunday to answer any inquiries.
“Nothing inspires new adventures or fresh perspectives like a new year. As your clients plan for 2024, consider helping them check off some of these unforgettable bucket list experiences offered on our expertly crafted itineraries, from spotting a polar bear in the wild to witnessing the ethereal northern lights from the sea. When you book your clients on select departures by March 13, 2024, they can also take advantage of these special New Year’s savings: a credit up to $2,000 per person, up to 40% savings on solo cabins, and an additional 10% off when they pay in full.
“At the beginning of the year, we launched an eight-day Antarctica fly/fly itinerary, where if people are short on time, but want to experience Antarctica, or simply don’t want to sail the infamous Drake Package in both directions, guests can now fly with us on a jet for two hours, embark our National Geographic Explorer, explore Antarctica, and fly back!
“That’s not all. We launched a 10-day itinerary where guests can cruise one way across the Drake Passage, to still earn that badge of honour of sailing the Drake and build the excitement of approaching Antarctica, but then they can fly back! I’m proud that Lindblad Expeditions was the first company to take non-scientific travellers to Antarctica, and now we are offering these innovative ways for people to explore the Seventh Continent.”
Getting the perfect penguin pic with Lindblad Expeditions
More information about Lindblad Expeditions can be found at Expeditions.com
