NEW YORK, NY, August 2013 - Lindblad Expeditions, the pioneering small ship expedition travel company, was recognized by Virtuoso, the international luxury travel network, with their Sustainable Tourism Leadership Supplier Award. The award was presented at the Virtuoso Awards gala at their 25th Annual Travel Mart conference in Las Vegas.
The Sustainable Tourism Leadership Supplier Award honors outstanding leadership and commitment to sustainable tourism principles and practices among Virtuoso suppliers, large and small. Open to tour operators, cruise lines, airlines, car rental agencies, and others, the award underscores the valuable role travel and tourism can play in the protection of cultural and natural heritage for future generations, including environmental preservation and the well-being of local communities.
The selection process was led by Costas Christ, Virtuoso's Director of Sustainability, who evaluated entries submitted by suppliers along with a judging panel featuring several Virtuoso advisors. This is the third year that Virtuoso has given the Sustainable Tourism Leadership Award application numbers have grown steadily each year, leading to the decision in 2013 to offer two Sustainable Tourism Leadership Awards this year - one for Hotels and one for Suppliers.
“This award is a testament to our heritage, hard work and commitment to the places we explore. Being recognized by Virtuoso, one of the industry’s most respected organizations and our long time partner, is an honor,” said Jacinta McEvoy, Vice President of Global Sales, Lindblad Expeditions.
Conservation and protecting the places they travel is part of Lindblad’s DNA. As partners in exploration, conservation, and education, Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic work collaboratively through the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic (LEX-NG) Fund to support initiatives around the world, with a special focus on the regions they explore. Raising more than $10 million in partnership with their guests since Lindblad began conservation efforts in 1997, initiatives supported by the LEX-NG Fund include wildlife-monitoring projects, such as tagging killer whales in the Antarctic; educational programs with local teachers and students in the Galápagos, and joining an international effort to help native sea birds in one of the largest rodent-eradication projects in the world, on South Georgia Island in the Atlantic Ocean.
Lindblad Expeditions was named Best VAST Supplier (Virtuoso Active & Specialty Supplier) in 2007, 2009 & 2010.