NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lindblad
Expeditions Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIND; the "Company" or
"Lindblad"), a global provider of expedition cruises and adventure
travel experiences today announced that it has acquired an 80%
stake in Classic Journeys, LLC ("Classic Journeys"), a leading
luxury cultural walking tour company. This acquisition further
broadens and deepens Lindblad's platform of high-quality
experiential product offerings in robust adventure travel sectors,
including the cultural walking tour market. Similar to the
acquisitions of Natural Habitat, Inc., Off the Beaten Path LLC and
DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co., Lindblad will leverage its
experience and resources to accelerate the growth of Classic
Journeys and capitalize on the growing demand for authentic and
immersive adventure travel and wellness around the
world.
Since 1995, Classic Journeys has been providing best in class
luxury walking tours focusing on engaging experiences that immerse
guests into the history and culture of the places they are
exploring and the people who live there. Classic Journeys' tours
are highlighted by expert and well-connected local guides who live
in the regions being explored, luxury boutique accommodations and
handcrafted itineraries curated through years of local connections
and experience. Whether it is joining a count and countess to walk
through vineyards to their villa in Tuscany, pausing an oasis walk to accept an
invitation to share mint tea with a Berber tribesman in
Morocco, or walking on the tongue
of a glacier to a gourmet picnic with Viking-descendant guides in
Iceland, Classic Journeys delivers
a unique cultural experience where guests can take their time on
foot and blend in with the world around them. Classic Journeys
has twice been awarded the "World's Best Tour Operator" by Travel +
Leisure magazine which is given to the #1 tour operator in its
annual readers' survey.
Dolf Berle, Chief Executive
Officer, said "We are excited to welcome Classic Journeys and their
founders Edward and Susie Piegza to
the Lindblad family. Their commitment towards providing authentic
and high-quality cultural experiences is perfectly in line with
Lindblad and our family of the world's leading experiential travel
brands. Adding Classic Journeys' expertise in curating immersive
cultural walking tours will allow us to better serve a broader
based clientele that has a diverse set of travel interests. As we
further leverage our platform to cross market across our brands and
accelerate growth across our entire expanded portfolio, we will
continue to look for additional opportunities to broaden and deepen
our adventure travel offerings and provide more value to our
guests."
Edward and Susie Piegza, of
Classic Journeys, said of the acquisition, "Lindblad is all about
exploration as a means to elevate the soul to care about the planet
and its people. It is known for pioneering exploration across the
globe whether it be on small ships, on foot, or on bicycles, and
their renowned teams of expert naturalists and guides. Equally,
Classic Journeys is all about immersing our guests into the history
and culture of the people and places we are exploring, in small
groups led by our expert local guides. We believe in building
cross-cultural connections, on foot and at eye level, one step and
one person at a time. The first time we met Sven Lindblad he shared with us that everything
they do needs to add value to the guest experience. That really
resonated with us because our goal is to handcraft a trip of a
lifetime, for every guest, on every tour. So, we knew our companies
had shared values."
About Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc.
Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. is an expedition travel
company that focuses on ship-based voyages through its Lindblad
Expeditions brand and on land-based travel through its
subsidiaries, Natural Habitat Adventures, Off the Beaten Path,
DuVine Cycling and Adventure and Classic Journeys.
Lindblad Expeditions works in partnership with National
Geographic to inspire people to explore and care about the planet.
The organizations work in tandem to produce innovative marine
expedition programs and to promote conservation and sustainable
tourism around the world. The partnership's educationally oriented
voyages allow guests to interact with and learn from leading
scientists, naturalists and researchers while discovering stunning
natural environments, above and below the sea, through
state-of-the-art exploration tools.
Natural Habitat, Inc. partners with the World Wildlife Fund to
offer and promote conservation and sustainable travel that directly
protects nature. Natural Habitat's adventures include polar bear
tours in Churchill, Canada,
Alaskan grizzly bear adventures and African safaris.
Classic Journeys, LLC is a luxury cultural walking tour
company that operates a portfolio of curated tours centered around
cinematic walks led by expert local guides. Classic Journeys offers
active small-group and private custom journeys in over 50 countries
around the world.
DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co. designs and leads luxury
bike tours in the world's most amazing destinations, from
Italy's sun-bleached villages and
the medieval towns of Provence to Portugal's Douro Valley and the vineyards of
Napa, California. Guests bike,
eat, drink, and sleep their way through these regions and many more
while sampling the finest cuisine, hotels, and wine.
Off the Beaten Path LLC is an outdoor, active travel
company offering guided small group adventures and private custom
journeys that connect travelers with the wild nature and authentic
culture of their destinations. Off the Beaten Path's trips
extend across the globe, with a focus on exceptional national park
experiences in the Rocky Mountains, Desert Southwest, and
Alaska.
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SOURCE Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc.