Catching Up with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions’ Natalya Leahy

It’s been nearly a year and a half since Natalya Leahy joined National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions as CEO, bringing with her a wealth of experience in the luxury and premium cruise segments.

TMR caught up to Leahy at last month’s Seatrade Cruise Global conference to talk about expedition cruise myths, trends she’s noticed since coming onboard, how to sell science-based expeditions emotionally, and more.

What Some Travel Advisors Still Get Wrong About Expedition

Despite expedition cruises’ enormous growth of the past several years, there are still two things Leahy believes many travel advisors still aren’t understanding.

“One is that expedition means rough and not luxury, which is completely not true,” she told TMR. “Expedition is a part of luxury, but its taking it to a different experiential, more authentic level.”

Leahy pointed out that National Geographic-Lindblad attracts high-net-worth clientele, with most have a net worth of $3 million and above.

“They have very high expectations,” she said.

In particular, Leahy said pointed to Nat Geo-Lindblad’s culinary offerings as an example of the luxury offering onboard, though with a twist that is all about bringing the destination onboard.

“In Galapagos, you will have Ecuadorian cuisine. You can still have traditional steak or pasta, but you will experience fresh, locally-sourced products. On National Geographic Resolution and Endurance, we offer eight-course culinary experiences, but it’s around storytelling related to climate change, waste management, etc. So, every course is designed to educate you.”

These types of experiences fit perfectly with what luxury travelers are seeking these days.

“Affluent travelers are looking for more unique experiences, more once in a lifetime,” she said, adding they’re looking for storytelling as part of their experiences. And that’s exactly what expedition cruising can offer.

A second misconception Leahy says she still encounters among travel advisors is the idea that guests must be super physically fit to enjoy an expedition cruise.

“Expeditions, especially with the variety of itineraries that we offer now, are designed for a variety of different physical preferences,” she explained.

Yes, guests can choose to snorkel, kayak, hike, or cross-country ski, depending on the itinerary, but they can also choose to just do a Zodiac ride, a short easy scenic walk, or even simply view the scenery from their balcony.

“You can have a life-changing experience without stepping one second outside,” she added. “There really is availability for quite a variety of different ages or physical preferences.”

The Changing Demographic of the Expedition Cruiser

When we asked Leahy what trends she’s seeing the expedition cruise space, she pointed to National Geographic-Lindblad Expedition’s client base for the biggest trends, specifically a noticeable growth in multi-gen and skip-gen travel, as well as in solo travel.

“People bring family and it’s not necessarily just parents and kids. We are adjusting our product and we launched National Geographic Explorers In Training to be oriented to younger travelers,” she said.

On the solo side of the trends, Leahy said it’s mostly solo female travelers.

Another client base that’s been growing is the affinity market, particularly among university alumni groups and corporate travel.

To help advisors with this growth, the company is relaunching its group travel program with a more flexible inventory model and has created an entirely new department for affinity and charter travel.

Selecting & Marketing to the National Geographic-Lindblad Expedition Client

TMR asked Leahy how to determine which clients area right for Nat Geo’s science-heavy, destination-immersive offering versus other players in the expedition market.

“What makes us different is that we don’t just take people to places, we show them how to see it,” she said. “If the guest is interested in a deep, authentic experience of a destination, both off the ship and on the ship, we are the brand. If they are more interested in amenities while checking the box of being in a destination, then there are other choices.”

Once you’ve identified clients or prospects who are right for Nat Geo-Lindblad, we wanted to know how advisors can market the more science-based elements of the trip in a way that isn’t clinical and resonates more emotionally.

Leahy turned to storytelling as an answer.

“I’ll start with my own experience,” she said, telling TMR about being onboard National Geographic Resolution with a scientist who studies plankton to understand how climate change impacts different environments.

“He was every day with a group of six, seven guests going out. They collected samples together. He explains stuff. Everyone is super engaged. Then they came onboard. They looked at the microscope. He explains how his research is going to impact the change in science. It’s a very interactive experience.”

She added that the scientists onboard also give presentations and lectures.

To help advisors tell these kinds of stories, the company is investing more in video content.

“We produce a lot more authentic video content now that is consumable. It’s very short,” she said. “It brings to life what they’ll experience onboard.”

Launched last month, the new Travel Advisor Resource Hub has all the videos that advisors can use in their own marketing. Furthermore, under the direction of Devon Lucia, vice president of marketing and partnerships, the company has more content for travel advisors in development.  

“It’s actually a team, not just one resource,” Leahy emphasized.

(Advisors can also access the company’s new 360 Expedition training program via the hub.)

National Geographic-Lindblad is also increasing the number of sailings on which reduced travel partner rates are available, so that advisors can have their own stories to share with clients.

“We constantly update them wherever we have last minute availability… We really want travel partners to experience our product.”

Advisors who want to know more should reach out to their business development manager.

“If a picture is better than a thousand words, experience is better than a thousand pictures,” she said.

Advisors can also talk to their BDMs about doing video calls with their clients, bringing on members of the marketing or expedition teams to explain the product and answer questions.

Travel Advisor Advisory Board

Another new travel advisor-facing initiative that Leahy implemented since coming onboard is an advisory board comprising a variety of travel partners. Leahy and the executive team meet with the board every few months to plan out future initiatives.

This year’s Wave Season promotion was one such initiative.

“Wave was a record in the history of the company and it was co-developed, literally after discussions with travel advisors, we went and made adjustments,” she said.

“We really view travel advisors as our partners, as an extension of our leadership teams that bring our brand to life. We are truly committed to supporting them… We’re really grateful for the partnership,” she added.

Undiscovered Expeditions

With so much focus on expedition destinations like the Galapagos and Antarctica, we asked Leahy if National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions visits any destinations that she feels are still somewhat undiscovered.

Two came to mind.

“Baja California is one of the best experiences of wildlife, with whales of all kinds and it’s right here,” she said. “It can be a short five-to-seven-day experience. It’s one of the highest-rated experiences we have.”

Her second destination is one not usually associated with expedition, but she pointed out it happens to be Lindblad founder (and co-chair of the Board) Sven Lindblad’s favorite. “The British Isles is such an incredible expedition experience of nature, wildlife, history, community, and culture. It’s one of the most immersive expedition experiences. It’s phenomenal.”