Sven Lindblad Receives Travel Weekly's First-Ever Sustainability Award

5 January 2022
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Sven Lindblad, Founder and Co-Chair of the Board for Lindblad Expeditions, was honored as the recipient of the first-ever Travel Weekly Sustainability Award. Travel Weekly presented the award at their 19th annual Readers’ Choice Awards gala at the Conrad New York.

The award was given to Lindblad in recognition of his pioneering role in highlighting the importance of sustainable practices within the travel industry. Since its founding in 1979, Lindblad Expeditions has had, as core tenets, a profound respect for nature and a dedication to conservation in all aspects of its operations.

In accepting the award, Lindblad commended Travel Weekly for defining sustainability as the subject for their award, and his honor to be chosen as the first recipient. He then noted, “I see an enormous energy around the idea of sustainability, around the idea of conservation and of enhancing the value of places, and I feel more optimistic than I have ever felt before. “

“We in the industry are in an enormous position to do something that has real meaning in this regard because we get to expose people to the beauty, wonder, the seldom seen, and as a consequence of that people can relate to these issues in a very different way.  So, we are privileged, I believe, to be in this industry and I think there is a lot we can do together and individually. I hope we really take up the mantel and make a commitment to do that because our children deserve it.”

Sven’s commitment to environmentally responsible travel and ocean advocacy has driven the company’s innovation and leadership in the expedition travel category. His belief that bringing travelers to the world's wild places can make them advocates for protecting those places has propelled his explorations in business and life.  Lindblad eliminated single-use plastics across the fleet in 2018, and he took the company carbon neutral in 2019, offsetting 100% of emissions from Lindblad ships, all land-based operations, employee travel, and offices.  He has also spearheaded summits and conferences aboard Lindblad ships to engage influential leaders from the public and private sectors in pro-active climate change and marine conservation initiatives.  And his ships serve as platforms for researchers and scientists in some of the world’s most remote regions.

“Sven created a model for how sustainability can work hand-in-hand with tourism and raised awareness of why the principles of conservation are critical to the development of any tour, cruise, or expedition,” said Arnie Weissmann. “He is a true champion of the planet, and we’re proud to shine a spotlight on his continuing efforts and life’s work.”

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