When Signature Travel Network launched its “Circles” two years ago at its annual Conference in Las Vegas, “Exploration” was one of the inaugural 10 categories to launch. It quickly became one of the most popular Circles – which also includes specialties like Accessible Travel, Family, Food & Wine, Golf, LGBTQ+, Positive Impact, Rail, Solo and Wellness – and now, according to Karl Kannstadter, VP Content Strategy – Exploration for Signature, “it’s grown to the extent that we’re actually subdividing it” into three smaller categories.

These new Circles will include Expedition Cruises, African Travel, and Active and Adventure Travel. The first of these three subcategories to receive Signature’s attention is expedition cruises. “It’s having a moment,” said Kannstadter. “Everyone’s talking about expedition cruise and the speed at which it’s growing.”

What can advisors expect? According to Kannstadter, Signature will augment its training center, create new marketing materials and provide other content and resources to help boost the business of advisors focusing on expedition cruises. “Once that’s fully up and running to the extent that we want it to, then we’ll focus on safari and then active adventure,” he said.

Despite the interest in all three new Circles to come from Exploration Travel, “the membership and the owners have made that very clear that [expedition cruise] is the one to capitalise on” first, said Kannstadter.

In fact, there’s so much interest in expedition cruising that at its three Regional meetings for members (in Los Angeles, Chicago and Fort Lauderdale), one day at the even that has typically been reserved for Embark, Signature’s training program for new-to-industry members, is being supplanted (for one year) with a full day of expedition cruise training.

Why Are Expedition Cruises Booming?

Kannstadter said the segment is still “perceived as new” despite Lindblad Expeditions first launching nearly 60 years ago and many other luxury lines breaking into the segment 10, 15 years ago. “It’s new in the eyes of the consumer, and it’s taking them to places that they didn’t think they’d ever be able to get to,” he explained. Referencing Antarctica, The Kimberly, the Galapagos and the east coast of Greenland, Kannstadter added, “it’s affording people an opportunity to get to a place that they didn’t think they’d get to.”

Not only do expedition cruises allow travellers to reach some of the furthest corners of the Earth, but they afford travellers the opportunity to do so in a luxurious fashion. Not too dissimilar from “these sexy lodges in Uganda and Rwanda,” where guests will trek for hours through mud to see mountain gorillas, they’re even more willing to do so because they know there are comforts back at the lodge or ship.

With all this growth, however, protected waters – such as those in the Galapagos and Antarctica – will soon reach critical mass. Kannstadter expects that lines will eventually discover all the new vessels will be more than enough to support the number of paying guests and will pull back on their own, or governing bodies will put into place stricter protocols. He reported that IATTO (the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators) is already considering such measures, which would limit the number of sites a cruise line could visit per itinerary.

Should lines have to disperse their fleet from over-visited destinations, Kannstadter expects Greenland to continue growing in popularity – at least until its government puts some regulations in place. As of now, he said, “it’s still a little bit of the Wild West.”

Elsewhere, he expects the African coast and Indonesia (Raja Ampat, in particular) to boom in popularity. Alternatively, for lines to continue sailing to Antarctica, they may look to do so from Tasmania or New Zealand, sailing across the Ross Sea.

Breaking Down Barriers

It’s a type of travel that has broad appeal, too, said Kannstadter. When it comes to expedition cruises, “the average age is definitely skewing down,” he reported. Certainly, on the longer voyages, the average guest is still a bit older, but “if you think the Millennials are going to wait until they’re 70 to go to the Galapagos, you’re sadly mistaken. Don’t sit back and wait, because the eldest Millennials are 45.”

Families, too, are increasingly drawn to Exploration travel – especially safaris. “A lot of our partners are pivoting and recognizing that some of their marketing needs to be geared towards family,” Kannstadter said. One of the biggest challenges safari outfitters face in attracting families, he added, was in the level of perceived safety. “So, they’re trying to do a better job of getting that message across that yes, it is [safe] and to come with your family.”

They’re also trying to make it clear you don’t need to do game drives each day and that there are myriad other activities to appear to kids and teens while on safari.

Another challenge suppliers – across all segments of the Explorations Travel Circle – face is the misconception that these experiences can’t be luxurious. Travellers are still concerned with the experience being challenging and/or finding themselves uncomfortable. To a lesser degree, Kannstadter said that some travellers even have concerns regarding their own fitness level.

“There’s this misconception, and I don’t think we’ve done ourselves any favors in the industry by labeling things ‘expedition cruise’ and ‘adventure travel,’” said Kannstadter. Just hearing those names could conjure up thoughts of discomfort, disease or anxiety, he added.

“The challenge that the members face is trying to get people past that [image], that ‘No, you can do this.’”

Tips for Selling Exploration Travel

One way that advisors can help convince clients on the fence is to have firsthand experiences themselves that they can talk to. The experience doesn’t even need to “authentic,” per se. Next year, Signature will host its Conference in Orlando at the Orlando World Center Marriott. Kannstadter sees an opportunity to utilise the resort’s lagoon-style pool to show advisors what it’s like to get in and out of a zodiac, to try stand-up paddle boarding or kayaking.

“If they can have that personal experience and then be able to speak to their clients about, it’s like, ‘Holy [cow], I can do this.’” He added, “If we could give them that experience, I think that would just be phenomenal.”

For advisors that don’t sell Explorations Travel and don’t want to wait until Conference in Orlando next year to try out “Expedition Lagoon,” as Kannstadter pitched it, he suggests booking or selling the Galapagos. It has strong name recognition; it’s a relatively easy flight from most major gateways in the U.S.; and most people there speak English.

“There are all these things I think that can help allay many of these fears and these concerns about going,” he said.

And none of that is to mention the appeal of the Galapagos themselves – “the blue-footed boobies, the giant tortoises, the marine iguanas,” extremely playful sea lions.

If you’re looking outside of the Galapagos, consider focusing on two expedition cruise lines – perhaps one squarely in the luxury or ultra-luxury space and the other in the premium/upscale space. Do Signature’s (or the line’s) training “and then you’ll see the difference between the two.”

It’s an easy way to introduce yourself to multiple players in the field without inundating yourself with too much information. Signature’s upcoming Storybook tool – which the network previewed at its Owners Meeting – will be another handy way for advisors to help narrow down the proper product for each client.