Arctic & Antarctic Travel Brand Unveils Full Francophone Website

Quark Expeditions® Only Expedition Travel Site Catering to French Market

[Waterbury, VT] – April 3, 2014 – The world's longest established polar expedition company has launched a fully French-language version of their website, complete with expedition cruise itineraries, local information, promotions and more. Quark Expeditions® en Français is the only full-service French-language Polar expedition travel website targeting the French market internationally.

A full-service website for French-speaking travelers will allow Quark Expeditions® to better meet the needs of their diverse, multicultural passengers. Foreign web traffic and bookings are up significantly in the last year and travelers have expressed a need for native-language travel planning information. Quark’s website is also fully responsive ensuring those viewing on tablets and mobile devices worldwide will have a fully optimized experience. "Our international customers have become far more web and mobile savvy, so we're making sure we stay current with those needs," said Quark Expeditions® president, Hans Lagerweij, noting that Quark Expeditions® en Français is also mobile-optimized. He continued, "Expanding our website to better serve our global passengers with a natively-translated online information hub is one of the ways in which we will continue to grow our business around the world."

Quark Expeditions® attracts customers from 52 countries around the world. Quark’s voyages are operated in English; guides, lecturers, and onboard staff including the ship’s two doctors are Anglophones. However, Quark does offer select departures with French, German and other multilingual tour guides on board based on group needs. Quark plans to offer websites catering to Spanish and Portuguese web visitors in the near future.

"We've found that the people who travel to Arctic and Antarctic regions have a real thirst for knowledge, in the planning stage of their trip as much as on-board," Lagerweij said. "Our goal is to give those seeking information on polar travel instant access to cruise itineraries, educational content about the historic sites we visit and animals we see, as well as any other content they need to help them prepare for their expedition." Quark Expeditions® en Français plans to continue adding translated content and products to the site throughout 2014. About Quark Expeditions® For over 20 years, Quark Expeditions® has been the leading provider of polar adventure travel. With its diverse fleet of specially equipped vessels and seasoned expedition leaders, they offer travelers unparalleled access to the most remote regions on earth: the Arctic and Antarctica.  

In 2013, Quark Expeditions® was voted “World’s Leading Polar Expedition Operator” by the World Travel Awards, received the “Blow the Budget” award from the Amadeus & World Travel Mart Travel Experience Awards and was named one of National Geographic Traveler’s 50 Tours of a Lifetime for their “Three Arctic Islands” voyage.