Honored by World Travel Awards and Fodor’s
QUARK EXPEDITIONS® NAMED WORLD’S LEADING SPECIALIST CRUISE LINE 2015; TOPS WORLD’S BEST CRUISES LIST FOR 2016
Polar Travel Leader Honored by World Travel Awards™ and Fodor’s
[Seattle, WA] – January 5, 2016 – Quark Expeditions®, a leading provider of adventure cruises in the Polar Regions and Galapagos Islands, is pleased to announce its receipt of the World’s Leading Specialist Cruise Line 2015 award from World Travel Awards™ (WTA), and the designation as one of the World’s Best Cruises for 2016 from Fodor’s Travel Guides.
The WTA acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. Travel and tourism professionals worldwide vote for their favorites in the competition Wall Street Journal calls “the travel industry’s equivalent to the Oscar’s.” Winners were feted at a red-carpet gala December 12th at the Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort in El Jadida, Morocco.
Quark Expeditions® earned the commendation for the excellence it has demonstrated over the last 12 months, according to the WTA. In that time, the company has added new fly/cruise voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica; a new curated Explorers’ Collection, a group of adventures to the world’s most remote destinations including the Galapagos and Falkland Islands; a full range of expeditions to Greenland, which topped the Lonely Planet and National Geographic lists of places to travel in 2016; and an epic 75-day Arctic circumnavigation aboard an authentic Soviet icebreaker.
The WTA awards are particularly rewarding to travel industry organizations, as they represent endorsements from passengers as well as travel agents. More than 5,000 travel organizations are nominated in the WTA every year.
Additionally, the Arctic Icebreaker Expedition: Ultimate Northwest Passage cruise offered by Quark Expeditions® was recently named one of the World’s Best Cruises for 2016 by the travel experts at Fodor’s Travel Guides. As the fourth leg of an epic circumnavigation of the Arctic, the 18-day expedition will see travelers crush through the ice-choked waters of the Beaufort and Chukchi Sea and the Bering Strait on the legendary Kapitan Khlebnikov icebreaker, and experience spectacular flight-seeing via its two on-board helicopters.
"It’s a true honour to be recognized by the WTA and Fodor’s Travel Guides," said Andrew White, Quark Expeditions® President. "It’s especially fitting, as this year we celebrate 25 years as a pioneering polar travel leader, and it’s rewarding to know our expeditions continue to grow in popularity, and are so highly regarded by passengers and the travel industry alike.”
About Quark Expeditions®:
Specializing in expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctic and sub-polar regions, Quark Expeditions® has been the leading provider of polar adventure travel for 25 years. With a diverse fleet of specially-equipped small expedition vessels, icebreakers, and unique land-based adventures, it offers travelers unparalleled access to the most remote places on earth. Led by passionate and seasoned expedition teams, including scientists, naturalists and researchers, the on-board program focuses on guest interaction to educate and enrich the passenger experience. The company is known for its unwavering commitment to safety and sustainability, and was the first to offer passengers — free of charge — carbon-neutral voyages in Antarctica aboard the Ocean Diamond.
About the TUI Adventure Division:
The TUI Adventure Division offers premium, experience-based adventure holidays and expeditions worldwide for active travelers. In addition to QuarkExpeditions.com, the division includes expedition specialists IEtravel.com and Zegrahm.com; leading European adventure and activity specialists ExodusTravels.com, Headwater.com, World-Challenge.co.uk, Sawadeee.nl, TrekAmerica.co.uk and GrandAmericanAdventures.com; as well as US-based destination management company AmericanAdventures.com. From reaching the top of Kilimanjaro and canoeing on the Zambezi, to catching tiger cub sightings and breaking ice en route to the North Pole, the TUI Adventure Division offers inspirational experiences that create lifelong memories.