For 25 years, PolarQuest has had the privilege of taking adventurous travellers to the world's most spectacular places. Our Managing Director, Marie Lannborn, has been part of the company's journey for 17 years. Read about her career path, from her internship to where she is today, what drives her, and how she sees the future.
17 years at PolarQuest – what has kept you engaged all these years?
– PolarQuest is an extraordinary company – our trips, the great nature experiences, and the opportunity to offer people something truly memorable. Constantly striving to deliver a little more than expected is also an important driving force. It's hard to beat the feeling of receiving fantastic feedback after a trip –it's then we know we have succeeded! Moreover, every expedition is unique, just like every traveller. Everyone brings their own experiences home.
Working with a knowledgeable and dedicated team is also very rewarding to me. It’s a few of us who have worked together for a long time, and our team is fenomenal! Both the on shore and off shore staff.The industry we work in, the polar travel industry, is small globally, and here PolarQuest is helping to drive the development forward. It's something I'm proud to be a part of.
From internship to Managing Director – tell us about your journey within the company
– Yes, I started at PolarQuest as an intern in 2007, as part of my education to become a travel producer. When M/S Quest joined the fleet, there was a need for more staff, and I was lucky enough to become part of the team. I have worked extensively with destinations such as Svalbard, Antarctica, and the Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand, and participated in several PolarQuest trips. When the company changed ownership, we moved it into a new era. I was part of the management team and during the same period I started to represented PolarQuest on the Executive Committee of Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO). There have been many years of work within AECO and many journeys - not only our expeditions, and travels of a lifetime, but also the company's journey through challenges like COVID and everything in between.
Originally focusing primarily on the Swedish and British markets, today we welcome travellers from all over the world on our expedition cruises. When it comes to delivering experiences, our products are of premium quality. We are all proud of the brand we have nurtured and developed over the years, and which we continue to advance.
Is there any particular memory you would like to highlight?
- The first time I had the opportunity to experience Svalbard and really understood what an expedition cruise meant. I travelled with a group of PolarQuest guests and an experienced guide with extensive knowledge of the area and history of Svalbard.
Being introduced to the real ‘here and now’ that the Svalbard wilderness still offers was something very special. So was being woken up in the middle of the night to come up on deck and enjoy viewing wildlife.
When you travel in a small group, on a small ship, you almost become like a family. At the very least, it feels like a little world you get to visit, with the ship as your home. I remember at the end of the trip trying to figure out where I could hide to stay on board. I really didn’t want it to end, and several of us felt the same way.
Looking ahead, what do you see?
– PolarQuest is celebrating 25 memorable years this year, and I am incredibly grateful for everything we have achieved. I am truly looking forward to continuing to prove that PolarQuest is a reliable tour operator into the future. Conservation of our wilderness will be key also in the future – to coexist on nature’s terms. Of course, we are looking forward to new technology and the opportunity to reduce our CO2 emissions. We are working hard to refine our processes and do everything we can to contribute to a more sustainable future.
I also look forward to continuing our trips to fantastic destinations like Greenland, Svalbard, Northern Norway, and Antarctica. New travel arrangements will certainly emerge in the future, but our focus will always be on offering the best nature experiences in the colder regions of our planet.
Last but not least, I am really looking forward to all the feedback from our travellers – for me, that's the best part!
