Luxury in today’s expedition space no longer comes from fine dining or elegant suites but from deeper experiences, said HX Expeditions’ CEO, Gebhard Rainer.

“The true luxury today for guests who are into expedition is the purpose-driven travel,” he said. “Mindful adventure, mindful travel. That’s where the true luxury really lies.”

While working to deliver these mindful experiences to guests, HX is also focused on sustainability and community relations, he continued.

“It really is very much about what the interpretation of luxury is. And the balance is making sure that you leave as little a footprint behind as possible,” Rainer noted.

Coming from hospitality, he said that expedition travel taps into something that has been emerging for years: emotional connection.

“Multi-generational vacations are a big thing because there is that connection that families want to make. So, the emotional aspect of travel, which feeds into expedition with the added component of curiosity, is what attracts people to what we do.”

To create connections, guests can participate in science programs and lectures, he added, engaging with experts onboard.

“We work with over 30 different scientific institutions around the world. We have state-of-the-art science centers onboard. We have lectures. We have citizen science programs. And we have the active participation of our guests in the programs in order for them to really immerse themselves in the destination,” Rainer said.

These programs not only enrich cruises but also help educate guests about the challenges being faced by communities, travel operators and, in a broader sense, humanity.

“Every year, because of what is happening with the planet, we go deeper and further into these remote areas. That’s part of what we sell, and the responsibility we have is to make sure that we don’t disrupt or add to the degradation … and actually get to a point where we come out net positive.”

That includes “working with local communities, making sure that the cultural integrity is maintained, making sure that there is a purposeful, fulfilled trip,” Rainer said.

He sees guests forming meaningful relationships during these immersive expeditions, relating to communities and also fellow passengers.

“Communities are created through that, because of that bonding, because of them having adventures, having science, having lectures, having education together … people stay in touch. They communicate, and they arrange for trips together again and come back,” he explained.

Rainer believes that these connections are an asset in what he calls an “emotional desert” – a world saturated by digital relationships and virtual socialization.

“We crave emotional connections. And when we have time for ourselves, including on vacation, we are much more willing to spend money on ourselves for those experiences.”

Regarding sustainability, Rainer said that the industry needs a “much more joint voice” to speak for it.

“I think there has to be a lot more transparency in our industry, and we need to be more open and publish things,” he added.

“But I think it’s very important that we are honest about what we can do, what is feasible to do, and move away from the dream. Never give up on the dream, but we have to be realistic as to what actually can be done.”