Hurtigruten opportunity

HURTIGRUTEN’S plans to restructure its business into two separate entities (TD 23 Oct) will not affect the cruise line’s commitment to Australian travel partners, according to the cruise line’s MD APAC Damian Perry.

With an eye to building the “most sustainable” business model possible, Perry told TD Hurtigruten wanted to commit its resources as effectively as it could to deliver market-leading product via its soon-to-be-separated Norwegian coastal and global expedition cruise operations.

“They’re different skill sets, different knowledge and different expertise so we need to make sure we’re investing in the right resources, the right people, the right skill sets and the right business models for those products,” he said.

“It’s very good for many people in the company, so many opportunities will come up as a result of this,” Perry added.

Perry said the cruise line would commit equal resources into both product streams in the Australian market, with both coastal and expedition cruises popular here.

“What you’ll see here is dedicated expertise thrown at each product stream,” he said.

“Some other markets may weigh heavier towards expedition or coastal, but we’ll have an equal split between both products.

“You’re going to get a more refined experience... it’s not going to be blurred between what is a coastal experience and what is an expedition experience.”

Perry said Hurtigruten wanted to “break down barriers” to create good earning possibilities, adding that the consolidation of the trade in 2020 provided a great opportunity for those remaining to capture the bounce-back.