Hurtigruten doubles down on trade
HURTIGRUTEN’S Asia-Pacific office will continue to represent both the Hurtigruten Norway coastal cruising product and the recently rebranded HX Hurtigruten Expeditions range (CW 25 Sep), with the local operation led by Damian Perry (pictured right) now punching well above its weight in the global passenger mix.
The company yesterday hosted key industry partners at an event in Melbourne, with Perry and Marketing Director Joel Victoria outlining plans to work closely with the travel trade to raise further awareness of the cruise line, which among its various spheres of operation is the largest global passenger operator to Antarctica.
“It’s an incredible product and an incredible experience... we want to make sure that we are the very best partner commercially, we want to make Hurtigruten easy to sell for your teams, and profitable for you as a business,” Perry said.
The Hurtigruten APAC chief confirmed the cruise line is strongly focusing on its VIP trade resellers.
“That means we’re reallocating money and resources and budget from our B2C position into our B2B partnerships,” Perry said.
In all other parts of the world Hurtigruten has been split into two separate divisions, one looking after the traditional Norwegian coastal cruising product, and the other for the revolutionary hybrid expedition cruise vessels, but in Asia-Pacific the business will remain under a single management structure for some time, Perry confirmed.
Hurtigruten’s local business is very strong at present, with every single month producing record sales, he said.
The brand continues to press its strong environmental and sustainability credentials, which will see Hurtigruten continue to have access to certain Norwegian fjords under new regulations to be introduced in 2025, thanks to its low-emission vessels.
Victoria outlined a new brochure strategy for Hurtigruten, which is producing fold-out flyers for its range including Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, Svalbard, Alaska, the Galapagos Islands, and more, instead of heavy and often wasted full brochures.
The flyers have maps and itinerary outlines as well as QR codes for clients to find out more online, and can be easily cobranded with trade collateral.
Sales Director Amber Wilson reiterated the importance of travel resellers for Hurtigruten.
“There is no way we could be 130 years old without the support of our trade partners,” she said.
Wilson said Hurtigruten is keen to work with travel agencies in all aspects of their operations, from sales to marketing and training, urging the trade to come forward with ideas.
“We’re open to absolutely anything to help you get your business to where you want it to grow to and to help us on our journey today,” she said. BP
Pictured below at the event are David Cox, APT and Pete Williams, Phil Hoffmann Travel.