Scenic Eclipse featured in the Maritime Masters docuseries this summer (Credit: Scenic)
Anthony Daniels, Ponant UK and Ireland general manager, confirmed the line maintained a constant focus on ensuring high levels of trade support. “We’ve had around 35 ship visits this year, plus, we’ve got trade rates. We’ve got to give delegates in the room the right information. An empty berth is a waste.”
AE Expeditions’ senior business development manager Katie Harber urged agents to “use and abuse” line’s trade sales teams. “One of us can help you,” she said. “There are so many tools out there.”
Galligan reminded agents to make sure they know what they are talking about. “Agents need to instil confidence in the people that we’re talking to,” he added. “If you ‘spoof’, customers will spot you.”
The rise of Greenland
Greenland is in the middle of a massive investment programme to develop its airports. As a result, Air Greenland will move its operating base from Kangarlussuaq to the country’s capital Nuuk.
Panellists couldn’t contain their excitement about Greenland’s potential considering the amount of money being pumped into the country.
Quark Expeditions’ UK business development manager Sarah Schlederer argued Greenland could soon be as popular among customers as the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard.
“Every year, we introduce more itineraries for our Greenland portfolio,” she revealed. “In the next 10 to 15 years, people are saying Greenland will be as popular as Svalbard is now. Greenland is definitely one to watch as it’s so diverse.”
Panellists couldn’t contain their excitement about Greenland as an expedition cruise destination Photo credit: Michael Baynes
Albatros Expeditions is another operator that stands to benefit further from investment into Greenland – an autonomous territory of Denmark.
Craig Upshall, the line’s EMEA sales director, said: “Having one maybe or two runways in Greenland will open up the market to Greeland, particularly to North America which has fewer holidays than us in the UK.”
But Upshall highlighted how the Danish-owned line goes that extra mile on its Greenland itineraries and has decided not to use a local destination management company (DMC) in the area.
“We go into the communities and directly engage with them to understand how they interact rather than going through a mass DMC,” he explained. “We’re also bringing the locals onto the ships to show them what it is that we do. It’s about supporting them financially and showing them things from our side.”
New sustainability terminology
It has long been accepted cruise lines are ahead of agents when it comes to communicating the sustainability gains that are being made within the industry, while agents argue a line’s sustainability credentials don’t always help them make a booking.
Daniels, though, urged operators to come up with snappier sustainability terms “to help travel agents who are trying to get through to the consumer”. McKeon told delegates that rather than leaving “no trace” in destinations, operators “should leave a place better than when we arrived”.
’The Irish take years to book’
Galligan gave delegates some insight into the Irish cruise market and how it compares with the UK. “We’re behind the UK market in terms of cruise penetration and maturity,” he said.
“The expedition market is much smaller there. In Ireland, we have to explain what expedition cruising is. The customers might say that they want to go to Antarctica, but do they really understand what that means?
“In my opinion, it takes around three years for people to actually to book an Antarctica sailing after saying they want to go there.”
‘It brings a tear to your eye’
Chris Collins, expedition leader at Heritage Expeditions, said he’d been fortunate to visit some of the world’s most remote destinations in Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea through work.
“Sometimes you’re on the first ship that has ever gone to these regions It even occasionally brings a tear to your eye. It’s simply amazing being able to interact with these communities,” he said.
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Publish date : 2024-10-03 19:11:00
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