Strong bookings for late 2021 and into 2022
Despite recent comments from Health Department boss Brendan Murphy that the country's borders will remain closed until 2022, global expedition cruise operator Hurtigruten has reported strong bookings for travel in late 2021 and into 2022.
“At the same time, we do see the repercussions of the poorly timed, unclear and inconsistent communication from policy makers and senior politicians and health advisors,” says Damian Perry, Managing Director of Hurtigruten Asia Pacific.
“The rhetoric and tone of the messages continue to sew doubt into travellers' minds and will continue to drive a nail into the coffin of both local domestic and international tour operators, wholesalers and retailers, because of political motivations.
“The messaging is not considering the personal wellbeing of travellers who need to move for business, family or leisure reasons. Nor is it reflecting the economic importance of tourism, which was a $152 billion industry in 2019 according to DFAT, a key driver of Australia's economy that employed around 1 in 19 Australians.
“A strong base of resilient travellers who seek to achieve their 'bucket list' journey are viewing the White Continent as hot property with nearly 80% of bookings in the last quarter of 2020 going to Antarctica, fuelled by an 'All-Inclusive' marketing campaign. Svalbard, in the Norwegian Arctic, has also proven popular with Aussies.
“These bookings are significant as they have originated from new clientele and new bookings – not re-bookings. As we're consolidating a number of years of clients under strict COVID-normal protocols at capped capacity, travellers will miss out if they don't plan early.
“We're still waiting to witness the full impact of COVID-19 vaccinations currently being rolled out globally; strong end-of-year bookings in 2020 – that exceed those of the previous year – suggest travellers are buoyed with optimism that they'll be able to travel again in the near future,” says Mr Perry.
Mr Perry adds the company's 'Book with confidence' guarantee, which means travellers will receive a full refund within 14 days if they cancel for any reason, was a contributing factor in why consumers were prepared to book ahead
“We believe the current popularity of Hurtigruten expedition cruises is because our experiences are an alternative to mass tourism and have a strong focus on history, culture and outdoor activities; recent studies indicate remote travel is proving highly popular with Australian and New Zealand travellers.”
New Year Global Expedition Sale
To capitalise on consumer sentiment, Hurtigruten has introduced its New Year Global Expedition Sale, which offers a further AU$1500 off per cabin on already released Early Bird prices on select 2021, 2022 and 2023 expeditions in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Northwest Passage, Norway, Svalbard, British Isles and the Americas.
Returning as part of the sale is Hurtigruten's 'Antarctica All-Inclusive' deal, a rare offer in the cruising industry where cabins are bundled with international flights as well as transfers and pre and post accommodation. The pre-Christmas offer experienced unprecedented demand, resulting in the company including the packages in its New Year Global Expedition Sale. Mr Perry says the deal makes Antarctica more accessible than ever before.
“This is the greatest offer we have released to date and in reality represents extraordinary value delivering a premium-luxe product at entry level prices. Those who desire Antarctica and would have considered an entry level product with an old basic ship can now get a premium Scandic experience. I think travellers deserve this option considering the journey we have been on.
“We hope the Australian Government's vaccine plan delivers for the Australian public and regains some normality of life by vaccinating all who want to be vaccinated by October. This is expected to go a long way to reboot the travel, arts, and entertainment industries.”
Safer together - further development of the safety program
Hurtigruten is currently preparing for the restart of the new season; this includes further developing the already well-positioned organisation and further improving guidelines and measures for the prevention and control of infectious diseases as part of its extensive 'Safer together' program.
New on board, for example, is Ørjan Olsvik, renowned professor for infection control: he is supporting the Hurtigruten medical team in the development and quality assurance of infection control measures before, during and after expedition sea voyages from pole to pole and for the post ships along the Norwegian coast.
For further information visit www.hurtigruten.com.au
ABOUT HURTIGRUTEN
Building on 127 years of Norwegian pioneering heritage, Hurtigruten is the world's leading expedition cruise company.
Hurtigruten's rapidly growing fleet of custom-built expedition ships takes modern-day adventure travellers to the world's most spectacular destinations – from the High North to Antarctica in the south. Being the world leader in exploration travel comes with great responsibility, and Hurtigruten runs a responsible, sustainable global operation. Read more about Hurtigruten's sustainability efforts here.
Hurtigruten introduced the world's first hybrid battery powered cruise ships, the MS Roald Amundsen, in 2019, and the MS Fridtjof Nansen in March 2020.
Website: www.theholidayandtravelmagazine.blogspot.com.au
Website: www.hurtigruten.com.au
Tags: Cruising, Antarctica, antarctic
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