TravTalk India Online Magazine
Hurtigruten, with an aim to offer mesmerizing and exclusive cruise experience targets India, which is an emerging market for expeditions. To boost the business in India, it carves out strategic plans and marketing campaigns to disseminate information about its packages and future products, and also trains agents for seamless bookings.
TT Bureau
India has been one of the fastest-growing markets for Hurtigruten, both for coastal Norway and expeditions businesses. The company aims to serve customers not looking for endless cocktails and entertainment on ships, but majestic hues of nature. Hence, they have launched multiple programmes and executed various strategies to boost business in India. They organised multiple B2B meetings and participated at destination roadshows. Moreover, last year’s touring programmes received several queries, which is a testament of Hurtigruten’s initiatives in India. Additionally, the polar expedition programme has received a positive response from India.
Promotional initiatives
With the increase in the popularity of polar expeditions in the last two years along with Midnight-Sun and Northern Light voyages, Hurtigruten is planning to increase B2B and B2C marketing communication. As Indian guests are seeking off-the-beaten-track experiences, Hurtigruten plans to provide the same through sustainable cruising. It will target not only repeat guests but also first-time customers.
When asked about the initiatives being taken in India to promote Hurtigruten, Anima Saxena, Director, Cruise Professionals, replied, “With a legacy of 130 years behind Hurtigruten, there are multiple initiatives which we are taking to ensure the correct brand promotion.” The Hurtigruten group has recently created Hurtigruten Expeditions – HX, a new brand that will focus on expeditions with dedicated ships, whereas the Hurtigruten Norway shall continue its traditional coastal journey. Hurtigruten strategically creates marketing campaigns that align well with the global plan and consumers and travel. The marketing initiative includes trade and consumer print adverts, webinars, social media campaigns, and participation in trade and consumer shows, and plan to introduce rewarding schemes for intermediaries.
Collaboration with trade Highlighting Hurtigruten’s partnership with travel trade, Saxena, said, “Travel intermediaries contribute almost 90 per cent of our business. We train, engage, and encourage agents to use their packaging capabilities using the specially negotiated rates to form their package. This provides them an edge over net-based options.”
As per Saxena, The Hurtigruten tour program is one such new product launched by the organisation, which eliminates the intervention of DMC – the agent could build and buy a full package for Scandinavia from Hurtigruten. The company makes sure to provide training and equipment to agents, which increase their knowledge and enhance servicing capabilities. “However, when it comes to guests who plan to oversee their own deal for various components, we encourage them to reach out to their travel agent for a more comprehensive service, which would not be limited to cruise, but also air ticket, visas and hotels,” said Saxena.
Latest updates
Adding another feather in its cap, Hurtigruten Norway unveiled plans for its first zero-emission ship. Initially, announced in March 2022, the project ‘Sea Zero,’ the first-of-its-kind initiative, aims to launch the world’s most energy-efficient cruise ship. It presented the findings alongside its consortium of 12 maritime partners and research institute SINTEF, all joined in the pursuit of achieving emission-free marine travel with energy-efficient and carbon-neutral technology solutions. “When we initially announced the ‘Sea Zero’ project over a year ago, we faced the challenge of not knowing which technologies would be available to us in 2030. After a rigorous feasibility study, we have pinpointed the most promising technologies for our groundbreaking future cruise ships. We are committed to delivering a ship that surpasses all others in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability in just a few years,” said Hedda Felin, CEO, Hurtigruten Norway.
