Hurtigruten's chief commercial officer has hailed the value of UK agents as the line reports record-breaking revenue
Speaking to Cruise Trade News during Hurtigruten's VIP fam trip on a sailing from Bergen to Oslo, Iain Powell confirmed the line has this year recorded the highest revenue in its 133-year history, in large part driven by growth of the UK market.
He said the UK and the US have "outstripped" growth from other source markets, with the UK climbing two positions on its list of leading markets in recent years.
Powell praised agents for their performance this year and committed to supporting the UK trade to continue their success.
"In revenue terms, the UK is now our third-largest market," he said. "If we go back just three years, it would have been the fifth, so we are seeing significant growth from the UK.
"We are seeing growth globally, but the UK growth is outstripping that. Only the US is keeping up with the rate the UK is growing at; they are our standout markets."
He attributed the line's success to increased awareness of the brand due to the three-part series Lorraine Kelly did on board at the start of the year, which contributed to Hurtigruten recording its strongest-ever month, as well as the impact of the hot weather across Europe this summer prompting searches for cooler destinations, and Norway's performance at the World Cup making Brits more interested in visiting the country.
"Awareness of Norway has grown hugely and we are keen to keep building on that momentum," Powell said.
"We would love to do some more partnerships to profile Norway and Hurtigruten, like the series with Lorraine Kelly, and we have some things we're working on and hopefully can announce soon.
"The cruise market is a very competitive space in the UK and we have got to hold our own so we much continue to do these partnerships to raise awareness of our heritage brand."
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