Ponant will now offer fully packaged holidays through its new partnership with Aviate, as line bosses say the UK is a “priority market”, with the travel trade “at the heart” of the strategy

Launching this autumn, the parnership will enable UK agents to access fully packaged products – complete with flights, transfers, accommodation and a sailing – through flight consolidator Aviate using its Atol licence.

Previously, agents who booked a Ponant cruise were required to package all other travel requirements independently.

The line said its immediate priority is to “build strong, long-term commercial relationships with the UK agent community, giving them a meaningful, differentiated product to champion and the dedicated support to make it easy to sell”.

Ponant’s partnership with Aviate also significantly expands the line’s reach across the UK market through Aviate’s network of more than 1,200 tour operators and agents nationwide.

Anthony Daniels, UK and Ireland general manager for Ponant, said: “This partnership represents something we’ve been building towards for some time and we couldn’t be more excited about what it means for the UK travel trade.

“Agents will now have a geniunely packaged Ponant Explorations Group product they can put in front of their clients, supported by a team that is committed to making it easy to sell and genuinely rewarding to book.

“The UK is a priority market for us. Our ambition is to be the undisputed leader in small ship exploration cruising, and partnerships like this – built on trust, shared values and a real belief in the power of the trade – are exactly how we’ll get there.”

Naomi Moizer, head of operations for Aviate, added: “We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Ponant Explorations Group in this way. Exploration cruising is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing segments in the market and Ponant’s product is genuinely world class.

“By bringing a fully packaged offering to our trade network, we’re creating a real and meaningful commercial opportunity for agents – one that is straightforward to access and compelling to sell.

“This is exactly the kind of partnership Aviate was built for and we can’t wait to see what we achieve together.”