Hurtigruten Group has reported “record strong demand” for small-ship cruises next year.
Across Hurtigruten Expeditions, the world’s largest expedition cruise company, and Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express, bookings for 2022 are currently 45% ahead of forward bookings at the same time in 2019 for 2020.
The group said in a statement: “While bookings for 2022 are already well ahead of the pre-pandemic levels, recent positive news on travel restrictions being lifted and the introduction of vaccine passports to ease international travel has further accelerated bookings over the past 30 days.”
Hurtigruten Group chief executive Daniel Skjeldam said: “There is a huge pent-up demand for travel, and we see a substantial and growing demand for authentic adventure travel.
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“After a very challenging year-and-a-half for the entire travel industry, we are extremely excited about our step-by-step return to operations.”
He added: “Over the years, we have seen a trend that travellers seek out truly unique travel experiences, with an extreme increase in demand for the type of small ships/big experiences adventure travel we offer. But the pandemic has dramatically pushed this development forward.
“Companies offering unique and more sustainable experiences – such as small-ship expedition cruises – are perfectly positioned for a quicker and stronger post-pandemic comeback,” concluded Skjeldam.