Havila to prioritise direct bookings despite ‘power of trade’ pledge

Havila Voyages is to prioritise direct bookings despite praising the “power of the travel trade” less than a month ago.  

 

The comment from the company’s chief executive came as Havila, which operates four hybrid-electric 640-passenger ships between Bergen and Kirkenes, reported second quarter earnings [ebitda] of NOK 98 million (£7.7 million), up 24% year on year.

 

Bent Martini said: "We are very pleased with the development in the second quarter. The strong earnings growth shows that our investment in commercial capacity, sales and marketing is now paying off.

 

"With good occupancy and 100% operational uptime across the fleet, we are delivering profitability as well as predictability for the coastal communities we serve.

 

"Bookings into the third quarter are strong, and we’re seeing steadily increasing demand for our product."

 

He pointed out that Norway as a holiday destination stands strong in a turbulent world.

 

"Norway continues to stand out as an attractive and safe travel destination, and our modern, environmentally friendly fleet is being well received - something confirmed by several international awards and rankings.

 

“We’re heading into autumn in a record-strong position for 2026, with a good starting point for 2027.

 

“We will continue to prioritise direct bookings and actively optimise margins going forward, to ensure good predictability and continued financial growth.”

 

But his comments appear to be in stark contrast to a statement issued earlier this month when Havila praised the "power of the travel trade”. 

 

The company said on August 4 that it “relies consistently on continuity and reliability in the B2B channel. Through attractive commission structures and practical sales support, agents can optimally monetise the current ‘coolcation" trend".

 

Chief sales officer Johanna Hansli said at the time: “Success in tourism can only be shaped hand-in-hand with the travel trade.

 

“We are committed to a long-term, fair partnership with travel agencies to convert high demand into profitable bookings, keeping the administrative workload for agents as low as possible through clear, reliable processes.”

 

She added: “As a destination, Norway offers exactly this safe counter-blueprint to overcrowded and climatically overheated regions.

 

“With our ships, we prove that modern tourism does not have to burden nature but can actively protect it.

 

“For the travel trade, this clear, future-proof positioning serves as an unbeatable selling point.”

 

The second quarter report issued yesterday (Thursday) showed total operating revenue rising by 15% to NOK 479 million (£37.8 million).

 

Ticket revenue was up by 10% to NOK 287 million (£22 million), driven by higher occupancy, while onboard revenue increased by as much as 32% to NOK 85 million (£6.7 million). Onboard revenue per passenger night rose by 6%.

 

Average occupancy across the fleet rose to 83%, up from 74% in the second quarter of 2025 as the number of passenger nights increased by 17% to 99,800.

 

The group reduced CO2 emissions by 36% in the quarter compared with a 2017 baseline level for the coastal route.

 

Havila also continued its work to reduce food waste, ending the quarter at 107 grams per guest per day.

 

The measurement of food waste was expanded in 2026 to cover all waste streams, so the figure is not directly comparable with previous reporting periods, Havila noted.

 

"Sustainability is an integral part of how we run the company, and we are proud to deliver both lower emissions than our targets on the coastal route and the focus we maintain on reducing food waste in our daily operations," Martini said.