AUSTRALIA has the highest B2B share of any of HX’s markets in the world, Chief Commercial Officer Alex Delmare-White has revealed to Cruise Weekly.
Speaking on a trip to Australia last week by key HX executives, Delmare-White (pictured with Executive Vice President of Communications Chloe Couchman and Chief Executive Officer Gebhard Rainer) said well over 70% of the cruise line’s bookings come through travel advisors, with about 20% of its business coming from the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.
Antarctica is the most popular destination for Australian travellers, followed by Europe.
“B2B is the route to the success of this sector, in my opinion,” Delmare-White declared.
“It’s a product that hugely benefits from the trust that customers have with travel advisors to get them to commit to going to a destination that for so many people, is completely foreign,” he added.
“Our commitment to the trade is going to be consistent…we’re in this for long term,” Delmare-White enthused.
Rainer noted in particular the propensity for Australians to book shorter cruises in Europe, which they can combine with visits to family and friends.
The new HX CEO also believes a larger part of the cruise line’s future bookers will be made up of solos (currently around a third), as well as younger guests.
Meanwhile, HX has launched a “world-first” program with the University of Tasmania to educate Antarctic passengers.
The collaboration with the school’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) will explore Antarctic and polar science in a university-developed online program able to be accessed anywhere in the world.
It will launch in time for the 2024-2025 season. MS
