COX & Kings offshoot Bentours is no longer the exclusive GSA for Hurtigruten Cruises in Australasia, with the Norwegian operator now dealing directly with several players in the local market.
Bentours picked up the GSA deal two years ago (TD 24 Aug 2016), taking over from Discover the World Marketing which had held the contract since 2009.
However under new arrangements revealed overnight, Chimu Adventures and 50 Degrees North are now operating under separate partnership deals.
50 Degrees North’s Jayde Kincaid confirmed that the Nordic specialist’s operational office in Norway now holds a direct contract with Hurtigruten and “we freely promote and sell all Hurtigruten product through our offices in Melbourne, Vancouver and Lillehammer”.
Chimu Adventures also confirmed a direct arrangement with Hurtigruten, rather than dealing through Bentours.
Bentours also continues to sell Hurtigruten via its own PSA deal.
MEANWHILE Hurtigruten has announced the construction of a third hybrid-powered polar expedition vessel, with the 530-passenger ship expected to be delivered in 2021.
The design of the vessel will be similar to Hurtigruten’s other hybrid vessels under construction in Norway, MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen.
Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam said the groundbreaking fleet would “take our guests to some of the most spectacular areas of the planet, in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way than ever before”.
Skjeldam said Hurtigruten Cruises was currently undergoing “substantial global growth,” adding: “the expansion we have seen so far is just the beginning”.
Source: traveldaily