Gunjan Sabikhi
How has the past year shaped the outbound expedition and experiential cruise business from India, and what key shifts have you observed in traveller preferences or booking patterns?
The past year has been transformative for India’s outbound expedition cruise market. We’ve witnessed a significant uptick in interest for once-in-a-lifetime journeys to remote destinations like Svalbard (Norway), Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, and the Canadian Arctic. Indian travellers—particularly affluent and well-read segments—are now prioritizing experiential, nature-focused cruises over traditional leisure trips.
There is a clear shift towards smaller expedition vessels that offer intimate wildlife encounters, scientific lectures, and sustainability-focused travel. Our offerings through luxury operators like Havila Voyages & Swan Hellenic resonated with this audience, especially those interested in polar wildlife, glaciers, and the northern lights.
Travellers are booking further in advance, often planning 8–12 months ahead, and are seeking more inclusions—like expert-guided shore landings, gear, and unique onboard enrichment programs. Another notable change is the growing participation of multi-generational families and solo women travellers, showing a maturing of the Indian outbound expedition market.
With Indian travellers becoming more cruise-curious, which destinations and cruise experiences are currently in high demand from the Indian market?
We’ve seen a marked rise in interest in polar and Arctic regions, including Svalbard (Norway) – renowned for 24-hour daylight during the Midnight Sun and a chance to see polar bears in the wild. Greenland and Iceland – offering a surreal blend of fjords, glaciers, and geothermal wonders under both the aurora borealis and the Midnight Sun, depending on the season. Canadian Arctic and the Northwest Passage – steeped in Indigenous culture and stark, pristine beauty. Antarctica – still a bucket-list destination for India’s affluent, offering untouched wilderness and scientific exploration. In addition to these remote regions, we are also promoting Swan Hellenic’s repositioning journeys—an emerging favourite among Indian explorers. These longer itineraries, covering Africa, South America, the Mediterranean, and Transatlantic crossings, appeal to slow travellers seeking both luxury and discovery.
What are your expectations for the upcoming season, and how are you preparing to tap into the evolving Indian outbound cruise market?
We anticipate a surge in outbound cruise interest from India, especially in the luxury expedition segment. As Indian travellers seek deeper, more immersive experiences, we expect continued growth in demand for destinations like Antarctica, Svalbard, Greenland, and repositioning cruises across continents.
To tap into this momentum, we are focusing on personalised, consultative cruise planning for HNIs and well-travelled explorers. We are highlighting small-ship expeditions with low passenger counts and high-end service and partnering with global brands like Havila Voyages and Swan Hellenic to offer exclusive itineraries. We are also, conducting targeted marketing campaigns around Northern Lights, Midnight Sun, and slow-travel journeys and training our sales teams to be destination and product specialists—essential when selling complex expedition voyages.
We’re also enhancing our digital visibility and storytelling, using immersive visuals, authentic traveller testimonials, and webinars to engage discerning Indian audiences. The evolving Indian cruise market isn’t just about scale—it’s about curating the extraordinary. From the learning perspective for the retail agents, we regularly add & update content on our website so that it becomes easier for them to curate and sell.
Are there any new itineraries, onboard experiences, or India-specific strategies your brand is introducing to better engage Indian travellers?
At Holiday Moods Adventures, we are curating a selection of luxury expedition cruises that resonate with the evolving preferences of Indian travellers seeking immersive and sustainable experiences.
We have partnered with Swan Hellenic to offer cultural expedition cruises to destinations like Antarctica, the Arctic, and the Norwegian fjords. These voyages are designed for discerning travellers interested in exploring remote regions with expert-led excursions and onboard enrichment programs. The repositioning journeys are not repeated for 2-3 years.
Aligning with our commitment to sustainability, we are promoting Havila Voyages’ eco-friendly cruises along the Norwegian coast. We are developing itineraries that cater to Indian travellers’ interests, including opportunities to witness the Northern Lights and experience the Midnight Sun, off shore excursions, like husky sledding, reindeer safari, king crab fishing, ice fishing, snowshoeing and the wonderful experience of visiting the Snow Hotel and not to be missed North Cape.
We are participating in roadshows and workshops throughout the country and conducting webinars and informational sessions to educate potential travellers about expedition cruising, highlighting the unique experiences these journeys offer.
Through these initiatives, we aim to provide Indian travellers with unparalleled access to some of the world’s most extraordinary destinations, ensuring experiences that are both enriching and environmentally conscious.
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