Priyanka Saxena Ray
Swan Hellenic has 3 luxurious ships and is an all-inclusive five-star boutique expedition-style cruise line company specialising in tours to the Polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctica and the rest of the world. Havila Voyage has 4 luxurious ships sailing between Bergen and Kirkenes with the eco-friendliest award-winning sustainable ships. Viking Line Cruises is a ferry operator that offers daily crossings between Finland, the Aland Islands, and Sweden, and between Helsinki and Estonia.
Importance of India market
India is a rapidly growing economy with rising disposable incomes, which has given a boost to experiential tourism. Hence there is a huge demand for luxury products like cruising. Four years ago, Scandinavia was hardly being promoted in India. At Holiday Moods Adventures, we saw this gap in the market and capitalised it. Today, a lot of people who have travelled to mainstream European countries are very keen to travel to Scandinavia. Norway is the most beautiful country & is also very popular for the Northern lights. I feel that, Havila cruise is one of the best ways to see the beautiful coast of Norway and the Northern lights are best viewed from its deck. Similarly, Indians now want to reach out to the farthest-flung naturally endowed regions of the planet and this is where this Swan Hellenic experience comes in. Indians love exploring the Scandinavian countries of the Baltic Sea with extreme ease by enjoying the luxury of Viking line ships.
Promoting Cruise liners in India
Holiday Moods Adventures is an ISO 9001:2015 accredited, certified experiential travel company top rated by National Geographic Adventure, a fully licensed, multiple award-winning company since 1997. We take pride in offering unique immersive tours showcasing travel chronicles and inspiring journeys. HMA is a DMC for Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Antarctica and has recently added Sweden to the portfolio. Our latest strategy of being a DMC along with being distributors of cruise lines is one of the major reasons for driving growth. We understand that Scandinavia is a difficult region to sell as not many operators have knowledge about how to sell. We regularly do physical presentations of our products in various parts of the country throughout the year, where we educate the interested operators on how & what to sell to which client segment. These strategies are helping our retail agents, in turn, their customer preferences and also adapting to the travel trends making us a front-runner leader.
Today’s customers are environmentally, mindful and at the same time luxury conscious & our cruise lines match these attributes being eco-friendly boutique ships with very high customer service levels & tremendous focus on sustainability, a perfect combination!
We also offer non-branded flyers for promotions. We are very happy to handhold them throughout the process till conversion, even talking to their clients to instil confidence. Social media plays a great role in creating awareness and also the advertorials & press releases. WhatsApp groups are amazing for disseminating information.
Adopting Technology
Embracing digitization and accelerating our knowledge is essential in today’s fast-paced world. We have empowered ourselves with Artificial Intelligence, heralding the future. For example, the era of live chat requiring 24×7 human interaction is over. We have implemented a sophisticated chatbot with well-crafted scripts that efficiently guide customers, allowing for quick and impressive responses. Tracking customers’ digital footprints and sending automated reminders to re-engage them is another example of our innovation. Virtual Reality tours have become our cutting-edge marketing tools, captivating travellers like never before. Additionally, we conduct Destination Product learning webinars, enhancing our team’s expertise.
Trends in Cruise Tourism
The cruise industry has recently faced criticism for being one of the most polluting and unsustainable forms of holidaying. The new generation of travellers are highly responsible and committed to environmental sustainability. This decade will witness a significant transformation in the cruise industry, with most ships adopting ground-breaking technologies. These innovations include using battery packs to achieve zero emissions, harnessing hydropower for charging, and utilising liquid natural gas to reduce CO2 and NOx emissions. These advancements will create a more peaceful and eco-friendly travel experience, aligning with the evolving priorities of conscientious travellers.
Sustainability in Cruise Tourism
At Holiday Moods Adventures, our mission is to promote sustainable tourism through exceptional “Handcrafted Experiences, Stories & Adventures Across the Globe.” Our core values include protecting the environment, respecting local cultures, benefiting local communities, conserving resources, minimising waste, promoting lesser-trodden regions, and facilitating life-changing experiences for both hosts and travellers.
Havila Voyages exemplifies this commitment and aligns perfectly with our beliefs and ethos. Havila Capella, recognized with the Next Generation Ship Award, boasts the world’s largest battery pack, enabling zero-emission sailing in fjords.
The ‘Havila Food Stories initiative underscores sustainability as a key ingredient. By eliminating buffets, it targets a maximum of 75 grams of daily food waste per guest. Havila’s ships, with a capacity of 640 passengers each, discourage mass tourism and are powered by batteries, fitting our sustainable tourism model perfectly.
Swan Hellenic is committed to conserving the health and biodiversity of the regions that they operate in and are very much committed to being part of the plan.
Follow BOTT on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
Subscribe BOTT Channels on WhatsApp & Telegram to receive real time updates
