NEWS SPECIAL REPORT


‘Mind expertise gap’ O


Clia Expedition Showcase 2026:Alice Barnes-Brown reports from Svalbard, Norway agents’ views


nly one in 10 travel agents rate their knowledge of expedition


cruising as “excellent”, despite the sector driving 59,000 UK bookings over the past year. That was one of the findings of a


Clia survey revealed during business sessions at the association’s second Expedition Showcase in Svalbard last month, attended by more than 40 agents plus supplier representatives. The poll also found that less than


half (48%) of Clia agent members had sailed on an expedition ship, leading cruise line representatives to warn that awareness of the sector continues to trail the wider cruise market.


‘Huge opportunity’ Andrew Turner, AE Expeditions director of sales for EMEA, urged agents to boost their expertise to capitalise on the potential for growth. “Last season, only 7% of


customers landing in the Antarctic were from the UK, whereas 55% were from the US,” he said. “There’s a huge opportunity


for growth, not only in the polar regions but also in warmer waters. “85% of our business in the


10 13 AUGUST 2026


UK is B2B – it’s agents’ expertise that will shine, but the knowledge needs to increase a little bit.” The event gave delegates the


opportunity to tour five vessels side by side, including AE Expeditions’ Greg Mortimer, Silversea’s Silver Endeavour, HX Expeditions’ Spitsbergen, Swan Hellenic’s Vega and Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot. Andy Harmer, Clia UK &


Ireland managing director, said: “We had five ships to showcase this year, including two [first-time exhibitors] – HX Expeditions and Silversea – and delegates appreciated the opportunity to compare ships.”


‘Best conference’ Suppliers who attended the inaugural event in 2025 reported having seen an increase in engagement from the agents present. Luke Clarke, Swan Hellenic senior


sales director for the UK, Ireland, India and Africa, described last year’s event as the “best conference” he had ever been to, adding: “We now have relationships with a handful of agents who came last year.” Bernie Carter, Atlas Ocean


Voyages international sales director, agreed, adding: “A handful


Gillian Priestley, Club Voyages “I’ve been to the Clia Luxury Cruise Forum in Manchester, but this is my first Expedition Showcase. The last expedition ship I went on was 19 years ago – it looked like something that


should be in a museum, nothing like the luxury ships we’ve seen here.”


Rebecca Godefroy, Travel Counsellors “I’ve done one Swan Hellenic ship visit before, but this is my first time seeing a number of different expedition ships. There’s such a variety – while people can go on an expedition cruise


around the Arctic and Antarctic, I’ve learnt there’s a whole world to explore.”


Lewis Jones, Not Just Travel “I’ve learnt that even though expedition is a niche within the cruise market, there are sub-niches within expedition cruising, with different ships to suit different clients. For agents, the


earning opportunities are massive – the average spend of an expedition cruise is a lot higher than an average holiday.”


of the agents that we met last year have been quite active.” As well as conference sessions


and ship visits, the Svalbard showcase gave delegates the chance to explore the local museum, take photos outside the Global Seed Vault, hike to find fossils at the Longyearbyen Glacier and take a boat trip across Isfjord to see glaciers calving. Harmer added: “We’re a people


industry, so making connections is important. By adding in the Svalbard tour and boat trip, we want to bring that expedition experience to life.” Clia is seeking feedback on this


year’s event to help shape the 2027 showcase. Harmer added: “We will survey the agents and have conversations with the suppliers that came – and those that didn’t – then we will look at destinations.”


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Steve Dunlop


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