NEWS SPECIAL REPORT


Fam trip agents on Fridjtof Nansen; inset: Gebhard Rainer


HX hosts mega-fam


Line hosts 120 UK and Ireland agents on first mega-fam. Ella Sagar reports from Hamburg


H 10


X Expeditions has vowed to “do more” with the UK trade following its first mega-fam, which


was attended by more than 400 agents from across Europe. A total of 120 UK and Irish agents


joined the two-night sailing on Fridtjof Nansen from Hamburg to the German archipelago of Helgoland. Chief executive Gebhard Rainer


pledged to give more agents the chance to board HX’s ships to give them “more confidence” to sell the specialist product. Speaking to Travel Weekly, he


said: “This fam trip is the biggest we have done so far and an incredible opportunity – it is not a regular ship tour and gives agents a very good flavour of what expedition is all about. “We will do more of this in future


14 MAY 2026


as there is nothing that can replace knowing the product – physically experiencing it, talking to staff members and seeing the ships.” Rainer promised more trade


initiatives to tie in with the line’s 130th anniversary, in addition to its global booking incentive offering a £130 voucher for every new fully deposited booking by July 31. He added this trade focus formed


part of “building a platform for success” following the company’s split from Hurtigruten last February, with “more fine-tuning” needed to “lower the hurdles for partners to do business with us”. In a show of its commitment


to the trade, the line is launching a new booking engine with more- personalised packages and has grown its trade sales team in London to 10.


agents’ views


Janet Lacey co-owner, The Laceys


@ Not Just Travel “It has been amazing to have my first expedition experience – we were blown away by the wildlife we saw. The size of the ship is lovely and the staff have been phenomenal. The science aspect with the laboratory and experts on board is unique to me. I now have clients in mind who would be interested and this has inspired me to look at taking a group to Antarctica in a few years’ time.”


Thalia Patalong destination specialist,


Natural World Safaris “I have been on a few expedition ships smaller than Fridtjof Nansen, so it has been great to see the differences. It retains the intimate expedition feel with an element of luxury with more space. I’d recommend this to people who want an expedition in an off-the- grid place with more comfort. Everything is made to be very easy and accessible, and the ship does not feel as big as I thought it might.”


Speaking about the impact of


the Middle East conflict, Rainer said business was “good considering the situation”, although consumer confidence had been “eroded” to varying levels in different markets. He said: “The UK market has


been very strong for us, specifically at the start of the year, and tapered off a bit in March because of the conflict, but April showed a recovery.” Rainer noted the UK is the company’s third-largest source


Yvonne Brown travel consultant,


InteleTravel “Cruise can have a reputation for being a shallow travel experience, but I was pleasantly surprised by my first expedition cruise. I have learnt so much on this short trip. My favourite moment was sitting on the beach on Düne Island watching wild seals and their pups. I’m delighted to share this with my customers to show them how varied, immersive and accessible it can be.”


market after the US and Germany, describing it as “more resilient” and “waking up to expedition”. Looking ahead, Rainer said he


wants to expand into warm-water destinations and grow the fleet, adding: “Once we get to the end of 2026, that is when we start planning for how we expand the fleet and destinations.” Destinations in HX’s sights include the South Pacific, southeast


Asia and the African coast, he said. i Competitions, page 28


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Timo Heinz


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