Your upcoming partnership with Aviate, which starts in November, means the introduction of packaged products. Can you give more detail on what agents will be able to book?
The idea behind creating pre-packaged products is really to demonstrate what’s possible. Because our brand awareness is still relatively low, we need to help the trade understand how to sell us.
It won’t just be a simple “flight, hotel, voyage” model. We’ll build packages around our strongest UK sellers: Antarctica, Greenland, French Polynesia and the Mediterranean. For example, with Antarctica, we might include a pre-voyage stay in Buenos Aires or a broader South American tour.
The key advantage is that we can combine our existing pre- and post-voyage products with Aviate’s flight-buying power. That opens up opportunities for upgrades, business class, first class, and so on. We want to be creative and show what’s possible.
Most importantly, agents will now be able to book everything. Previously, they could only sell the voyage element and had to cherry-pick. Now, it’s fully integrated and that’s the real game changer.
How does this tie into growth in the UK market? Do you have specific targets?
The first step is simply making ourselves available to the entire UK trade. Until now, we’ve worked with around 20–30 core agents. This next phase is about opening up to everyone.
In terms of targets, it’s difficult to put a number on it right now. The UK currently represents around 8–9% of overall business, while 85% of our sales globally come through the trade.
Other markets, like the U.S., France, and Australia, already have packaging capabilities. The UK hasn’t had that, which has limited growth. This new partnership changes that.
Over the next 18 months, the goal is to prove the market’s potential. We know the demand is there – expedition and luxury travel are booming – but we haven’t fully tapped into it yet.
We’re also in a period of change internally, with a new president and an evolving global strategy. I’ve got a key meeting in June to define the UK opportunity more clearly. Long term, we want to grow the team and establish a stronger presence, but first we need to prove the scale of the opportunity.
Do you think UK travellers are particularly adventurous?
Absolutely. There’s a real spirit of adventure among British travellers; they want enriching, unique experiences and are often drawn to more unusual destinations.
That aligns perfectly with what we offer. Expedition cruising isn’t about age, it’s about attitude. If someone has that curiosity and desire to explore, they’re a perfect fit.
Where do you place Ponant within the wider trend of combining different travel experiences?
I think that’s absolutely the right direction for us in the UK. Unless we invest heavily in brand marketing, which isn’t the plan, we need to drive growth through sales.
That means targeting customers who either don’t know us or want more than just a cruise. For example, someone might book a three-week South America experience, with one week on the ship and two weeks on land. They’re not buying a cruise, they’re buying an immersive journey.
This opens up two routes to market: traditional cruise/expedition sales, and broader, destination-led travel experiences. The latter is where we see the biggest opportunity to attract new customers and agents.
What does your trade engagement strategy look like? Will there be training, ship visits, and trips?
In short, yes.
We’re a small UK team of four, so we have to be smart about how we operate. We need to support our existing partners while also onboarding new ones through the Ava partnership.
Training will be a mix of online webinars and in-person activity where it makes sense. We’ll host ship visits across the UK and run fam trips.
For example, we have unescorted fam trips to Iceland this year, with cabins allocated to a mix of established partners and new agents who show the right attitude and commitment. We’re also offering incentives like 50% staff rates.
It’s about investing in the right people for long-term growth.
You mentioned aligning with both trade partners and internal teams, can you expand on that?
It’s about making sure our head office understands the UK market, which is quite different from others due to lower brand awareness.
We want to bring key partners into those conversations, connecting UK agents with our teams in Marseille, for example, so they can share insights directly. That way, strategies aren’t just copied from other markets but adapted to what works here.
It’s about creating a stronger, unified voice between the UK trade and our internal teams.
Your itineraries include some lesser-known destinations. How do you decide where to go, and what’s driving demand?
Our itinerary planning is one of our biggest strengths. We deliberately seek out unique, lesser-known destinations. The “where is that?” reaction is incredibly powerful from a marketing perspective.
We combine insights from our planning team, ship captains, crew and guest feedback. It’s a very collaborative process.
For example, when we launched Baja California, it sold out in three days. Similarly, Antarctica circumnavigation trips sell out within weeks. Sometimes demand surprises us, but it shows the appetite for new and different experiences.
Solo travel and community tourism are part of your core offering. Are there other key trends for your product, and how can agents tap into them?
Our role is to give agents the tools and confidence to sell effectively. The biggest challenge is the breadth of our portfolio; it can be overwhelming.
So we encourage agents to focus. Pick one or two destinations, like Greenland or French Polynesia, and build expertise there. That focus helps them sell more confidently and effectively.
We also stay flexible. Sometimes an agent will identify an opportunity we hadn’t prioritised, and we’ll pivot to support that. It’s about collaboration and agility.
Finally, what’s your key message to travel agents?
This is a real opportunity. We’re a highly respected brand globally, but still relatively under the radar in the UK.
For agents, that means a chance to get ahead and to carve out a niche in luxury expedition travel before it becomes more mainstream.
It’s a bit of a “best-kept secret” right now and those who embrace it early are in a strong position to benefit.
