There is a palpable sense of pride on Iain Powell’s face as he lists the reasons behind his recent move from Saga to Hurtigruten.
In his first interview as Hurtigruten’s UK and EMEA sales and marketing vice-president, Powell tells TTG: “At all levels – including in Oslo [where the line’s HQ is located] – there’s a deep understanding of the importance of trade relationships [and] a real desire to grow and improve those relationships. That, for me, was one of the many appeals of joining Hurtigruten.”
TTG 30 Under 30 alumnus Powell took up his role on 18 March and immediately identified the need to find more agency partners. Trade sales currently amount to around 50% of Hurtigruten’s business but Powell’s ambition is to increase this figure further. He and his team have already held meetings with agency bosses, with more planned in the coming weeks.
“The UK is performing really well,” says Powell. “All the growth indicators are really positive. We’ve got stretching ambitions for 2024 and 2025. The fundamental job we need to tackle is the volume of agent partners we work with. We need to broaden our distribution.”
So how have agents reacted to his appointment? After all, his former employer – albeit now more than two years ago – decided to drastically reduce distribution through the trade while he was Saga’s trading director.
Powell insists the trade’s reaction has been “really positive”, thanks – he says – to the strong relationships he has personally built up over the years. “[Saga] did some fantastic things and we grew with the trade, but the business made a decision around its trade strategy, which it is entitled to do,” explains Powell.
“I’ve been fortunate to have worked with the trade pretty much all my career, which has been fantastic. I’ve got reasonable connections with those in the industry. Many friends I have worked with before have said they’re interested in working with Hurtigruten because they’re not already doing so. We’ve also got a group of agents that are established. The response has been really positive.”
Powell believes Hurtigruten’s coastal and signature products “resonate” with both customers and agents alike. He describes Hurtigruten as a “great commercial partner”, but recognises the trade must be given opportunities to experience the product before they can sell it effectively.
“We need to do more fam trips,” he admits. “We’ve got a fam trip with 10 UK agents going in May, and there are a couple more over the summer. We would like to do more fam trips in the autumn.” Pushed on how many more fams Hurtigruten will offer this year, Powell says: “We will do more than we’ve done in previous years.”
Brand awareness
Powell understands there is a need to differentiate the products Hurtigruten offers to help agents understand its portfolio better. This education effort has become even more important since the company’s decision to split its expedition and coastal arms last year.
To boost agents’ product knowledge, the line plans to relaunch its refreshed trade training platform in July. Powell promises content will be “a little bit more modular”, before hinting that modules will be destination-focused.
“Even though Hurtigruten sails along the coast of Norway, there are still variations of itineraries to our smaller ports agents might not have heard of before,” he says.
Brand awareness is another area Powell believes needs attention. “We need to increase the ‘above the line’ coverage we’re currently getting. We’re going on an interesting journey in terms of how we explain our product to customers and agents.”
Put simply, Hurtigruten’s coastal sailings operate along Norway’s expansive coastline, calling at 34 ports between Kirkenes and Bergen. Powell likens the line’s coastal cruises to touring, offering something for everyone.
Powell notes the customer mix on Hurtigruten’s coastal cruises, adding: “It’s for customers who are keen to explore and see why wildlife they’ve never seen before and to visit ports they’ve never been to before. The northern lights are a massive appeal for these sailings.”
Explaining the line’s signature cruises, Powell says: “It is an easier transition from a traditional ocean cruise. They’re cruise customers in a premium category who are looking for something a bit different, and exploring Norway as part of that,” he adds.
“I think that signature lends itself really nicely to that. What is really important is the trade and customers understand the difference between the two.”
