White Desert is determined to highlight its value proposition as an alternative to luxury expedition ships, as part of its strategic investment in trade relations and brand awareness.
The British tour operator, which was founded by polar explorers Patrick and Robyn Woodhead in 2005, is today the only company that flies privately into the interior of Antarctica. It has a team of 25 experienced pilots and a fleet of chartered aircraft, with up to 20 flights flying into its own runway, Wolf Fang Runway, every summer.
Upon arrival, guests stay in one of its two ultra-luxury camps – Whichaway, a retreat with six heated pods, or Echo, a boutique retreat inspired by astronauts. Surrounded by no more than 12 other travellers, guests will be treated to food cooked by award-winning chefs, guided excursions and breathtaking views throughout their visit.
Michelle Koen, trade relations manager at White Desert, says the company is now eager to strengthen its relationship with agents by offering incentives and training on the remote destination. A key part of this education is busting the misconception that Antarctica, which is surrounded by the Southern Ocean, is only accessible to leisure travellers via ship.
“Most agents don’t know that it’s a fly-in destination - so many think it’s only a cruise ship destination,” Koen tells TTG Luxury. “We fly from Cape Town straight to Antarctica, and that’s a big a-ha moment.”
“We fly from Cape Town straight to Antarctica, and that’s a big a-ha moment”
As a land-based operator, White Desert delivers a very different experience to the cruise lines travelling to Antarctica. Its guests will skip the voyage through the Drake Passage, which typically takes up to two days to complete, and instead fly directly to the continent from South Africa on an Airbus A340-300. They will then land on White Desert’s private airstrip in Queen Maud Land, from where they will begin their adventure.
“It’s an entirely land-based experience, or a deep field one, as we call it in the industry,” Koen explains. “Rather than being based around the peninsula, as you would on a cruise ship, we go into the interior of Antarctica.” As a result, there are no water-based activities with White Desert.
“We don’t have boats or operate on the ocean at all,” Koen says. “The closest we get to the ocean is on the penguin colony.” She adds: “It’s a good alternative if you don’t want to do the cruise ships, especially if guests don’t want to be on the sea.”
Another misconception is the amount of time it takes to reach Antarctica, which is likely linked to the assumption that it’s only accessible by boat. Koen is quick to emphasise, however, that the flight from Cape Town to Wolf’s Fang Runway takes just five hours.
The duration of each White Desert itinerary varies, with its shortest one, The Greatest Day, spending just three hours on the ice. Guests on this package will have the opportunity to complete a gentle hike and scale nunataks, before enjoying a champagne picnic.
Longer options include the six-seven day itinerary to see the South Pole and a five-six day trip to see the Antarctica Summit. There’s also the Emperors and South Pole trip, which takes eight days to complete, while Ultimate Antarctica lasts 16 days.
A priority for Koen since joining White Desert is building trade relations in order to continue securing agent bookings, which currently account for approximately 50% of its sales.
“We encourage agents to set up a call with us, where we go through the full experience and answer any questions,” she explains. As for fam trips, agents who confirm more than six guests in one season will be invited to join White Desert’s The Greatest Day experience, and if they make an exclusive use booking, there will be an opportunity for them to join the group.
“Some of these agents have become some of our strongest partners,” Koen adds. “We’ve had repeat bookings from the same agents, and agents with multiple bookings for the same season. They are ambassadors of White Desert.”
