Dewing brings more than 20 years travel, cruise, and expedition experience to the role, said Aurora, along with significant leadership, sales and marketing acumen.

He is a former managing director of The Cruise Line, global managing director of Voyages to Antiquity, and was UK strategic lead for SeaDream; latterly, Dewing has pursued a number of consultancy roles with various travel firms.

Dewing said he was honoured and excited to be joining Aurora as it prepares to launch its second purpose-built expedition ship, the Sylvia Earle, in October.

"I’ve had a lifelong passion for the polar regions and responsible, small-ship expedition voyaging, and my core values align perfectly with those of Aurora Expeditions.

"I cannot wait to unlock new and exciting initiatives in the fast-moving UK market, as well as continue to build on the exceptional service already provided to our valued expeditioners and trade partners."

Dewing took up his role on Tuesday (1 June) and will be based in the UK. Aurora chief executive Monique Ponfoort said dewing would be a natural fit at Aurora.

"He will bring extensive experience and knowledge that will further strengthen Aurora’s position and relationships in the market," she said.

"The British market has always been important to Aurora Expeditions, and as UK travel restrictions ease, we expect the demand for small-ship and adventure-focused expeditions to remote corners of the world to grow exponentially."

Dewing added he was keen to work closely with the UK trade trade to "develop and maximise sales opportunities" for the UK market after "significant growth" in recent years.