Founded by Albatros Expeditions business development manager Akvile Marozaite and Latin Routes and Polar Routes director and co-founder Martin Johnson, the Expedition Cruise Network (ECN) will offer training, host in-person events and fam trips, and seek to promote the sector’s sustainability initiatives.

Marozaite and Johnson described the ECN as a community for agents to build relationships with expedition cruise specialist to increase the sector’s presence among the wider cruise industry.

Launched on 17 April, the network has been spearheaded by Marozaite and Johnson, and features 11 founding members: Australis; AE Expeditions; Albatros Expeditions; Ponant; Quark; Hurtigruten; Lindblad Expeditions; Hapag Lloyd Expeditions; Intrepid Travel; Latin Trails; and Swan Hellenic.

Marozaite, who will take up the role of chief executive of the ECN, told TTG: "The average seller of expedition cruise is slightly different to the one you would probably expect, so the ECN is there to bring all of these unique businesses together.

"The sector has doubled in size over the past few years, and there is nothing like the ECN in the market to represent the industry."

She said the launch was perfectly timed, with expedition cruise lines putting on additional capacity as demand for travel to "far-flung, bucket-list" destinations like the Antarctic increases.

"People are more than ever interested in these types of holidays," Marozaite continued, citing a recent Google Trends survey, which found the number of Antarctica cruises grew by 50% from 2019 to 2021.

"This is why we feel it’s now the right time to develop travel sellers who would be interested in selling this product."

Johnson, who will chair the organisation, said the ECN would serve as a "one-stop shop" for agents and operators to connect with specialist cruise lines. 

The network’s website will offer training initiatives, blog content, competitions and contacts from each member line.

As the ECN grows, Johnson and Marozaite will look to host in-person events with the trade, highlighting topics based on agent feedback. "We are hoping to cater for agents regardless of where they are on their journey towards selling expeditions," said Johnson. "Whether they’re brand new to the industry or specialist agents who have been to the majority of these destinations."

In its first year, the ECN will look to run a number of virtual events before rolling out a schedule of trade ship visits and fam trips for agents to get onboard member vessels when they are in the UK.

To drive website subscriptions, the ECN will run a competition which will see 10 agents invited to join a Thames river cruise in June hosted by Lindblad Expeditions.

The evening will include a RIB ride onboard Thames Rockets’ speedboat with expedition leader and marine biologist Brad Siviour followed by a drinks reception in one of the riverside venues.

"It’s about staying above the water in the first year," Marozaite said. "We’re hoping we will be widely successful, of course, but it comes down to engagement – there are so many different ways we can envisage expanding, for example, with a dedicated awards ceremony."

Marozaite said she was confident the ECN "could go global" with the addition of US expedition lines in the future, supported by the recruitment of extra staff to help bolster the growth of the organisation.

Johnson added: "Akvile is a dedicated resource to the ECN for our trade members and cruise lines, which is more than there ever has been for the expedition cruise sector.

"The only way is up from here, as the launch will bring more exposure for the sector than ever before. And that’s why we, and the expedition cruise lines, believe it will be very successful."

A priority for Marozaite and Johnson is the sector’s carbon footprint, and how the network will highlight expedition cruising’s sustainability credentials.

"At ECN, we believe that from its inception, modern expedition cruising has always demonstrated respect for the environments, people, wildlife, and cultures the expedition ships travel to and beyond," Marozaite said.

This, the ECN believes, will be achieved by keeping vessels small, encouraging members to sign up to voluntary self-regulation initiatives such as the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators and the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators, engaging with citizen science projects and raising awareness of the challenges fragile environments face due to climate change.

"We understand achieving sustainable marine travel is an urgent task, and that the industry still has a long way to go to meet the net-zero goals set out by UN for 2050," Johnson cautioned, adding the ECN’s manifesto would further outline how the network will promote sustainability, as well as diversity and inclusion, throughout its supply chain and its members’ hiring policies.

Furthermore, the ECN plans to become carbon neutral within three years, engage with expedition brands and the trade on sustainability, help cruise companies reduce their impact on the environment, and provide agents with the tools to speak confidently about sustainable cruising with their clients.