HX Pushes Marketing Efforts to Source Chinese Guests – Cruise Industry News

HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) is pushing its marketing efforts in China with a new roadshow that will visit three cities in the country.

According to a statement,, experts from HX’s global headquarters will join the series of events, along with the presidents of the Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) and the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO).

The roadshow is scheduled to take place from Sept. 9 to 13, 2024, with events in Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai.

“We hope to attract up to 500 travel partners, tourism bureaus, consulates and media guests to our afternoon events in three cities, so we want to ensure that the guests can get a lot of valuable information from the expedition cruise experts from our global headquarters,” said Joe Zou, HX sales director for Mainland China and Southeast Asia.

Zou also highlighted HX’s investment in China, noting that Antarctica expeditions are currently a “hot-selling product” in China.

Each event will include a presentation of HX’s ships and onboard experience, followed by in-depth discussions on topics such as the new company’s destinations for the 2025-26 season and sustainable initiatives.

“The international cruises we have been promoting have been a great success. In the past seasons, we found that Chinese tourists really like this international atmosphere. We have made this unique experience even better by continuously upgrading our ‘China Ready’ program with the headquarters operations department and the expedition team,” Zou added.

As part of the initiative, HX offers Chinese news and movies in its cabins, as well as Chinese dining options.

The company also hired Chinese nationals for its expedition teams, front desks and restaurants, Zou explained.

HX opened a regional sales office in Shanghai and further expanded its APAC division with the appointment of new executives in mid-2023.