Episode 39: How Embedding Sustainability Attracts Top Talent in Hospitality\ Carly Biggart VP, Sales and Marketing Hurtigruten Cruise Lines

Podcast Description:  

What does Hurtigruten mean?  You will learn that and dive into the world of sustainable cruising with Carly Biggart, VP of Sales and Marketing at Hurtigruten. How has Hurtigruten’s 130 year history set them up to lead the charge is preserving places and offering authentic experiences, by falling in love with the places they travel to. Discover how this innovative cruise line is revolutionizing responsible travel along Norway's stunning coastline. Learn practical strategies for balancing profitability with environmental stewardship, engaging employees in sustainability efforts. We talk about everything from circularity to mistakes along their sustainability journey. Whether you're a travel industry professional or a conscious traveler, this episode offers valuable insights on navigating the future of sustainable tourism.

 

 Key Takeaways:

●      Sustainability should be a core part of a company's DNA, not just an add-on.

●      Authentic communication about sustainability efforts is crucial, including being transparent about challenges to avoid greenwashing.

●      Sourcing locally and engaging with communities can enhance both sustainability and guest experiences.

●      industry collaboration is vital for advancing sustainability in tourism.

●      Deepening existing sustainability commitments (like food waste reduction) can be as important as adding new initiatives.

●      Sustainability can be a powerful tool for attracting both customers and employees who share these values.

●      Experiencing sustainable travel firsthand can inspire guests to make changes in their own lives.

Quote: 

“When people are onboarded at Hurtigruten, to be honest, they will have a passion for sustainability.”

Show Notes:

Learn more about their itineraries: https://www.hurtigruten.com/en-us

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 #Authenticity, #Norway, #NorthernLights, #ESG, #HotelSalesandMarketing, #SustaianableCruising, #ProgressNotPerfection, #CircularEconomy, #FoodWaste, #GuestExperience, #SustainableProcurement, #EmployeeValues, #HospitalityTopTalent, #DNA, #DestinationStewardship

Timestamps:

Cruise ships, Norway, and sustainability. (2:56)

Hurtigruten's sustainable practices and their impact on the environment and local communities. (8:16)

Sustainability in the travel industry, balancing authenticity and progress. (13:18)

Sustainability practices and initiatives in the travel industry. (17:52)

Sustainability in the travel industry. (22:41)

Sustainability in the travel industry, with a focus on reducing food waste and deepening commitments. (30:45)

Hurtigruten cruises and their unique itineraries, focusing on the North Cape line and Svalbard. (35:56)

Sustainability in the cruise industry with a focus on protecting wildlife and communities. (40:58)

Transcript

Speaker 2  0:19  

I feel like everybody when they get to my name or like, because anyway, it can go sideways.

Speaker 1  0:27  

But is it was that correct? Okay, let's start over. Okay. Welcome back to the sustainable hospitality podcast. We are so glad you're here. I'm Amy Wald, one of your hosts. And in this episode, we are delighted to have Carly beggar who is the VP of Sales and Marketing for hooter Hurtigruten cruise lines. And Carly is has more than 20 years of experience in global roles across the telecom and travel experience at travel industries. Born and raised close to Toronto, Carly got her travel addiction at an early age when she went backpacking around Mexico with her family. Carly joined Hurtigruten group in 2019, with the responsibility of North American sales for both Hurtigruten expeditions, and Hurtigruten, Norway brands managing a team of sales managers in both Canada and the US, she's passionate about the brand sustainability focus, she has helped improve Hurtigruten position by forging new partnerships with a TTA. That's the adventure travel trade association, tourism cares and innovation Norway. With Hurtigruten, she has traveled all over the world primarily showcasing its products, itineraries and experiences to trade partners, or representing the brand at various conferences and trade shows. And we're going to talk about some of her favorite itineraries a little bit later. But what you can expect in this episode is, we're going to talk to her about how you balance the need to drive revenue with the importance of promoting sustainable practices. What some of the most effective ways to communicate your sustainability efforts to potential guests are? How do you engage and educate your sales team about sustainability? And how do you measure all of these efforts to know what's working? I also want to touch on what advice she would give other sales and marketing professional professionals in the hospitality and tourism industry who wants to start incorporating sustainability into their strategies, but are unsure where to start? And of course, we are going to touch on what the what the current climate is for, you know, the tourism industry, the United States Tourism Organization Association. They just had their meeting in Singapore. And she's going to tell us all about that. But enough of me talking, Carly, thank you for joining us today. How are you?

Speaker 2  3:05  

I'm wonderful. And thank you so much for having me today. Amy, it's great to be here.

Speaker 1  3:11  

Absolutely. I'm really excited. I spent a few years working in cruise ships. So I can't wait to talk to you about that. It's it's a whole country and culture and world of its own. And then also, of course, I love Canadians and you're from Toronto. So I love that. And so gosh, Carly, did you ever think you would work on cruise ships? What does that journey look like? Tell us all about it.

Speaker 2  3:39  

So I definitely didn't see myself working cruise ships. As you mentioned, I've always had a passion for travel. I grew up in telecom and I loved the excitement of telecom, but I got the opportunity to work at Hurtigruten, a colleague had reached out to me and it was a tricky one to say as you know, I always say you can't say it, there's no way to say it wrong. It's it means fast routes. And as I learned more about the organization and how they connected 34 communities, you know, along the coastline of Norway 131 years ago now, and that they lead with sustainability. It was a company I just knew I needed to learn more about and truly that's what attracted me to the company and I had never stepped foot on a cruise ship before. And I don't know that I was it was something that I was intrigued to do but from the moment that I that I've stepped foot on our cruise ships I couldn't be more proud of how we enable guests to immerse themselves and engage with Norway and and then again, our sustainability approach and practices and we still have a lot to learn and a long way to go. But it is something that every single person within Hurtigruten every single day strives towards and it's just part. It's part of our DNA. It's part of our practice. And all of that is really what attracted me to Hurtigruten, the travel industry. And I think once you're in the travel industry, there's no going back. It's such a wonderful place to be.

Speaker 1  5:15  

Yes, especially if you have that bug, right. You're just you're gonna find a way to wiggle yourself in. But I find that interesting. You, you truly felt drawn to work for them because of their values and what they stood for. Yeah, so let's talk about their rich history. Give us a little bit of that background. 130 years. That's incredible. I'd love to hear all about that.

Speaker 2  5:43  

Yeah. So it was really Richard with who started it all off. He understood, its that there needed to be a way to connect to these communities to get them communications to get the mail to get them emergency services, right. And so it is literally the lifeline of Norway, these ships that go up and down the coast. I mean, they run 365 days a year or so there's vehicle there's cargo, there's people and there's tourists that get to experience travel like a local. That

Speaker 1  6:17  

is it's so incredible, I didn't realize that I have not been fortunate enough yet to go to Norway, it is on my list. Of course, one of these cruises is on my bucket list. So that is so fascinating. Just how a different culture you know, interacts with our natural world, and what resources they provide to them, depending on where they are. Yes. So Carly Ghosh, VP of Sales and Marketing, that is a title that is going to keep you busy, especially in the competitive world of tourism, and then of cruise lines, because there are so many cruise lines offering so many different products. So tell us about what is that offering? How is it different than some of the other, you know, cruise lines out there? And I think it's probably more different than most right?

Speaker 2  7:14  

Yeah. So again, it's there's very few places in the world. Greenland has it as well. But it's not as established as the Norwegian coastline is, again with these 34 ports of call that we are visiting. So there's, there's the northbound stretch southbound and round trip that you can do. So again, it's truly unique, and people need to understand it, that you are getting to see Norway. I mean, when you think of Norway, and even you see artwork or postcards, the art ships are on those like they are part of the community. So if you are looking for to truly see a country in its natural way and walk in the footsteps of a local going on our original Norwegian coastal Express is absolutely the experience you're looking for. We also understand particularly in North America, where it's the biggest cruising market in the world, and there's a lot of preconceived notions of how you should be cruising. We also have options with our Signature Series along the coast. That's a more premium product but it's more traditional cruising style. So we still connect the coast with moving cargo, although those onboard may not know that, but we want to make sure we're we're still you know, delivering essentials. But now you get longer time important it's a bit more of a traditional cruising experience much very elevated. So we It's our flagship Norwegian coastal kitchen on all of our ships over 80% of our food is locally sourced so when we are stopping in port we are literally re replenishing from you know the farms from the you know, the person that we get our eggs from from the cheese, the the cheese producers, so incredibly focused also, everything that we do on ship is very sustainable and locally focused. And we want to make sure that the communities want us there as well. So one of the ports that we went into in October, they literally lit off fireworks for us coming into port with our new signature series of product because that port hadn't been visited in 50 years, and they wanted to welcome us in a really special way. Right so it's a very magical experience and with the culture of Norway as well. It is very out no matter the weather, no matter the season, you are outdoors and you are kind of one with nature and one with the lens and you can't help that adult but adopt that when you're traveling with us to Norway. So it's as you started off by saying it is very different than other cruising experiences.

Unknown Speaker  10:04  

You have me so inspired.

Speaker 1  10:08  

You know, I know a little bit about Hurtigruten, and I know their sustainability position and DNA. But that is such an interesting adoption. And a no brainer really to source your products from the ports of call that you're going to, you know, that was one of the things that stood out to me the most when I worked on ships, and I know that they've come a long way in the world of sustainability and thinking about communities, but we would pour it in these different areas. And I would look around and just wonder, do they want to hear? Are we doing right by them? Is this enhancing their livelihoods? That is such a special way to make that connection, to give your guests authentic experience, and to make sure that the communities are benefiting from you being there. I love that. So let's get into what your role is. And sales and marketing, you know, how do you balance the need to drive revenue and get bookings with the importance of the sustainability practices that that you're taking

Speaker 2  11:19  

on? Yeah, so I feel like I get asked that question off often. And I don't feel like it's a balance for us, not when it's, it is a part of what we do every single day. And I know that it's hard from a consumer perspective, they don't want to pay more right for sustainability. But honestly, it costs more to get there. Right, removing, we were the first to remove heavy fuels, we were the first to remove single use plastics, we are the first to announce that zero net zero emissions or emission free ship, we were the first to do hybrid electric, all of that comes at a cost. So yes, our price tag is a little bit more at but we know the consumer today, some will, but generally speaking, won't pay more for it. But we need to deliver on authenticity, the value of our product. And I do think that that stands alone. And I do think Norway as a destination stands alone as well. So we'll continue to communicate it and we, we it depends on the audience's we're communicating to, but when it's when it's the consumer, it's really about responsible travel, are we protecting the places that we're going, and then the hope is to once they come off of being on the experience, they come back and go, Okay, I actually want to change things in my life, right? Whether it's, you know, eliminating plastics from your house. Like if that if they come back wanting to do that, then we've we've done our job to some degree, there's so much more to do. But so for us, it's about continuing to keep sustainability at the the DNA in the forefront of everything that we do and help that consumer when we get them on board really experience the product and why it's so important to protect the seeds, the lands of wildlife, the communities that we're going to.

Speaker 1  13:18  

You know, it's interesting, you talk about the willingness to pay for a guest. And I agree, you know, none of us go out there and say, I want to spend more money than I have or than I had prepared to spend. But I think there is starting to become a shift that if you have if that traveler doesn't already have it in their DNA, and they've been converted, I think the consideration to pay a little bit more because you realize what a better experience you get, they are willing to it's at least I feel, I'm hopeful it's moving in that direction.

Speaker 2  13:55  

I agree. And I think that I think it's the experiencing it right, once they experienced they Okay, now I want to seek that out a little bit more. Right. So, and we had this conversation, I was at a signature conference, and we had an impact roundtable. And it was with some of the suppliers very focused on impact and responsible travel, and the travel advisors that really care about that themselves as well. And that conversation was about how do we have the conversation with the consumer, right, and some will seek us out. So some will seek us out and say I have never considered cruising before I now understand what you do. I now want to cruise with you because of your practices. So I think there's it's you know, it's that that cycle that we always have to go through in something new and education and there's so much education out there but also there's there's a lot of greenwashing out there as well. Right and that makes it a challenge and it makes So a challenge for the consumers to understand as well.

Speaker 1  15:03  

So you talk about greenwashing, let's, let's touch on that a little bit. So we know that you're, you know, this is in your DNA, and it's really embedded in your offering. But how do you balance? Maybe not exaggerating your message or worried about an area that you're still working on? How do you tackle that really sensitive and fine line? Some people wouldn't call it a fine line. But it can be between talking authentically about what you're doing, and wanting people to get on board with it and understand that it is a journey.

Speaker 2  15:45  

So three years ago, we released our first ESG reports. And that was, that was scary, because you got the good and the bad with it. Right? We reported on everything. So we're doing we're science based targets, right? We're aligning to the SDGs, we're looking at several different of the frameworks and and now two, we just released our third report, what I love this year is it was part of our annual report, it wasn't released separately, because it shouldn't be separate. It's not this thing you do on the side, it's not a tick box, right? It is part of how you are running your organization. And so we released it all together. And what I've seen over the three years, is we've keep adding different data points. And a lot of the time we're adding them for the first time, we have no idea if they're good, or they're bad, we only know that we need to improve upon them. Right? So and this is where you know what we'll all make mistakes, just only your mistakes, right? Own it, don't try to gloss over it or try to cover it up. Because first of all, we're only human, there is no playbook for this. Right. Which is why it's so important for us to come together as an industry. And you mentioned us to us to weigh in the sustainability. Summit sustainability is responsibility Summit, we are just add together. And it's where tourism boards and DMCs and cruise lines and tour operators came together. And we're all in different places, right? And that's okay. The fact that we're all at the table is the most important thing. And we're all there to help each other no matter where if you're just starting out and you don't know where to go, which is a ton of the time. Lucky for us, we have had a great path for so many different. There's so many different things to tackle, oh my goodness. But as long as you're there, and you are focused on doing the right thing, we can move this forward together.

Speaker 1  17:52  

Yeah, that's you know, that that tends to be a reoccurring theme is don't become paralyzed by perfection, start something somewhere, start talking about your vision and your goals for your organization. And then you start bringing your previous you know, your current loyal guests on that journey with you and hopefully converting them Yep, they now implement into their lives and and attracting that new consumer that is really looking to align those values. So important. So how do you you know, how do you engage and educate your sales team and your staff? And, and the importance of I mean, I know you mentioned that it's really part of everyone's DNA. But is there ever an instance where there's kind of a newbie on board and you need to make sure that everybody is up to speed?

Speaker 2  18:47  

Yep. Yeah. So I mean, one of our core values is we care, right? So that's an obviously everyone goes through training. And they learn that core values and go through the sustainability. And the sustainability part is like 130 pages. So we also try to make it more approachable for everybody. Right to have snippets, I think there's different ways of talking about it and understanding it as well. What is great within the organization is we do have a sustainability team or and our lead is actually she's lead for sustainability. But she's also lead for organizational development, which I think is critically important, right? And that's newer that we've done that and I love it because that means that sustainability isn't the standalone thing, right? It is in the organizational development, how we're developing our organization, which also means our people because you don't have an organization without people. Right. So when people are on boarded at Hurtigruten, to be honest. They, they will have a passion for sustainability if they're joining us realistically, kind of like when I was I hadn't heard of this company before and the first thing that jumped out at As the their sustainability practices, and it was something I knew I needed to be part of. So we start from a good place, because hopefully it's somebody that's seeking it to be part of the team with us. But and then we continuously give updates. It's always how we lead, you know, our town halls or OKRs. You know, we have five huge big ones. One of them is sustainability, right and being responsible in China. Okay, our story objectives and key results. So right, so it is, it's a big part of what we do. So you, you get it by osmosis, whether you want it or not. Of course, everybody does. And then we just ensure that we're continuing to give any single update. So on our c zero project, or zero emission ship as an example, we're always looking for snippets, updates and information where we're at because we're in the research phase as to how to do that today, right? Because there's a ton of things to consider the battery size that we need, for an example isn't developed yet. So how do we get to that development, but we have all that information that we're sharing across all parts of the organization, because everybody, it's important to everyone everyone wants to know, that's

Speaker 1  21:15  

amazing. And it's just more proof that not only are travelers looking for organizations that align with their values, but saw our employees, and it is really an ability to turn a an employee from just a job, just checking a box to thinking about this as a long term career and in a lifetime employee, hopefully, or a lot of their life. So how let's, let's talk about your day to day your marketing, sales and marketing. And so how are you? How do you decide what sustainability initiatives that you talk to the guests about? And how you market those and what platforms? You know, I know, you can't go into all of it. But what are some of the highlights? Yeah,

Speaker 2  22:08  

so I think we start with Well, first of all, we always start with the destination. Right? We start with Norway. And to be honest, Norway is fairly far along right with their sustainability practices and what they're, they're putting in place as a country. And then you also have the EU that is putting a lot of things into place, especially around you know, anti greenwashing, right, and because we're a European country, we're adhering to those as well. So a lot of things come naturally and this should be natural. So you don't have to use the word sustainability. I would even garter to guess that throws people off a lot I mean, we've been using ecotourism and different things but the way we talk about it so we start with Norway and why you want to go with Norway and a lot of it is sustainability like sea nature in its natural form, right see wildlife naturally see how you the right way to interact with the community don't descend like 10s of 1000s of people on it that are going to buy tchotchke and you know, reef again and not take more than that with them. So it's woven into from social media to our flights, everything that we do because it is an natural, authentic, responsible way to be traveling and seeing a nation and what they're doing and you know, why the culture preserving the cultures are so important why telling the history historical stories are so important we are really about education. We have experienced teams on board that are that are have lectures, you know, every single day if you choose to go see them but those stories and we're really pushing for the chips which I just found out this morning is happening to share like videos and images from the chips of what is truly happening on board. I never want to see a like photo shoot with talent. In Norway. We don't need that it is you know, it's see it in its its natural beauty and the way local trout local travelers are seeing it as well. And by default, because we offer it tourists that are going to see it so I feel like it's not hard if we over force talking about sustainability, right. I think that that's tricky. We try to weave it into all that we do. We've done sustainability specific webinars. And I think that it's almost better to be weaving in share the message that we are, you know, 80 over 80% of our food on board is locally sourced share the message that we don't use single use plastics, right we we need to just continue sharing those messages in every day. You know what we do and even one of our big as selling points is we have a Northern Lights promise if you go between, you know, September 20 and march 31 with us round trip and don't see the northern lights, we send you back for free. But the message around the northern lights with us is why come to see it with Hurtigruten. Number one, Norway's under the Euro oval, and you know, it's at the maximum beauty right now. But on ship, you can get out a light pollution, right, you can get out of get out of cloud cover, and you can see them in this really natural way.

Speaker 1  25:32  

So you mentioned a little bit about, you know, being authentic, not really leading with sustainability. But for somebody sitting in your shoes for let's say, a company that this hasn't been part of their DNA. And they're really just starting to dig their heels in. How do you think that mesh message starts to get filtered out? What does that look like?

Speaker 2  25:59  

Yeah, I think that first you need to be really authentic, right? You need to be really authentic, you need to be really truthful, have resources, we have resources and dedicated pages on our website. So do that as well. I would also say you need to get the message Open, Join with the community find your I mean, I've used your SQL is the industry coming together, find communities where you can come together and have like dislike discussions and learn what others are doing that are that is resonating. Right. I've talked to partners before about because there's no, you know, standard certification or say like, you can't just put a green like leaf, like how do you? How do you say you could put a green life leaf on this cruise to say it's eco friendly and not others? But do you do that and then click click on a box to learn more about what that whether it's a hotel or a cruise ship company or a DMC or or a tourism board to learn more about what they're doing. So I think coming together as an industry and getting ideas from industry, I think is critically important. And it doesn't have to be hotel, the hotel, I think we all learn a lot from each other. And then you can also do you can do it in your in your newsletters that you're going out always include just always have it there as a constant write just you know, what's new with us and the things that we're trying to work on. Because I think it's about the efforts and it's not where you're at. It's your intention. And I think sharing the intention goes a long way.

Speaker 1  27:40  

And I think that's a really important point that I think some times because, at least here in the United States, we're kind of in, we're still in its infancy. And when we talk about ecotourism, eco friendly travel sustainability thing people naturally associate with, Okay, well, that has to be on the coast, or that has to be in a really forested area. And you can find culture, uniqueness, all of those things that tie in to sustainability, anywhere you're at, it's just about stopping to start to learn about those places and be intentional and learn about what problems they have and what what history they have. So I think that that was a really important point you made. So let's go back really quick. I know we we've mentioned it a couple of times. But for those listeners out there that aren't familiar with a U. S. T. O, A, let's talk about really quick, they just had a meeting, how that could be of resource to other organizations out there that are looking for that community to learn and grow from when it comes to sustainability.

Speaker 2  28:54  

Yeah, so the United States tour operators Association, I feel has really led they just did their third sustainability is responsibility Summit. And I've really gone to their network to ask everyone to to almost take a pledge for sustainability, right as a responsibility to their organization and to the places that they travel. And so for me, it's so I'm, I've been honored that I've been able to be part of it. But it's amazing that all of us can be in a room, as I mentioned, is from tourists operators to DMCs to cruise companies to the tour operators. But we're all there to learn from each other as different topics. So we talked about certification versus accreditation to certify to not certify, because that is debilitating if you start to talk about that. Right. We talked about partnerships and what partnerships mean and and what does success look like and what is the outcome that you're looking for? And we talked about the business case for sustainability, right. So it was an all of us are at all different levels. But we learned so much from each other. And literally every day, we were writing postcards back to ourselves on the key things we wanted to go back and do. And I will tell you, they will hold us accountable to that. And do check ins to see where we're at, do we need help? What resources do you need. And so they're building this from scratch too. But that's the importance of the industry coming together, right for us to show our responsibility to these lands that we want to protect so that people can go back to them so that they will be there to go back. And as those consumers go there, they come back with even more of a sense of oh my gosh, I now understand why it's so important to protect where we're traveling to.

Speaker 1  30:45  

And that's such a great resource, because like you said, we this has to be a collaborative movement. But what I always mentioned is, but that doesn't mean that you can't carve out your unique value proposition and use sustainability to try to attract more guests. It's just a way I think, to enhance your brand, in this really crowded space, right. And we'll make sure that we link that along with all the other good stuff you're talking about. But so if there are organizations out there that don't know about us to a that, they can find them and they can hunt down those resources and hopefully, you know, get involved. So you

Speaker 2  31:27  

didn't mention sir, I was just gonna say you did mention in the beginning as well, the ATA the adventure trade Travel Association, we work a ton with innovation, Norway, or visit Norway, your tour sports are the destinations, you're going to, as well as tourism here. So there's, there's several out there that and we all kind of gravitate together, right and being able to move these together. So and tourism cares as building out meaningful travel maps, right into different destinations, where you're going to ensure the suppliers that you're engaging with or the experiences are truly sustainable and giving back to the economies in which they're in. There's so many good things that are going on. I know I talked just because I just came back from Singapore. But there's fantastic resources out

Speaker 1  32:17  

there for sure. That there really are. And that's a great point that you are not alone. There are tons of great resources that can get you started or help you to deepen the commitments that you've already made. And that brings me to a question. Okay, so for a company that is really in bed with sustainability, and it is it is part of your DNA, how do you start to deepen commitments? Is there a methodology or think about adopting additional practices? What does that look like?

Speaker 2  32:55  

Yeah, I mean, this is where we are guiding Scott star are kind of the targets that we've set for ourselves, right. But that doesn't mean that that's cast in stone. Right? And it is, so this year, a good example, is we really focused in on food waste, right? That's, that's, it's a huge one, particularly with cruise ships. And so we've also we've started this edible food waste reduction. So we will come when we come in to put into one of our ports, we actually bought compost machines that 24 hours later, turns it into compost that we actually then move to one of the farms that they fertilized with that which we then get our supplies from, right, so we're focused on reducing, so we're calculating the grams of food waste, and we've been able to get that down. But then what is it that you're actually doing with that way? So that's a good example of getting deeper, right? Like, that's getting deeper and contributing to, you know, circular economy as well, right, which is, which is an ideal goal. But that's a good example of us being like, we need to do more like we used smaller plates, right. And we did all these different things to reduce food waste, but this is our next step that we just recently actually announced.

Speaker 1  34:21  

I love that because I think you know, this, the word sustainability, if you haven't started on your journey, it's just like, oh, my gosh, where do I start? And I think there's this misconception that you have to, you know, continue to add all these things. There has to be this big long list. But really, it's about how impactful are you with the implementations or the projects that you are putting into place. So even if you are starting with one, it's not a one and done the boxes check. How can you make sure that you are continuing to deepen that commitment and eventually reaching like you're saying, of circular economy model, that it's doing good closing the loop on all of this. So that's, I think a reminder to the audience that start with something and make sure that you are doing it as well and deep as you can and then, and then look to add on, you know, don't try to do everything. Yeah, it's so All right. So as the younger generations are up and coming, you know, when I was on cruise ships, it was really it was those baby boomers, it was definitely a segment of the market that loves to cruise and that has changed drastically. So millennials, Gen z's, you know, and these younger generations, how are you tailoring itineraries or your sales and marketing and your messaging to attract them.

Speaker 2  35:55  

So for us, we are still very that 55 to 70. Right, because they they need time, for the length of our itineraries and and money to go right, we are seeing more interest in either skip Gen or multigene. Travel as well. But again, for us, it is in part, the destination, right? This whole concept of colocation, eating and avoiding like high peak, right, like Norway, with us, but also just Norway as a destination, you can go to all year and have a completely different experience. So we go there 365 days a year, we've got seven ships along the coast for the original, and then we have the troll fjord that does our premium Signature Series experience, which

Unknown Speaker  36:42  

also goes to to

Speaker 2  36:43  

Svalbard. But with that, like Norway, itself lends itself to what Millennials are looking for, as an experience, right? Like that is altering because it's altering from the baby boomers. So we haven't, I think it's just what we are doing is almost even resonating more with them, right. So we actually haven't altered a ton just because our core really is still that 55 to 70. But we are trying to find different ways in different places, different places to find them. So it's I would say we haven't altered a ton just because I think that both the destination and our sustainability approach, I find they actually seek us out a little bit. And I feel we could probably do more as well. But we do cast a wide a wide net, but still tend to get the older generation that has more time more time to travel to Norway.

Speaker 1  37:47  

And that makes complete sense. But that actually kind of flips the theory on its head, that instead of you needing to go after them, they're seeking you out because it is resonating with them. And I can tell you I'm not 55 yet, but you know, it resonates with me. It's definitely something that's on my bucket list. And I'm I'm not of that age group. So all right, so let's switch gears a little bit. Let's talk about the itineraries. I know you have your favorites. Yeah, that's about their letter really unique and special about them and make that will make everybody as soon as this podcast is over by their their trip on Hurtigruten this year.

Speaker 2  38:31  

Yeah, so this one is actually really hard for me. So my my favorite is our signature series, the North Cape line. It starts in Oslo. So you get into Oslo, which is just so beautiful. You see the beautiful opera house and then you see our ship sitting there and it's just for me, it's definitely a moment of pride. But sailing out of Oslo is unbelievable. You get into Christians and you get to go to the South Cape, so the southernmost point of Norway and then you go up the coast Lofoten is just I literally walked up the Sherpa trail steps sat and absorbed the view of Lofoten when we were there, I loved it and then you get to go north. The North Cape which is the northernmost point of mainland Europe is just it's so special. So I get to do this itinerary I get to do the entire almost the entire coastline of Norway and with the signature series, our roast which is our flagship, fine dining, the experience and the service and they there's a wine pairing you can choose as well is just unbelievable. And we've got you know, we've got mixologist on board the teacher about the local gins and aqua beads and do these like really special cocktails. So it is a fabulous experience. And that ship actually does the Norwegian coastline and Svalbard in the in the swell summer made through September and Svalbard Is it's 800 miles from the North Pole, it's an extremely special place, but a place that is absolutely being affected by climate change. Right. So also very, very special. And so that's our signature series. And then, you know, whenever I can hop on the Norwegian coastal Express that's connecting those 34 communities and just I love sitting in the bakery and watching the locals and they're on and, you know, knitting and they're doing their thing, and you're just like, I can't believe I get to be part of this. And I have that feeling. Every time that I'm on ship, it's just, it's amazing. I don't know, it's there's a word that they use in Norway called free looseleaf, which is really about kind of being one act, outdoor activity, but being one with the land. And I kind of mentioned it before. And if you let Norway in, which really should be your reason for going there. It can be a life changing experience, genuinely, it

Speaker 1  40:58  

sounds like it. Yeah, it really does. I can feel like how heartfelt and how much it touches you. And that, I think is what is really special about cruise travel, you see the landscape in such a different perspective. When I was on ships, and we would go to Alaska, that's how I felt. But you know, you you made a really important point, which is why it is so important that we are digging in and we are making these changes, although they seem difficult, and they can add a little bit of cost, capital expenditure, because these places are not going to be around if we do not and you know, you mentioned something similar to that before we started recording. But just how important it is that we protect these places, don't you feel?

Speaker 2  41:56  

Yeah, absolutely. I think when you go and you experience it, I mean, the fjords and the mountains and the landscape and the Sami culture and the you know, and you go, and then you you take it home a little bit with you, right, you go, I understand why we need to protect the places that we traveled to, and you come home and you realize you need to protect home to you want, you know, our organic people choose organic, because they want to protect their bodies, right we and the health of their bodies, we need to protect the health of you know, wildlife, communities, seas and lands. Absolutely.

Speaker 1  42:37  

And I think when you are in touch with those communities, it really hits home. It's it is our responsibility no matter how, regardless of how far away we are. It's all one in the same and it's all interconnected. So all right, I'm sure you've got things to do today. So let's wrap up. What what do you what inspires you, and gives you hope about the future and sustainability? In just in general, and in the world of cruising? Yeah.

Speaker 2  43:16  

So I get inspired when I'm with like minded people, right? who truly care. And in this industry, there are so many of those, we don't all know what we're doing all the time. And we do misstep, and we do you know, but the fact that we're there to catch each other fall or to propel us forward is so inspiring to me. And then part of that, and this doesn't always happen where I in my work life, which I feel is should be synonymous really with my personal life. But I get to bring that into my personal life. Right and the passion and I do I just, maybe I'm too trusting, but I do trust that, you know, we will do the right thing. And it's hard because people to your point before there's competing priorities, profitability is a really big one, right? You've got a lot of big cruise ships in the Caribbean that is cheap and cheerful and profitability is the focus. Right? And you mentioned it before North America, the US has a long way to go, I think with with what we need to do, and how we need to protect but I think people do want to do the right thing. And I'm and I am motivated by that. I

Speaker 1  44:37  

agree with you. 100% I think when people know what we're up against, and you can touch them emotionally, they they want to do that right thing no one wants to not everybody has a love for some kind of nature, you know, at some level so, Carly, thank you so much for Spending your your morning with us. I know you're busy. Do you? Are you off to a cruise anytime soon? Are you land base for a while?

Speaker 2  45:10  

I am so excited. I actually just finished the last of my travel two days ago until the middle of August. So I am I am college bound. I am very excited. So thank you, Amy. I couldn't honestly this was absolutely wonderful. Thanks.

Speaker 1  45:26  

You're so kind. It was wonderful to meet you. It was wonderful to have this conversation. I can't wait to share with our audience and I hope that they are inspired to go take a cruise with you. Enjoy your summer and all that that has in store for you everyone. Thank you so much for joining us again, we can't do this without your support. So we plead with you to like and subscribe to our newsletter, we will drop a link in the show notes. So you can get those tips, those actionable steps and resources that you need to start your journey. Those snippets from our favorite episode episodes and some of those really cool, innovative and sustainable products that you're looking for. So I'm Amy, one of your hosts. I can't wait to see you again on the next episode. Have a great day everyone.