HURTIGRUTEN EXPEDITIONS, THE WORLD'S LEADING EXPEDITION CRUISE COMPANY, REBRANDS AS HX (Norway)
Hurtigruten Expeditions will continue to be at the forefront of sustainability and adventure travel under a new name and brand identity, HX |
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HURTIGRUTEN EXPEDITIONS, THE WORLD'S LEADING EXPEDITION CRUISE COMPANY, REBRANDS AS HX (Norway)
Hurtigruten Expeditions will continue to be at the forefront of sustainability and adventure travel under a new name and brand identity, HX |
Category: Europe - Norway - Exclusive experiences
- What's new?
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2023-09-21
Hurtigruten Norway’s Coastal Express returns simply to Hurtigruten, the original name of the iconic route it launched in 1893.
After launching the world’s first expedition cruise in 1896, Hurtigruten Group AS is taking its adventure travel brand Hurtigruten Expeditions to the next level.
This includes a new global brand identity that will launch this December, with a new name, HX, and logo across all materials. The new name is a nod to Hurtigruten Expeditions and its origins.
Hurtigruten Norway, which celebrated 130 years of operating the original Norwegian Coastal Express this summer, will continue with the iconic name but simplified to just “Hurtigruten”, maintaining the same name as when it first launched in 1893, signifying “the fast route” in Norwegian.
Both Hurtigruten Expeditions and Hurtigruten Norway are 100 percent owned by Hurtigruten Group and form a portfolio of sustainable travel brands that includes extensive land-based activities, including hotels, restaurants, and more through Hurtigruten Svalbard, and a 25 percent stake in Ecuador-based Metropolitan Touring, the pioneers of sustainable travel in the Galápagos Islands.
"The name Hurtigruten is synonymous with travel in Norway, just as it has been a renowned travel brand for over 130 years. Today’s evolution of our brand identities is the culmination of the work that started in 2021 when we split the two brands,” said Daniel Skjeldam, CEO, Hurtigruten Group.
“HX will remain at the forefront of expedition cruising and sustainable travel as we continue to significantly grow its global presence while strengthening Hurtigruten’s iconic position on the Norwegian coast. With HX, we are investing in our high-end expedition itineraries to some of the most adventurous, remote places around the world. While we have traditionally been known as the Polar experts, we launched the Galápagos Islands last year, which is already our third most popular destination. And we will be the only cruise liner to exclusively sail the West African archipelagos of both Cape Verde and the Bissagos Islands in this year’s most exciting new itinerary, which we are launching this fall."
The new HX brand and logo will be fully implemented starting in December, with updates to brochures, websites, and social channels; livery repainting of the fleet’s six ships will commence over the next 18 months.
In 2020, the strategic separation of the two brands was announced to enhance operational and commercial autonomy for each business, allowing for the delivery of distinctly different guest experiences.
Implementation of this separation began in 2021, and earlier this year, Hurtigruten Group completed its internal restructuring to align commercial and support functions with the dedicated ship operations.
The Group also announced a fleet adjustment over the summer, shifting Hurtigruten Expeditions’ battery-hybrid-powered MS Otto Sverdrup to Hurtigruten Norway as of January 2024 while redeploying MS Maud to Antarctica due to growing demand.
In the 2024-2025 Antarctica season, HX will offer guests more choices than any other expedition cruise company, with 36 departures across eight different itineraries spanning 12 to 24 days.
As the leader of expedition cruising, HX will continue to provide its guests with the same immersive small-ship experience deeply rooted in exploration with scientific research, expert-led lectures, and community advocacy at the heart of the experience.
The Hurtigruten Group offers more itinerary options to Antarctica, the Galápagos Islands, Greenland, Svalbard, and the West African coast than any other expedition cruise company while also offering Alaska, Iceland, Canada’s Northwest Passage, the British Isles, and many other exciting destinations.
The most sustainable fleet in the industry, HX’s vessels include MS Roald Amundsen, the world’s first-ever battery-hybrid-powered ship, and its sister ship, MS Fridtjof Nansen.
Hurtigruten Group remains steadfast in its commitment to becoming the world’s most sustainable adventure travel company by investing in technologies and solutions to achieve emission-free travel by 2050. As the leader in sustainable travel, they most recently announced Hurtigruten Norway’s zero-emission ship that will launch in 2030.
About Hurtigruten Group
Hurtigruten Group is the world's leading adventure travel company, allowing guests to explore the most unique destinations in a sustainable and meaningful way. Hurtigruten Group has a proud expedition heritage and is committed to working with the best technology to ensure its products are safe and respectful towards nature, wildlife, and the communities it visits.
Hurtigruten Group has a comprehensive portfolio encompassing three business areas: HX, which founded expedition cruising in 1896 and is the world’s leading expedition cruise operator, offering small-ship expedition cruising to over 250 destinations; Hurtigruten Norway, which operates the Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Express, considered ‘the world’s most beautiful voyage,' along the Norwegian coastline since 1893; and Hurtigruten Svalbard, one of the most exclusive tour operators in the industry, offering land-based adventures on the spectacular archipelago.
Hurtigruten Group also owns 25% of Ecuador-based Metropolitan Touring, which operates expedition cruises in the Galapagos on behalf of HX.
Comment from Journal des Palaces: A very interesting name change from a marketing point of view. The new logo clearly shows the brand's luxury positioning and separates without hesitation the traditional coastal vessel from the Antarctic expeditions.
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