TRAVELLERS are increasingly seeking out new frontiers and the “next horizon” to discover more about the world, with expedition cruising well placed to meet that demand, believes Heritage Expeditions CEO, Aaron Russ.
Speaking on a Thought Leaders forum at the 2024 edition of Luxperience yesterday, Russ (pictured) said current generations have more opportunities and more expedition options available to them than ever before.
“They’re always out looking for those next frontiers [and] those next opportunities,” Russ shared with the panel.
“And never before have we had such a well-travelled populace, a group of people that have had decades of opportunity to see and experience – they probably started when they were backpackers and they’ve evolved and developed as their wealth has changed [and] their lifestyles change, but they’ve continued to seek and explore over time.
“Often we see those travellers coming to some of the most remote destinations as exceptionally well-travelled people [and] guests that have seen and explored, but they’re still seeking,” Russ enthused.
The Heritage Expeditions boss, a second-generation industry leader who recently purchased the 40-year-old company from his father, said expedition cruising perfectly suits the in-fashion trend of ‘slow travel’, with travellers eager to spend longer in-destination.
Despite itineraries to Antarctica getting shorter to lower prices and appeal to new demographics, Russ said the itineraries that take the time “to stop, to see and explore” are the ones attracting new groups of travellers and the ones he considers at the forefront of “frontier travel”.
“They don’t want to just quickly move through and tick the box, they want to actually see, experience, discover what a destination has to hold.
“And above all else, they have the means, but time is the greatest of luxuries – they’re not rushing back to a job that’s waiting for them, or they’ve got to a position in life where they have others that are able to take care of things, so they have the ability to travel for longer.” ML