As rising temperatures, overtourism and evolving traveller priorities continue to reshape holiday choices, more clients are looking beyond traditional beach escapes in search of experiences that offer something deeper.
Cooler-climate destinations, extraordinary wildlife encounters and meaningful connections with nature are increasingly influencing travel decisions.
For travel advisors, this presents an opportunity to introduce clients to a different style of journey, one where exploration, education and discovery take centre stage.
Expedition cruising is particularly well positioned to meet this demand, providing access to some of the world’s most remote regions while combining adventure, cultural immersion and learning.
Reflecting growing interest in experience-led travel, HX Expeditions has expanded its 2027/28 polar programme across Antarctica, Greenland and the High Arctic.
Here are three destinations worth having on your clients’ radar for 2027.
Svalbard: A Front-Row Seat to Arctic Wildlife
For clients drawn to wildlife and remote exploration, few destinations rival Svalbard.
Located between mainland Norway and the North Pole, this remote archipelago is characterised by immense glaciers, rugged mountains and icy fjords. It’s also home to some of the Arctic’s most iconic wildlife, including polar bears, walrus, reindeer and seabirds.
HX’s 2027/28 programme features 23 separate Svalbard departures, providing multiple opportunities for travellers to explore this extraordinary region.
Each voyage is shaped by weather, ice conditions and wildlife encounters, ensuring no two expeditions are exactly alike.
For advisors, Svalbard is an excellent recommendation for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers and adventure travellers seeking an experience that feels genuinely removed from everyday life.
Black Friday Offer
- Save up to 10% on selected Svalbard expeditions
- Featured itinerary: Svalbard in Spring – The Return of the Sun (9 days) with round-trip flights from Oslo
- Cabins from $10,516pp
- Offer ends 2 December 2026. *Conditions apply.
Greenland: The Discovery Destination
If Antarctica is the icon, Greenland is the discovery.
Long overlooked by mainstream tourism, the world’s largest island is rapidly emerging as one of the Arctic’s most compelling destinations.
Vast fjord systems, towering icebergs, dramatic mountain landscapes and colourful coastal settlements combine to create an experience that feels both authentic and refreshingly different.
Its appeal extends beyond the scenery. Greenland offers travellers the opportunity to learn about Inuit culture and traditions while engaging with communities that have lived in this remarkable environment for generations.
Recognising growing demand, HX has expanded its Greenland programme for 2027/28 with more departures and itinerary options than ever before.
Greenland resonates particularly strongly with culturally curious travellers, repeat international visitors and clients who have already experienced traditional European destinations and are looking for something genuinely different.
For advisors, it offers something increasingly rare: a destination that still feels undiscovered.
Black Friday Offer
- Save up to 35% on selected Greenland expeditions
- Featured itinerary: Serene Greenland – Exploring the Largest Fjord System on Earth (10 days) departing Reykjavik
- Cabins from $10,426pp
- Offer ends 2 December 2026. *Conditions apply.
Antarctica: The Last Great Wilderness
Few places inspire the same sense of wonder as Antarctica. Often described as the last great wilderness, the White Continent offers travellers the rare opportunity to experience a landscape largely untouched by human development.
Towering icebergs, immense glaciers, breaching whales and vast penguin colonies create a setting unlike anywhere else on Earth. For many travellers, Antarctica represents the ultimate bucket-list destination and a genuine once-in-a-lifetime experience.
HX’s 2027/28 programme includes an expanded selection of departures, with more opportunities to experience its popular Highlights of Antarctica voyage, alongside longer expeditions that venture deeper into the continent’s remote regions.
Guests can also participate in citizen science initiatives or optional activities such as kayaking and overnight camping on the Antarctic ice.
For advisors, Antarctica appeals particularly strongly to bucket-list travellers, milestone celebrants and clients seeking transformational travel experiences.
Black Friday Offer
- Save up to 25% on selected Antarctica expeditions
- Featured itinerary: Highlights of Antarctica (12 days) including round-trip flights from Buenos Aires
- Cabins from $14,599pp*
- Offer ends 2 December 2026. *Conditions apply.
Helping Clients Discover a Different Kind of Adventure
The growing interest in polar destinations reflects a broader shift in travel preferences. Increasingly, travellers are seeking experiences rather than simply ticking destinations off a list.
Authenticity, exploration, wildlife encounters and meaningful connections with the natural world are becoming just as important as the destination itself.
As demand for experience-led travel continues to evolve, these polar destinations offer advisors an opportunity to broaden the conversation beyond traditional cruise and touring recommendations and introduce clients to some of the world’s most remarkable regions.
Advisor Resources
Travel advisors can access a range of tools and training to support sales conversations and destination knowledge:
- Explore the 2027/28 brochure: View the digital brochure or order a printed copy.
- HX Agent Portal: Access campaigns, promotional offers and sales resources.
- HX Training: Complete training modules to deepen your knowledge of expedition cruising.
- Agency presentations and webinars: Request a consumer webinar, agency presentation or in-person training session.
- Travel advisor community: Join the HX ANZ Travel Advisor Facebook group.
For sales support and itinerary recommendations, contact your local HX Business Development Manager:
Ben Gorman | [email protected] | VIC, SA, NT, WA and TAS
Kat Nitarski | [email protected] | NSW, ACT, QLD and New Zealand
