Popularity Boost for Hurtigruten

Increased popularity of winter cruises help Hurtigruten back into profit.

After years of struggling with uncertainty and figures well into the red, Norwegian coastal voyager Hurtigruten is clawing its way up again.

Popular Northern Lights

The first three month of the year has traditionally been the toughest for the old cruise liner, which runs regular services from Bergen to Kirkenes, and back.

This year the eleven ships in service are proving popular with tourists wanting to experience snow, cold, and most of all the alluring northern lights.

“We don´t want to comment on exact figures at this time, but we can confirm that booking figures show a marked and very welcome increase for the first quarter of 2010”, says communications spokesperson, Stein Lillebo to iTromso.no.

Sixty Percent Increase

Other years, the ships have been far from full during the winter months, but this year the bookings are up 60 per cent on last year, according to Aftenposten.

This means a total of 125,000 passengers are set to experience the Norwegian coastal cruise in the first three months of this year.

And Hurtigruten are set on continuing to promote the exotic winter in Norway to tourists.

“We see the winter as one of the best things about Norway. We have to start looking at winter as a selling point in itself, not low season,” says Lillebo.