LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Dear Readers,

Following Travel Market Report’s last Outlook on Alaska, the team decided to take

a look at another region that’s becoming more and more of a common ask for

consumers all over the world — the Polar regions in the Arctic and the Antarctica.

Despite challenges, the future looks remarkably optimistic for Polar Travel and for

Polar Cruises in particular — another high commission-generating segment that

travel advisors can add to their specialties.

In this, Travel Market Report’s first-ever Outlook on Polar Cruise and Travel, 42% of

the over 700 travel advisors who gave their input to TMR said they saw some level

of increase in sales to Polar destinations in 2019 and 61% predicted an increase in

sales to these destinations this year.

Our research, aside from booking trends, also takes a look at the biggest challenges

facing the specialty’s expansion and the most-likely age groups that book Polar Cruises.

And, along with that opportunity for advisors, there is also a growing opportunity for

suppliers — 68% of those surveyed said they have not taken any training in selling

Polar Travel in the last year. In fact, advisors said, the best marketing tool they have

for Polar Cruises at the moment is their own, personal experience.

We want to thank all of the TMR readers who participated in the survey along with

Quark Expeditions

for sponsoring our research, which we hope will help advisors

successfully enter the market, and those who have already entered to grow their sales.

Sincerely,

Anne Marie Moebes

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