Hurtigruten new name for Norwegian Coastal Voyage
Norwegian Coastal Voyage is being rebranded as Hurtigruten following the merger of its two parent companies in Norway, OVDS and TFDS.
Hurtigruten aims to be the leading player in the explorer cruise market. By utilising resources and improving buying power the organisation will provide aggressive pricing and improved product opportunities to help it compete and develop, the company said.
The merger, which was agreed in December 2005, sees NCV’s dual ownership by OVDS and TFDS dissolve as separate organisations and re-emerge as a single, more powerful player.
Hurtigruten is launching begins a campaign in the UK to continue building its share of the Norwegian cruise market as well as promoting new destinations, new itineraries and new vessel, The Fram, which is due to enter service in 2007.
UK managing director Iain Cottam said: “We know we will need to review every area of our current operation and the name change and new logo is just the first step on our journey.
“We will look at everything from on-board product and sales to distribution, revenue management and IT. We need to ensure that we are well positioned to compete in a market that continues to thrive, and achieve our aim to be the leading player in explorer cruises to the polar regions.
“We will continue to build partnerships with travel agents and tour operators and seek to maximise our distribution channels. Hurtigruten will retain its important brand values of authenticity which have made the company so successful, and the focus will be to develop areas of pristine beauty as we recognise our passengers don’t want just a cruise – they want a memorable experience. Strategically this is an exciting time for everyone involved in Hurtigruten.
“The merger will give Hurtigruten much stronger presence in the international market. Across the world, we will now operate under one name which will enhance our corporate image and build our profile in all our markets, especially the UK. In an ever competing market, the merger strengthens our position to be more aggressive with our competitors on both price and product and the UK will see the impact of this over the coming 12 months.”
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt