Susan Calman sailed to the Antarctic with Scenic (Credit: Scenic Group)
Channel 5 recently aired two episodes of a very different type of programme – Cruising with Susan Calman – which was hosted by Expedition Cruise Network member Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours, and was pitched at a very different audience.
It was a spectacular piece of television featuring soaring vistas of glacial icescapes, crystal seas and rare encounters with wildlife.
Working in a niche sector with products at, let’s face it, an exclusive price-point, I am often asked whether it is responsible to be engaging celebrities to inspire large audiences to follow in their footsteps to such fragile environments.
I am in no doubt that when actioned sensitively, celebrity engagement can certainly raise the awareness of the critical environmental and social issues at stake with an ever-wider audience, and can also serve to demonstrate how we can travel to these final wildernesses responsibly.
Explorers, naturalists and conservationists in the public eye can often align extremely well with our members’ brands. For example, Nasa scientist Dr Kathy Sullivan was a clear and natural fit as godmother of Scenic Eclipse II, while Atlas Ocean Voyages chose Antarctic explorer Preet Kaur Chandi as godmother for its ship World Voyager.
Their incredible achievements in exploration embody the sector’s spirit of adventure and mission to operate responsibly, and align with the values these brands want to embrace.
