'Celebrities can shine a light on the fragility of sensitive destinations'
Most of us are used to seeing Antarctica through the lens of a natural history programme, often with a voiceover telling us how threatened the wildlife and environment are.
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.
However, partnering with public figures better known for their contribution to more mainstream TV – Calman, for instance, featured on Strictly Come Dancing, while weather presenter Carol Kirkwood has sailed with Hurtigruten – doesn’t mean the resulting output needs to be any less responsible or environmentally sensitive.
In January 2022, Aranui Cruises featured on ITV’s Islands of the Pacific, with actor Martin Clunes embarking on a 10,000-mile voyage in search of the real Pacific onboard a passenger-freighter to the Marquesas.
His interactions with the local Polynesian crew and the local horseman on the island of Ua Huka, who tame and train the local wild horses in the sea, highlighted best practice, ensuring local communities benefit from the tourism economy in a thoroughly engaging way.
During Cruising with Susan Calman, I was impressed by how she directly addressed the issue of whether she should be cruising to the white continent at all, and was far from the only passenger concerned about the effects of climate change on the region.
A guide on Deception Island in the South Shetlands outlined how, as Antarctica has no permanent population, passengers themselves need to be ambassadors and speak up for the conservation of the region when they are back at home.
The programme also highlighted how both seal and whale populations have flourished in recent years thanks to hunting bans and strict controls on how these waters are used.
Calman also clearly and engagingly explored the rules and regulations governing travel to Antarctica. The majesty of the landscape was not lost on her either; a number of times, she was visibly moved and humbled by the wilderness she was experiencing.
Expedition cruise brands are not the only travel companies to seek a business benefit from working with well-known personalities. The resulting content and broadcasts can act as immersive brochures, putting the extraordinary, difficult-to-reach destinations within touching distance. They also bring to life the very special experiences our members offer.
It must not be forgotten the vast majority of ECN members work with citizen science projects, with passengers participating in, and contributing to, projects such as Happywhale eBird, Penguin Watch, The Polar Citizen Science Collective and South Georgia Heritage Trust.
Others host scientists who would otherwise not be able to reach certain destinations to explore the impacts of climate change and monitor the health of flora and fauna. Indeed, the episodes with Susan Calman highlighted the scientific and regional expertise onboard Scenic Eclipse during her expedition, including a dedicated Discovery Team of up to 20 experts.
I truly do feel that done in the right way, engaging celebrities can not only bring these trips to new audiences, but also highlight to viewers how responsible travel works and how it can benefit wildlife and eco-systems in very sensitive destinations.
Martin Johnson is chair and co-founder of the Expedition Cruise Network. He is also a TTG 30 Under 30 alumnus.
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