Latin America and Antarctica specialist, Chimu Adventures, has unveiled its largest Antarctica collection to date for 2017/18, after passenger numbers doubled since 2008 and more Aussies seek out an icy travel experience.

The new tours include Shackleton’s Antarctica, an 18-day exploration cruise; Frozen Frontier, an 11-day fundraising voyage; and In the Wake of Mawson, a 26-day expedition, in addition to a few extra exclusive opportunities.

So to suss out just what it is about Antarctica that has travellers going bonkers, we spoke to Chimu Adventures co-founder Greg Carter to get some answers.

TW: Passenger numbers travelling to Antarctica have doubled since 2008 – why do you think that is?

GC: There are several reasons why Antarctica has experienced such strong growth over the last decade.

One of the main factors that has played in Antarctica’s favour has been the increasing air capacity over the last couple of years. With four major airlines now operating flights to Buenos Aires and Santiago from all major cities in Australia as well as the possibility of a direct Hobart departure, it’s really never been easier and more affordable to travel to Antarctica.

We’ve also seen a shift in our guests’ perception of Antarctica as a destination. Until a few years ago we could really see that the global financial crisis had a major impact on demand but this turned around fairly quickly as people decided that there was no point in delaying their travel to this bucket list destination for any longer.

We’ve recognised a similar consumer behaviour again over the last two years triggered by the unease in the US and Europe particularly.

TW: Do you expect this trend to keep growing?

GC: I have no doubt that interest will keep growing. Antarctica is on the bucket list of many for a very good reason –  its remoteness, exclusivity, spectacular wildlife, dramatic landscape and the list goes on. With airline capacity at a record high and airfares as affordable as never before I really think in a few years from now passenger numbers will have doubled again.

Adding to access and affordability is also the fact that people see Antarctica as a ‘safe’ destination and in the light of all the international challenges politically, economically and socially happening over the last two years, people tend to turn to those destinations they consider as ‘safe’.

This often plays in favour of destinations that were previously regarded as off the beaten track destinations, such as Antarctica.

TW: Is Chimu leading the way for wholesalers in this region?

GC: Absolutely! We received incredible feedback from the industry for last year’s collection and tried to come up with something even bigger and better this year.

What we offer is not the ‘ordinary’ Antarctica trip. We want our guests to truly have the trip of their lifetime which we achieve by offering them those things that they can’t or are hard to find anywhere else – such as our exclusive Hobart departure, private charters, fundraising cruises and our partnerships with some extraordinary companies and personalities.

What we have just launched is not only our largest Antarctica to date but what’s more it’s also the most comprehensive Antarctica programme available in the Australian market.

Our destination specialist staff have all travelled to Antarctica and study the ships and itineraries thoroughly, rendering each and every one of them a specialist in their field.

They can consult on the pros and cons of each vessel and activity to help the industry pass expert knowledge to their agents and help secure sales.

TW: What else should the industry be doing to cater to this new trend?

GC: Despite the growing demand we’ve seen for Antarctica we still feel that the industry doesn’t realise how much variety there is available now for the traveller to Antarctica. It’s so much more than the traditional expedition cruise.

We offer experiences such as discovering the south pole on a ski craft, spending time at an Emperor penguin rookery with expert guides, or exploration adventures from the more remote Union Glacier Camp on the mainland.

Like all our programmes, this brochure gives the client full freedom to choose the vessel that suits them best then match it with the itinerary they want to travel on.

Therefore, our advice to the industry is to try to understand exactly what it is that their client is looking for in terms of their style of travel, time and budget, and then let us put together an itinerary that is perfectly tailored to their needs.

TW: What kinds of people are travelling to Antarctica?

GC: Everyone who loves adventure! While our core demographic for Antarctica is still the 55+ market, we have also seen a huge increase in young couples and solo travellers taking off on an adventure to the glacier paradise. Even families are becoming a growing market for us.

TW: What’s next in terms of offerings for those keen to explore Antarctica?

GC: There is so much more to come. We can’t wait to introduce our agent partners to an even broader collection next year that will showcase even more variety in terms of offerings.

Agent support is what we live and breathe here at Chimu and we will try to make it easier than ever for agents booking Antarctica. Guest satisfaction stays our priority and we’ll keep making sure that we’re on top of the latest developments and trends on the market.