Expedition Cruise Network conference sets sail for second year, focusing on sustainability and innovation Expedition Cruise Network conference sets sail for second year, focusing on sustainability and innovation

Mainstream mega cruises which dump thousands of passengers into coastal cities around the world are rightly derided by those looking to travel responsibly, but there is an alternative: Expedition cruises.

Typically associated with the Arctic and Antarctic, today these small, expert-led cruises are no longer limited to cold-weather destinations, taking travellers to some of the world’s most precious and remote ecosystems around the world including the Amazon and the Galápagos Islands, as well as along rivers such as the Nile or the Danube, or to remote islands.

A growing sector, the Expedition Cruise Network (ECN) was launched in 2023 with the aim of promoting expedition cruising as an enriching and environmentally conscious way to travel the world.

Earlier this week, ECN hosted its second conference in London, with cruise ship operators and travel agents in attendance. The event, sponsored by Wanderlust, featured exhibitions from 25 companies as well as talks and panels from industry leaders in expedition cruises between 29-30 September.

Akvile Marozaite, CEO and co-founder of ECN, reflected on the event, “It’s a great collection of spirited and passionate operators and buyers.

“My journey into expedition cruising all started because I attended a session similar to what we had today.”

Wanderlust Editor-in-Chief George Kipouros presented Wanderlust’s Expedition Cruise Consumer Survey Results, and Wanderlust Founding Editor, Lyn Hughes, chaired a panel of expedition cruise industry leaders.

A change in leadership was announced on the second day of the event, with Anthony Daniels replacing Martin Johnson as ECN chairperson. Johnson will continue as ECN director.

Later in the day, writer Avivah Wittenberg-Cox delivered a talk on the extended human lifespan, the ageing nature of the world’s demographic, and the opportunities that this poses for our personal and professional lives.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the expedition cruise industry has seen substantial growth and is in a “period of stability,” according to Marozaite.

However, there is a concern that certain areas are being overvisited by expedition cruises, such as Svalbard, where visitors are drawn by the large bear population. As a result, new regulations are being brought in by the Norwegian government and across the wider industry to regulate and diversify the destinations for expedition cruises.

Dan Blanchard, ship captain and CEO of Uncruise, said, “The land and the sea have to be saved. ECN has an opportunity to make our mark on the world and steer towards sustainability and conservation, something that our compatriots in the cruise industry are not doing.”

The new Svalbard regulations prohibit ships carrying more than 200 passengers from visiting the area, increase the required maintained distance from polar bears to 300-500 metres, restrict the number of landing spots and impose tighter controls on drone usage.

Francesco Zugaro, CEO of Aqua Expeditions, said, “The more they implement regulations, the better, because the destinations are protected, and guest engagement with the wildlife and nature is assured long-term.”

From emerging destinations to pioneering sustainable practices, expedition cruising is evolving and growing. With new regulations restricting access to certain destinations, tour operators and cruise companies will have to adapt to the changing times.

The ECN conference is set to return in 2026, with dates and locations to be confirmed.

More information: expeditioncruisenetwork.com/conference

Read next: Our ultimate expedition cruise guide