Travel Daily Media: How is the profile of the polar luxury traveller shifting in these regions? Are you seeing younger HNWIs or solo experiential travellers replacing traditional multi-gen families?

Manish Sonar (MS): Polar travel is gaining popularity among multi-generational families in India and Southeast Asia, mirroring trends seen in the West. As confidence in PONANT’s leadership, credibility and proven expertise continues to grow, more families are choosing these extraordinary expeditions to celebrate milestone occasions together. At the same time, we are definitely witnessing an evolution in the traveller profile. What is changing is not necessarily wealth, but motivation.

Over the last few years, we have seen growing interest from younger entrepreneurs, next-generation business leaders, successful professionals and solo travellers who are actively seeking transformative experiences in destinations that remain genuinely remote and difficult to access. They are less interested in traditional luxury markers and more in rarity, discovery, and personal achievement.

This trend closely mirrors what we see in the broader luxury travel landscape. Travellers are increasingly seeking experiences that offer restoration, immersion, wildlife encounters and meaningful stories rather than simply checking destinations off a list. Polar regions fit naturally into this mindset.

Having travelled aboard Le Commandant Charcot in East Greenland, I experienced first-hand how powerful this shift is. Guests were drawn not only by the destination itself, but by the opportunity to hike on sea ice, encounter wildlife in its natural habitat, engage with Inuit communities and explore landscapes that few people on Earth will ever see.

Multi-generational travel is growing strong, but younger HNWIs and solo experiential travellers are becoming one of the fastest-growing audiences for polar exploration, particularly when adventure and luxury coexist seamlessly.

TDM: What are the current passenger volumes for Le Commandant Charcot’s Greenland itineraries out of India and SE Asia, and what are your volume targets for the next three years?

MS: India and Southeast Asia are becoming increasingly important source markets for Le Commandant Charcot as polar exploration remains a highly specialised segment. Today, guests from India and Southeast Asia contribute a meaningful share of our Greenland business, and we continue to see steady year-on-year growth. Particularly encouraging is that demand is no longer coming exclusively from traditional luxury cruise travellers. We are seeing interest from expedition enthusiasts, younger affluent travellers, wildlife photographers, adventure seekers and well-travelled repeat guests looking for something genuinely different.

The luxury travel landscape across the region is evolving rapidly. Affluent travellers are becoming more confident in pursuing destinations that are remote, experience-led and deeply personal. Greenland, especially East Greenland, aligns perfectly with this trend because it offers rarity, authenticity and a sense of exploration that is increasingly difficult to find elsewhere.

Over the next three years, our objective is not just volume but quality growth. We aim to continue expanding awareness of polar exploration while working closely with travel advisors and luxury travel designers to identify the right guests for these journeys.

We expect India and Southeast Asia to remain among the most dynamic growth markets for Le Commandant Charcot as awareness grows and more travellers seek extraordinary experiences.

TDM: Given the high ticket price and niche destinations, what specific B2B trade initiatives are you using to train travel partners in hubs like Mumbai, Singapore, and Bangkok?

MS: Education is absolutely critical in the polar expedition segment because Le Commandant Charcot is not a product that can be sold through brochures alone. Travel advisors need to understand the destination, expedition philosophy and traveller profile that best fits these journeys.

Across India and Southeast Asia, our approach centres around regular trade engagement through roadshows, destination workshops, webinars and in-depth training sessions conducted alongside our preferred sales partners in each market. These initiatives help advisors confidently position destinations such as Greenland, Antarctica and the Geographic North Pole to the right audience.

We also invest heavily in immersive learning opportunities, including familiarisation trips when possible.

In addition, strategic collaborations with premium lifestyle and financial brands, including organisations such as American Express, help us engage affluent travellers through trusted channels while also strengthening advisor knowledge and advocacy.

The biggest opportunity today is helping partners move beyond demographic selling and towards behavioural selling. Understanding whether a traveller is seeking restoration, adventure, exclusivity, family connection or access allows advisors to identify the ideal polar journey far more effectively.

Ultimately, informed advisors create confident clients, and confidence is essential when planning a once-in-a-lifetime expedition to some of the most remote places on Earth.

TDM: How does Ponant adapt the onboard experience, particularly luxury dining and dietary requirements like vegetarian or Jain food, to suit Asian guests in remote polar environments?
MS: One of the biggest misconceptions about expedition travel is that guests must compromise on comfort or culinary expectations when travelling to remote regions. Across the PONANT fleet, the reality is quite the opposite.

For travellers from India and Southeast Asia, dietary preferences such as vegetarian, vegan or the specific dietary practices followed by guests observing Jainism are not viewed as special requests; they are an expected part of delivering a world-class hospitality experience. Our teams work closely with guests before departure to understand their individual preferences and dietary requirements, ensuring every guest enjoys a personalised dining experience throughout the voyage.

What truly elevates the experience is the culinary philosophy behind it. Across the PONANT fleet, guests enjoy menus developed in collaboration with Alain Ducasse Conseil, led by Alain Ducasse, the world’s most Michelin-starred chef. This partnership brings together French culinary excellence with the flexibility to accommodate diverse cultural preferences and dietary requirements. Whether guests prefer plant-based cuisine, vegetarian dishes or other specialised dietary requests, the culinary team delivers exceptional variety without compromising quality or creativity.

Having experienced several PONANT voyages across the fleet, including aboard Le Commandant Charcot in East Greenland, what has consistently impressed me is the exceptional consistency of the onboard experience. Guests can spend the day exploring sea ice, witnessing polar wildlife or engaging in expedition activities, and then return to refined dining experiences that would feel at home in some of the world’s finest luxury hotels.

That seamless balance between exploration and hospitality defines the PONANT experience. Even in some of the most remote corners of the Arctic, guests experience the comfort, attention to detail and culinary excellence that have become synonymous with the PONANT brand.

TDM: Is there viable demand for full or partial ship charters from corporate houses in India and SE Asia for an extreme luxury icebreaker, or does this remain strictly a FIT play?

MS: Today, Le Commandant Charcot remains predominantly a FIT and small-group product across India and Southeast Asia, but I would say the idea of charters is no longer as far-fetched as it may have seemed a few years ago.

The region’s luxury traveller is evolving rapidly. We are seeing larger family offices, entrepreneurial communities and private networks increasingly seeking experiences that are exclusive, meaningful and impossible to replicate. In many ways, the conversation has moved from “Where should we go?” to “What can we experience that nobody else can?”

So while we may not be fielding requests to charter an icebreaker to the Geographic North Pole every week just yet, the interest in highly exclusive group travel is certainly growing. In fact, we are already seeing examples globally where polar expeditions are being embraced for incentive travel, private groups and ultra-exclusive gatherings.

China has already begun demonstrating demand for chartered polar experiences, and I believe India and Southeast Asia are not far behind. As wealth creation accelerates and luxury travellers increasingly prioritise access over ownership, I would not be surprised if we see serious charter conversations emerge within the next three to five years.

For now, we can say we’re still early but perhaps not as early as many people think.

TDM: How do guests react to the stark contrast of crashing through extreme Arctic ice while sitting inside a five-star French luxury resort?

MS: This is probably the aspect of Le Commandant Charcot that surprises guests the most.

People initially book the journey for the destination. They dream about Greenland’s immense fjords, polar bears, Inuit communities, sea ice and landscapes that very few travellers will ever witness. But what often stays with them long after they return home is how effortlessly the ship combines that extreme environment with genuine luxury.

I still remember standing on deck watching the vessel navigate through thick Arctic ice while, just a few steps away, guests were enjoying world-class dining, relaxing in the spa or simply taking in the scenery from beautifully designed lounges. It creates a sense of contrast that is difficult to describe until you experience it yourself.

Le Commandant Charcot offers multiple restaurants, wellness facilities, elegant public spaces, sophisticated accommodation and the refined service standards expected of a French luxury expedition brand. Yet outside the window, you are witnessing one of the most remote and powerful environments on Earth.

Guests arrive expecting adventure and they leave inspired by the wildlife, the landscapes and the expedition experience. But they are equally impressed by how seamlessly the ship delivers comfort, warmth and hospitality in conditions where such luxury should almost feel impossible.

That combination is what makes Le Commandant Charcot genuinely unique.

TDM: Does Le Commandant Charcot’s hybrid-electric technology and scientific focus actively drive bookings among Asian luxury travellers, or is destination prestige still the main hook?

MS: The destination remains the initial hook. Whether it is East Greenland, Antarctica or the Geographic North Pole, travellers are ultimately drawn by the dream of experiencing places that few people will ever reach.

However, what we are increasingly seeing across India and Southeast Asia is that travellers want more than just a beautiful destination. They want purpose, learning and a deeper connection with the places they visit.

This is where Le Commandant Charcot stands apart. The ship’s hybrid LNG-electric propulsion, ability to operate in silent battery mode and role as a platform for scientific research add a completely different dimension to the journey. Guests quickly realise they are not simply observing the polar regions; they are gaining a deeper understanding of them.

The onboard scientific programme, climate research initiatives and citizen science opportunities often become unexpected highlights of the voyage. Many guests tell us they return home not only with extraordinary memories and photographs, but with a greater appreciation of how interconnected our planet truly is.

Having travelled aboard the ship myself, I have seen how this transformation happens. Travellers may arrive because Greenland is on their bucket list, but they leave talking about sea ice, climate science, polar ecosystems and the importance of protecting these fragile environments.

The destination opens the door. The science and innovation create the lasting impact.