The world leader in exploration travel, Hurtigruten, is opening its new U.S. headquarters in Seattle, WA on September 29th. The opening of the offices comes at a time when Hurtigruten is significantly growing its presence within the competitive adventure and expedition travel space in the U.S. market.

“This is a tremendous milestone for the company as we continue to expand our U.S. operations,” says Daniel Skjeldam, CEO of Hurtigruten. “The demand is growing within the expedition travel segment and the building of a world-class office and consumer-centric facility comes at a perfect time for our continued growth in the U.S.”

In addition to administrative offices, the new headquarters will also have a consumer travel center where the public can learn about Hurtigruten voyages to destinations including Norway, Antarctica, Svalbard, Greenland, Iceland, Canada, South America and Europe; book trips; attend events; and learn more about exploration travel.

“Adventure and Expedition Travel are the fastest growing segments in the travel industry today and the USA is one of the largest source markets for this particular segment,” says Gordon Dirker, Managing Director of Hurtigruten North America. “After we reentered the US market in partnership with an external sales and marketing company nearly 4 years ago, we have grown our business to a level that justifies the opening of our very own US headquarters in Seattle. Fully staffed by a team of expert sales and marketing professionals we continue to be aggressively focused on growing our sales in the largest of all explorer cruising markets. These are very exciting times for our company.”

The milestone will be celebrated on Thursday, September 29 with a Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony led by Mr. Kim Nesselquist, Norwegian Honorary Consul. A longtime resident of the Northwest, Nesselquist was selected for one of the most prestigious honors given by his native country in 2012: Knight First Class to the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit. The opening will also include engaging activities for all ages like aquavit tastings, a Northern Lights photo booth and authentic Scandinavian appetizers.

In addition to the opening of its new U.S. offices, this has been a banner year for Hurtigruten. Earlier this year, Hurtigruten announced the construction of two new state-of-the-art vessels, which will be designed and customized specifically for adventure-rich expedition voyages in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, as well as along the Norwegian coastline. True to Hurtigruten’s commitment to sustainability, the new ships will be equipped with advanced environmentally-friendly technology to reduce emissions.

Hurtigruten is a world leader in expedition voyages, sailing to the most remote of destinations, including Antarctica, Greenland, Arctic Canada, and the Arctic’s Spitsbergen, as well as year-round along Norway's coast. The company’s fleet of 14 intimate ships, which each carry 100 to 646 guests, allows travelers to enjoy the scenery and culture of the destination in a relaxed and authentic atmosphere.