HX Honoured with 2024 Princess Royal Training Award for Excellence in Workforce Development

Award-winning polar bear safety training recognised as industry-leading by HRH The Princess Royal

London, UK Expedition company HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) has been recognised as one of the top 52 companies awarded the prestigious Princess Royal Training Award for 2024. Their ground-breaking training programme, “Guiding in Polar Bear Environments,” has been acknowledged as a leader in its field by HRH The Princess Royal, President of the City and Guilds of London Institute. The awards ceremony took place on the 21st November 2024.

HX is setting the standard in expedition cruise training, ensuring their Expedition Teams are equipped not only to provide exceptional guest experiences but also to safely navigate some of the planet’s most extreme environments. The “Guiding in Polar Bear Environments” programme focuses on safely managing encounters with polar bears and represents HX’s commitment to safety, excellence, and innovation.

As the expedition cruise industry continues to grow, HX recognised an opportunity to invest in its people to develop both their skills and experience by developing this now award-winning training programme as part of its wider investment in learning and development. The course is designed to prepare expedition leaders and teams for the unique challenges of the Arctic, particularly in the event of close encounters with polar bears.

In 2023-2024, HX successfully trained over 200 expedition guides through the programme, which includes hands-on scenarios, safety procedures, and role-playing techniques. The results speak for themselves: two seasons filled with safe and respectful polar bear encounters, ensuring the well-being of our guests and the prevention of disturbance of the polar bears through strict adherence to our safety protocols and operational procedures.

HRH The Princess Royal, who spearheads the awards, honoured 52 organisations across the UK and Ireland this year for their exemplary training and skills development. The Princess Royal Training Awards, now in its ninth year, recognise organisations that demonstrate exceptional commitment to employee learning and development. Previous awardees include renowned names such as John Lewis & Partners, IBM, and GSK, with HX now joining their ranks as an industry leader.

HX CEO, Gebhard Rainer commented on the achievement:
“Our core HX values of supporting one another and striving for continuous improvement were at the heart of this training. We are incredibly proud that our Guiding in Polar Bear Environments training programme has received this Royal recognition. It highlights our commitment to safety, innovation, as well as our focus on the well-being of both our guests and the incredible wildlife we encounter. This award is a tribute to our dedicated expedition, brand, and people teams who made this possible.

He added: “Receiving this prestigious award further cements HX’s position as a leading force in the expedition cruise industry, setting the benchmark for safety and excellence in one of the world’s most extraordinary travel environments.”

For more information on the Princess Royal Training Awards, visit Princess Royal Training Awards website.