Frozen Planet causes Arctic holiday bookings boom

As one of the BBC's landmark nature programmes, Frozen Planet has transported millions of viewers to the icy Arctic and Antarctic with its spectacular cinematography. So perhaps it is not surprising that impressed viewers are trying to get their own slice of icy adventure by booking trips to get up close and personal with penguins, seals and whales. While the majority of Britons will be hard-pushed to get out to the more remote regions featured on the show, alternative nature-packed hotspots and polar cruises are seeing a surge in interest as viewers try to recreate what they've seen from the comfort of their sofa. Luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent says it has been 'inundated' with calls about its Classic Antarctica voyage since Frozen Planet took to TV screens. The company has announced it will put on an extra 15-night tour to cope with increased demand during the 2012-13 season. Annabel Tremaine, head of marketing for Abercrombie & Kent, said: 'Our hands-on 15-day Antarctica voyage aboard Le Boreal has really captured people's imaginations and sense of adventure, combined with the ultimate in safety and comfort. 'Our sales team have been inundated with enquiries the morning after each episode of the BBC's Frozen Planet. The fact that we can bring our clients the stunning reality they have seen on screen is really exciting.' Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor in chief of cruisecritic.co.uk, said the latest surge in interest for remote cruises is part of a general trend among holidaymakers to take to the sea in order to get closer to nature. 'One of the interesting conundrums of mass market cruising is the perception that it's for tourists, who are interested only in the superficial appeals of ports of call, rather than for travelers. But when you talk about expedition cruising, it's the complete opposite,' Ms Spencer Brown told TravelMail. 'In many cases, expedition cruises are the absolute best ways to travel to remote locales and in some cases the only way you can get to them -- such as the Galapagos and the Antarctic. Even with our tough economic situation, the appeal of expedition style cruising is growing, particularly in expanding beyond the more traditional voyages to the Galapagos and Antarctic to other hard-to-reach places like Greenland and the ports of the White Sea. We're starting to see interest in Africa's Zambezi and also the Peruvian stretch of the Amazon, which is off limits to big cruise ships, as well.' But it's not just cruises that are seeing an increase in interest due to David Attenborough's narrating skills. Hotels.com claims that alternative destinations which also offer a glimpse of the animals seen in the documentary are experiencing a boom in holiday searches. According to website Hotels.com, demand for holidays in Ecuador has seen an incredible 155 per cent increase because it is home to penguins and fur seals. Chile has also seen a rise of 122 per cent for the same reason. Internet searches for Iceland, where Orca whales have been spotted, are up by 154 per cent. And Canada is also enjoying a new found popularity - demand is up 119 per cent as Brits are keen to catch a glimpse of the country's wolves and polar bears. Even Australia and New Zealand, home to the Adelie penguin and albatross, have seen a rise of 92 per cent. And Scandinavian countries Norway and Sweden are also said to have seen a surge in interest. Searches are up 79 per cent and 56 per cent respectively as tourists go in search of wolves, seals and Arctic foxes. Kate Hopcraft, from Hotels.com, said: 'While the vast majority of fans are unable to visit the North Pole and Antarctic areas for themselves, they are evidently doing the next best thing. 'They are looking to visit places where they can see the animals in their natural habitat instead of from the comfort of their sofa.'