Ponant Explorations CEO backs booming Aussie market and says “access” is the new luxury

• Australian guests are booking small ship luxury cruise line Ponant Explorations in increasing numbers.
• The line has plans to develop into a Ponant travel company.
• And the line is extending its season in Japan.

Australia has become a strategic part in Ponant Explorations’ global plans, with new CEO Benoît-Étienne Domenget using his first Sydney visit to spotlight the strength of the local market and the changing desires of luxury travellers.

In conversation with Ponant Explorations Asia Pacific CEO Deb Corbett, Domenget made it clear that Australia matters not only as a destination, but as one of the company’s most important outbound growth markets.

“We’ve seen a booming 2025 as a market, outbound, double-digit growth,” Domenget said. “That is obviously pretty remarkable.”

He said his expectation is that the momentum will continue. “My best guess is that tendency will continue, given how craving Australia is to learn, to discover and to travel the world.”

For Ponant, that appetite for meaningful travel fits neatly into a wider shift in luxury travel behaviour – one Corbett neatly summed up during the discussion.

“We talk a lot in this market,” Corbett said, “and we talk about access as the new luxury.”

Corbett pointed out that travellers are no longer simply interested in collecting possessions.

“People are so sick of bringing goods and things home,” she said. “They want to bring those stories home.”

Domenget agreed and said this idea of privileged access is central to Ponant’s future.

“We are a company willing to grow, we are a company willing to offer more opportunities to our guests, our explorers,” he said. “But ultimately, the battle is access. It’s making sure that we continue to access areas where you can see something that, again, you haven’t seen in your life.”

‘I tried a cruise – then became the boss

“Australia, as a destination, is a very good example, completely mirroring the values of the uncharted world, voyager spirit and togetherness.”

Domenget, who has been CEO for just five months, said that he had spent time talking to staff, guests and anyone associated with the brand and discovered that the one word most associated with Ponant was: exploration.

He also revealed that before joining Ponant, he decided to test the product himself, taking a mystery cruise with his family last summer.

“Never buy something which you haven’t been able to taste,” he said.

While he already knew the brand from the outside, the real experience convinced him to sign on. “What really impressed me the most: It’s not only about the destination, but it’s about the spirit.”

He praised “the authenticity, the simplicity, the eye contact, the attention to detail, the willingness to serve”. That, he said, remains one of the brand’s defining strengths.

Ponant as a travel company

His ambition is to build Ponant as a travel company deeply rooted in maritime expertise.

“The natural evolution of Ponant is to be completely a traveller’s company, deeply rooted in its maritime know-how.”

That also means extending the guest experience beyond the voyage itself. “A journey with us doesn’t stop at the cruise, and doesn’t end at the departure.”

When Corbett asked him to define the company’s ambition, Domenget’s answer was concise. “Being the undisputed leader in exploration.”

Plans to extend the Japanese season

Expedition leader Ryo Ijichi said Aussies were flocking to Ponant’s Japanese season, where the line has deployed two ships to meet demand.

Ijichi, Ponant’s Japan/Korea Branch Manager, said international guests dominate the Japanese itineraries, with Australians and New Zealanders making up a significant share.

“About 50% French, 20% Australia, New Zealand,” he said.

Japanese guests, by contrast, remain fewer for now, largely because the price point is made for an international audience and the exchange rate worked against the Japanese currency.

Australians, on the other hand, are becoming a distinctive and much-loved presence on board. “There’s always some Australians around, always the cheerful, easygoing…” Ijichi said.

For him, Aussie passengers bring a balance to the onboard atmosphere.

His affection for Australian guests was obvious, and his comments suggest Ponant’s Japan product resonates strongly with the Australian expedition traveller — curious, adaptable and socially engaged.

At present, Ponant’s Japan season runs from late February through to May, a little over three months.

“I’m hoping that will expand a little bit more,” Ijichi said.

There are already plans to add an autumn season. “If that happens, we’ll have about five months as a season, which would be nice.”

That extended season would only deepen the destination’s appeal for Australians, who are already proving to be one of the strongest cohorts on board.

Ponant’s ships in the region, including Le Soléal and Le Jacques Cartier, move up and down the Pacific between Japan and other expedition regions such as the Kimberley and Papua New Guinea, creating a strong regional deployment model.

For Australian guests, Japan offers a close-to-home expedition destination with cultural depth, seasonal beauty and all the enrichment that Ponant prides itself on delivering.

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