Matt DeWitte has returned to Hurtigruten as vice president of sales and marketing for the Americas, taking up the role as the Norwegian coastal cruise operator targets further growth across North America.
DeWitte began his new position on 31 August 2026. He returns to a business he already knows well, having previously served as Hurtigruten's head of marketing for the Americas from 2022 until the separation of Hurtigruten and HX Expeditions in January 2025.
Following the split, DeWitte moved to HX, where he became head of marketing for the Americas, Australia and New Zealand.
Return to Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten chief commercial officer Iain Powell welcomed DeWitte back to the company, highlighting both his marketing experience and his existing knowledge of the North American travel trade and consumer business.
Powell said DeWitte is already familiar to many of Hurtigruten's partners and colleagues and will build on work already underway in the region.
Hurtigruten says North America is a crucial market for its future growth plans and that the company has experienced record growth in the market during 2026.
DeWitte described his return as an opportunity to reunite with former colleagues in North America and Europe and said he was looking forward to creating additional value for the brand and its guests.
Hurtigruten and HX now separate businesses
The appointment comes after a significant change in the structure of the Hurtigruten business.
DeWitte originally joined the organisation when Hurtigruten's Norwegian coastal operation and expedition-cruise business were part of the same wider group. The expedition operation subsequently adopted the HX name before Hurtigruten and HX became separate businesses.
Hurtigruten now concentrates principally on voyages in Norway and the Nordic region, including its historic Coastal Express service and destination-focused Signature voyages. HX operates separately as an expedition cruise company.
That history means DeWitte returns with experience of both sides of the former organisation as well as established relationships within the North American travel market.
North America central to Hurtigruten growth
Hurtigruten has been strengthening its commercial operation as it seeks to attract more international travellers to Norway.
Earlier in 2026, the company created its first Group Sales & Operations Manager position for North America, appointing Jordan Freese to the role. Hurtigruten said at the time that group sales were becoming a growing part of its business in the region.
The company has also continued expanding its cruise programme. Its current portfolio combines the long-established Coastal Express with Signature voyages and additional itineraries designed around Norway's fjords, Arctic coastline, North Cape and Svalbard.
DeWitte succeeds Carly Biggart, who left the vice-president role earlier in the summer.
More than 130 years on the Norwegian coast
Hurtigruten traces its origins to 1893 and remains closely associated with the Norwegian coast. Unlike many conventional cruise operations, its Coastal Express continues a service originally established to connect coastal communities while carrying passengers and cargo.
The company's combination of transport heritage and small-ship leisure cruising gives Hurtigruten a distinctive position within the wider cruise market, particularly among travellers looking for destination-led voyages in Norway.
Sources
Travel Market Report: Hurtigruten appoints new VP, Sales and Marketing, Americas