Aged 75, the youthful Møller spent the first 15 years as tourism manager for the region’s seven municipalities, and thereafter brand director for all businesses in the region.
For the last 15 years, Møller has marketed Hardangerfjord as a cruise destination and has been the trade-facing representative attending the major cruise events in the US and Europe.
Record cruise calls
Hardangerfjord finished 2022 with a record 130 cruise calls and 165,000 passengers. It has grown to a year-round cruise destination under Møller’s tenure with the last call in 2022 on December 21 and the first call in 2023 on January 4.
‘Taken into consideration that we introduced a cap of one ship per day in each port and maximum 4,000 passengers per day, this is about what we can manage in order to give both ships and guests an unforgettable stay in this holiday paradise,’ Møller told Seatrade.
He has worked tirelessly on continuous product development in the last decade and a half giving visiting cruise guests plentiful options, both in attractions and activities, targeted across multi-generations.
‘The COVID years were hard for smaller entrepreneurs and family businesses as we only had a few cruise calls in that period. Nevertheless, they survived thanks to government and local support,’ he added.
Legacy
Møller leaves a legacy in Hardanger where the local community views cruising in a positive light ‘as they see that it’s bringing life and income to municipalities with less than 1,000 inhabitants each.’
Møller will continue to assist Cruise Destination Hardangerfjord until a successor is found.
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