Russian tourists are increasingly looking to complement their vacations with various activities. For example, according to representatives of travel companies, yachting has become a trend in the last few years. The growing demand in this segment is also evidenced by It is a fact that this year the largest online yacht charter service, Nautal, entered the Russian market.
As the company told TRN, yachting tourism has long been a leading industry in several European countries, but this trend is only just beginning to emerge in Russia. "After rapid growth in the European market, where we are one of the leaders, we plan to ensure further growth by expanding into new markets, and Russia is of great interest to us. Russians are excellent sailors and love to relax at sea. And we want to give them more opportunities to charter yachts both in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean," emphasized Nautal CEO Octavi Uia.
Incidentally, with the arrival of Nautal yacht charter agency in Russia, travelers' choice has truly expanded: tourists can now choose from 25,000 vessels. The company's geographic reach is also extensive: currently, the service operates in 51 countries, offering yacht charters to over 300 destinations.
It's also important to note that the online service is open to collaboration with the travel industry: Nautal operates an affiliate program that provides agencies with a commission for each booking. The minimum commission starts at 3.5%. The company emphasizes that the average bill for a classic week-long charter for Russians is around €5,000. The average bill for a short-term charter, typically a day charter, is just over €1,000. "Russian yachtsmen regularly request yacht charters for €30,000 and €50,000," notes Octavi Uia.
When it comes to geography, our compatriots most often choose Spain, Greece, Italy, Turkey, France, and Croatia for their sea travels. "Italy and Spain are the countries with the most expensive yacht charters, while Turkey is renowned for its most affordable prices. Price analysis shows that the average 12-meter sailboat rental price is decreasing by 31% annually. Meanwhile, Google has recorded a 51% increase in search queries for the keyword 'boat rental' annually," the company notes.
"We're currently seeing the yacht charter industry in Russia grow rapidly—tourists are increasingly looking to take boat trips during their vacations. We, for our part, are always ready to make every effort to make yachting more accessible for both independent and organized Russian tourists," concluded Octavi Uya.
About Nautal:
Nautal is the largest yacht charter service in Spain and one of the leading boat rental platforms worldwide. The company was founded in 2013 as an online platform connecting charter companies and private boat owners willing to rent out their boats in their spare time. In 2014, Nautal's turnover amounted to €300,000, in 2015 – €1 million, in 2016 – €2.5 million, in 2017 – approaching €6 million, and by the end of 2018, exceeding €10 million. In 2018, the company closed its third round of investment, amounting to €2.2 million. Venture capital funds ENERN and Market One Capital invested in the service. Decame Group is also an investor in Nautal. The company has used the funds raised to develop markets in Russia, Europe, and the United States. The Nautal.com platform receives over 1,700,000 visitors annually. Moreover, in August 2018 alone, more than 650,000 visits were recorded.
Source: trn-news.ru