Shipyard shortage caused job losses
This year's summer season was very active in terms of yacht tourism in Turkey. Especially the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts attracted a great deal of interest from both domestic and foreign tourists during the summer season. Begüm Doğulu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Yacht Tourism Association, said that the lack of mooring capacity and the fact that the yacht harbours in Turkey are insufficient and small for the mooring of the current mega and super yachts in the world, not being updated in size, and the lack of shipyards with the capacity to respond to the maintenance and repair services of yachts cause loss of business.
In 2024, while yacht tourism continued to grow rapidly in Turkey, some important problems came to the fore, Doğulu said, ‘These problems drew attention as factors affecting sustainable growth and quality in the sector. While the demand for yacht harbours in Turkey increased significantly, especially in the summer months, the existing harbour infrastructure had difficulty in meeting this intense demand. The insufficiency of yacht mooring spaces, especially in popular areas, posed a major problem for yacht owners and charter companies.’
Stating that yacht tourism is a field that requires qualified and well-educated personnel, Doğulu said, ‘The rapid growth in the sector has led to serious problems in finding qualified personnel to work especially on super yachts. This situation has created problems both in terms of customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Especially in popular destinations such as Bodrum, Marmaris and Göcek, sea traffic was quite intense. This situation caused both security problems and restricted the yachts' ability to travel comfortably. Heavy traffic caused an increase in accidents and additional risks for yacht owners. These problems stand out as the main challenges awaiting solutions for the sector to grow in a more sustainable and organised manner.’
‘The season started late for foreign yacht owners’
Doğulu said that the season started a little late for foreign yachtsmen due to the unseasonable temperatures, especially in September and October, superyachts over 100 metres will be seen more in the bays of Turkey, ‘One of the biggest factors for domestic and foreign tourists to turn to yacht tourism and the increase in awareness of yachting is the early lifting of travel restrictions in our country after the pandemic and the revival of international travel, which has resulted in a significant increase in demand for yacht tourism and people turning to yacht tourism, which offers an isolated and luxurious holiday experience.’