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The docks in the resort town of Bodrum in Mugla, southwestern Turkey have become the new favourite destination for owners of mega yachts to dock, following a rise of COVID-19 cases reported in other countries along the Mediterranean Sea, including Spain and France.
According to a report released on Tuesday by Bloomberg, there are at least 63 mega yachts currently sailing off the coasts of Turkey; this is the highest number since 2017 – this is up from 26 during the same months when compared to last year.
Read more: Superyachts in Bodrum.
Rich customers and their yachts
Among the mega yachts that are sailing around the coastline of Turkey, Bloomberg reports, are a 140-metre Sheherazade, a 100-metre Madame Gu, which is believed to be owned by the Russian Billionaire Andrey Skoch, and a 85-metre Pacific, owned by the second richest man in Russia, Leonid Mikhelson – all seemingly enjoying summer holidays in Turkey this year.
On average, the owners of these luxury yachts, which include wealthy Europeans and Russian oligarchs, spend approximately 25 million Euros, or 194 million Turkish Liras, when they visit Turkey, staying for around three months at a time, when they do. This figure is the equivalent to the amount of money generated when Turkey plays host to 50,000 tourists staying in resort hotels along the coast.
Yacht predictions for the year
The head of the Yacht Tourism Association, Begum Dogulu, a yacht owner himself, explained in May that the industry had been expecting to see an increase of around 50% in the number of mega yachts docking this year at Turkish marinas. Last year, Turkey saw 3,500 foreign-flagged yachts docking in its ports, but only 6% accounted for by mega-yachts.
Greece and Croatia have also seen a three-year high in the number of mega yachts that have been arriving in their respective marinas. According to Bloomberg, a 162-metre Eclipse, fourth-longest yacht in the world, owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, and a 116-metre Ulysses, owned by Graeme Hart, New Zealand’s richest man, were both spotted in Croatia in recent weeks.
