After many countries recently imposed travel restrictions - especially in some destinations on the main Mediterranean coasts - Turkey has become the preferred destination for the world's wealthy.
The economic figures for Turkey are surprising, because it has always been a destination that attracts only the Russian elite, but today it is attracting more wealthy people from all over the world.
The American magazine Forbes said in its French version in a report that Spain received 26 fewer yachts this summer compared to last year, and the number of yachts heading to France decreased by about 16 boats, and this number is unlikely to increase significantly in France after the cancellation The "Cannes Yachting Festival" that was scheduled for September.
According to the agency "Bloomberg", Turkey has attracted the world's richest people, while the number of yachts has decreased in locations such as Spain and France, as a result of re-imposing travel restrictions due to the high number of Covid-19 cases on the French Riviera.
Last July, the yacht known as "Shahrzad" - which is owned by a famous billionaire in the Middle East - anchored in Bodrum. The length of this yacht is about 140 meters, and it is classified as one of the largest luxury yachts in the world.
In mid-August, he spotted the 136-meter Flying Fox yacht off the coast of Bodrum, which is owned by American businessman and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who rents it at an estimated cost of $ 4 million per week.
Croatia, Turkey and Greece led the way three years ago in terms of the number of yachts anchored off their coasts, as the number of boats arriving in Croatia increased by 25 since 2019, 12 boats in Turkey, and 10 boats in Greece.
The magazine stressed that Turkey's attraction of yachts of this type serves the interests of the country, which has been trying for a long time to become an international maritime center of the first class.
A travelers' haven
The magazine quoted Bianca Nestor - who works in the field of luxury yacht charter with the London-based "Burgess" company - that the travel restrictions imposed by many countries have made Turkey a better haven.
She added that Turkey is characterized by a mild summer weather, with an average temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, and this destination is the jewel of the eastern Mediterranean and a haven for some international travelers who can easily come even on a yacht, as it has a mixture of attractive small towns and quiet beaches with Clear waters, and offers opportunities to enjoy exceptional restaurants and beach clubs, and every town or island has its original charm and historical beauty.
A spokeswoman for the "Burgess" company says the same applies to Croatia, which is witnessing an increasing demand, which explains the large number of pleasure boats of different sizes on its coast.
Michaela Betz Biggie, head of yacht charter management at Edmonton, says the travel restrictions in the United States explain why Croatia is so popular this summer, as it is "the only place Americans can travel."
But she denied the fact that the number of yachts has decreased in the French Riviera, explaining that European customers have always been keen to conduct cruises to classic destinations such as France and Italy, noting that only non-European customers have had to adapt to travel restrictions.