The pandemic has had a positive effect on sea travel. Vacationing on the water is a great way to hide from unwanted contacts and improve health. Vitaly Arkhangelsky, PhD, Director of ScanMarine TM (Cofrance SARL – Nice, France) tells about how yachts are rented and bought in Georgia.
Mr Arkhangelsky, has the demand for yacht travel increased in Georgia?
The pandemic has played its part, and the number of requests for yacht rentals around the world has increased. Georgia is no exception. We have customers from Tbilisi, Batumi, Rustavi, and Kutaisi. The fact is that such a holiday is often the only option to go somewhere. A yacht is a small house on the water, which completely eliminates contact with the outside world if desired. You cannot get infected in the sea, but improving your health and recharging your energy for the whole year is possible. That is why sea travel was allowed in many countries even in a period of strict restrictions.
Has the pandemic affected the number of yacht sales?
Contrary to expectations, the market has revived. At the beginning of the pandemic, wealthy people tended to invest in luxury goods to preserve capital, and yachts are some of them. Then it became clear that nautical travel was in trend. So sales didn’t stop and people began to view seagoing vessels as a way to make money by chartering them out. Through our company ScanMarine TM (Cofrance SARL – Nice, France) you can do any of the following: buy a boat, insure it, register it under a convenient flag, determine the place of mooring, hire a crew, register us for commercial management, rent it out. It’s also easy to charter a boat. Such deals can be done remotely, for example, buying a yacht in France or Monaco, without leaving Georgia. It is easy to make a lease in another country. It is done online in a few minutes.
What if access to the country is denied?
Our clients are wealthy people who use private aviation services. There are no restrictions for VIP flights, and one of our divisions – Jet.Paris – AVIAV TM (Cofrance SARL) – will easily organize an individual flight to any place in the world. For our valued customers from Georgia, the resorts of the French and Italian Riviera, Monaco, or some other European destinations are relevant. We provide our own HondaJets or our partners’ aircraft for flights to Nice, Cannes, and Saint-Tropez, and there are no problems with getting permission for such routes (we wrote about this in detail on Forbes pages). This is why our customers from Georgia can have vacations not only in Batumi or Kobuleti. They have access to all of Europe, and, if desired, across the ocean. Remarkably, they can order a flight through our app on their smartphones.
How do clients from Georgia spend their holidays on yachts?
It’s a lot of fun. We, of course, have no right to divulge the details, but in general, the national traditions are observed at sea. These are feasts, exquisite wines and long toasts, dancing until dawn, the warm company of family and friends. We are always ready to provide a yacht for a large number of travellers. Yachts are often used for celebrations, and ScanMarine TM has had many occasions to hold banquets on the occasion of weddings, anniversaries, and business achievements. Of course, everything depends on the clients’ choice. If they desire to silence and unity with nature or visit ancient cities, we organize such cruises. Fishing, diving, nautical sports and other activities are always popular on the yacht. Children’s entertainment is in demand. We can offer any program. You just need to coordinate your wishes with the manager.
Does it mean that you are responsible not only for renting the yacht?
It also depends on the passengers’ wishes. Those who book a yacht with a crew usually prefer us to arrange a turnkey trip, which ScanMarine TM is happy to do. We have visas issued, provide a private jet and sometimes a helicopter for internal transfers and excursions, offer entertainment on board, catering and many other nuances. The pandemic has opened new horizons for tourists, and we are sure that soon yacht travel will be a very popular type of vacation, including for clients from Georgia, and the French Cote d’Azur and Monaco are traditionally famous for their yachting and glamour traditions. And the charming ports of Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Leran Islands and Calanques beckon wealthy clients to come to us and carry through the years their love for these fabulous places and pass it on to their children and friends.
We look forward to your visit and pledge not to disappoint you with the traditions of French hospitality!
