Türkiye needs to invest more in marinas to boost capacity

ISTANBUL

Türkiye needs to invest more in building additional marinas along its coasts as insufficient capacity leads to a spike in the cost of mooring boats, according to the representatives from the industry.

The total capacity of around 25 to 30 marinas in Türkiye is around 6,500 berths, said Murat Bekiroğlu, the president of the Yacht and Boat Industry Association (YATED).

However, there are 16,000 boats in the country, which put a strain on the marinas’ capacity.

As the marinas lack enough capacity to harbor boats, the cost of mooring a 42-meter-long yacht for a night in the popular holiday destination Göcek has leaped to 1,200 euros, whereas it costs half of it at around 650 euros in Monaco.

“We need to increase the capacity,” said Bekiroğlu, calling for more investments to boost the capacity.

“Supply is short, and demand is high… so, prices have skyrocketed.”

He noted that a 20-meter boat can stay in Bodrum, another tourist hot spot in Türkiye, for 700 euros, whereas it can be moored for 35 euros in Greece.

More and more travelers are showing interest in Turkish bays, and this heightened demand makes it difficult for boats to find a space at the marinas, Bekiroğlu said, adding that marinas are becoming prohibitively expensive for some boat owners.

“Many boats are going to nearby countries… Türkiye’s bays have turned into ‘boat parks’… The biggest threat to our boat and yacht industry is marinas’ insufficient capacity and rising prices,” he said.

Capacity needs to be increased by at least 50 percent very quickly, according to Bekiroğlu.

Tourists traveling on boats and yachts send some 2.5 times higher than regular tourists, he said.

“Maybe, some billionaires cannot visit Türkiye because of the marinas’ limited capacity. If we want to lure mega yachts, we need to have more marinas.”

Bekiroğlu also warned about the environmental problems that arise from the higher costs of mooring boats to the marinas.

“Boats and yachts have started to spend the whole year at the bays, causing sea pollution. Because of high prices, they do not dock at the marinas… our bays are being polluted.”

Public lands, except for those at the bays, should be opened for marina investments, Bekiroğlu suggested.

Industry’s exports

There are 77 shipyards in Türkiye, and the industry creates jobs for around 200,000 people, Bekiroğlu also said.

Export revenues from boat and yacht services amounted to $1.35 billion last year, he noted. “In addition to this, there were revenues from repair and maintenance services…all together, total export revenues stood at around $3 billion.”

The main export markets of the industry were the Scandinavian countries, such as Denmark and Norway, while most of the yacht buyers are from European nations and the United States, Bekiroğlu said.