Floating Life in Turkey at the Marmaris Yacht Marina
Floating Life International – a Swiss group specialized in the management, charter, sales and fractional ownership of super- and mega-yachts – has a new base in Turkey for new regional development. After opening their office in Shanghai in 2006 and in Monaco in 2010, Floating Life has landed at Marmaris. The Marmaris Yacht Marina will be the central base for the Floating Life fleet for the East Mediterranean from this season 2011.
Why choose the Marmaris Yacht Marina?Marmaris Yacht Marina, the “Turkish Saint Tropez” is located about 8 kilometers from the town of Marmaris – the local Turkish Saint Tropez – and just a few kilometers from the airport. With floating berths for 650 yachts and over 1,000 spaces ashore, the Marina is equipped with a travel lift capable of lifting up to 330 tons, and has a 24/7 security service both inside and outside the marina. The MYM is the Eastern Mediterranean’s most important full service marina, in a dream location with a view of Marmaris Bay, located just a few hours sailing from all the Aegean’s most charming islands and the fabulous Turkish historic sights. The MYM opens new business horizons for Floating Life with owners from Turkey, Greece, Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, Russia and Eastern Europe. Marmaris is just a two hour flight from most of Europe, the Middle East and Russia.
Dockside Yacht Management united with Refit & Maintenance services
Since 2001 Floating Life has always maintained a management philosophy dedicated to providing the highest quality services coupled with a 360° innovative capacity. With the possibility of providing a real port as an operational base for owner’s vacations, along with a fully equipped shipyard capable of organizing even the most complicated maintenance and refitting operations, improving the detail and quality of each service for the client is a new plus that will make the difference. Many owners and international shipyards have aimed at refitting as an instrument to answer to the crisis. Owners, captains and shipping lines have paid ever increasing attention in choosing a shipyard to undertake these jobs, for the obvious reasons of cost, capacity, results, and on-time delivery. This trend sees management look abroad more often, especially at services located in areas with a high density of shipyards that incorporate assistance and refitting inside marinas. (source: Ucina-SDA Bocconi University, 2010)
Turkey: the world’s fourth largest builder of super yachts *t the moment Turkey is the fourth largest builder of super yachts in the world after Italy, the United States, and the Holland. A flourishing industry is based in Istanbul (Tuzla), Bodrum, Anatolia, and Marmaris. An enormous (625,000 sq.m) free trade zone has been built near Anatolia, allowing Turkish shipyards to save up to 25% in labor costs without damaging their skilled workers, especially the well known Turkish woodworkers. This has given us eleven shipyards with a portfolio of thirty-five yachts in delivery for 2011, with a base cost for each yacht built at 30% below worldwide competition. Continuous expansion is guaranteed thanks to the high quality of production united with structural investments.*(source Super-Yacht Business Turkey report, Le Marin Turquie report, Ucina, the marine industry in figures)
“For Floating Life to operate near these areas in hefty expansion is strategically coherent, in addition to being advantageous for the relationships with the different operative yards in the Region. To be able to enjoy a direct relationship with a Mediterranean culture similar to ours will reap sure results. The direct rapport with Marmaris Yacht Marina is exemplary. Personal contact in Turkey is still strong and necessary. Sharing common strategies with professionals in developing an international level business locally, while uniting the management capacities of Floating Life with the marina structures and the Marmaris yard is an advantage that almost no-one now can boast”, states Andrea Pezzini, CEO of Floating Life.
Together at the Monaco Yacht Show 2011 and the Istanbul Boat Show 2012
Floating Life and Marmaris Yacht Marine share a common mission and strategy for providing full nautical services for super yachts, from vacations and berthing to yacht management. This strategy will see these two companies together in a large common space at the 2011 Monaco Boat Show and the 2012 Istanbul Boat Show, during which prospective developments in this area will be illustrated to owners and interested visitors.
Why Turkey? The growth of a nation and the economic boom in the nautical industry
There are a good number of ports at a reasonable cost. Today Turkish coasts offer 20 ports with 6,530 berths and 1,044 winter moorings. The Turkish government has launched a marina expansion program for a further 16 marinas with 5,800 more berths. In 2010 Turkey was in second place for percentage of GDP growth in the G20 with 7.5%, second only to China. With 27 million visitors and a 21.2 million dollar turnover, Turkey is seventh in the World Tourism ranking. Nautical tourism is the driving force behind this growth over the last few years, with an incredible + 25% in 2009-2010. The Turkish Riviera, with the Mediterranean to the south, the Aegean to the west and the Black Sea to the north, with the unique Mediterranean jewels of Marmaris, Bodrum, Gocek, is at the top for services provided, their quality and excellent quality/price ratio. These are the ideal ports to be based from either with a luxury yacht or with one of the 3,000 caiques that charter along the coasts, with historical and cultural destinations like Izmir, Rhodes, Kos, or Istanbul, the 2010 European Capital of Culture.
