Yesterday we reported on the tense situation in many places in the Mediterranean region. Situation for owners who are struggling to find an affordable permanent berth for their boat. But what is the situation like for charter crews? One person who is very familiar with the different areas is charter provider Klaus Pitter.
The 54-year-old founded his Charter company Pitter Yachting together with his father in Croatia in 1987. Four years later, war broke out on the Adriatic. Pitter stayed and persevered. Today, he operates 450 charter yachts from 25 bases in Croatia as well as in Greece, Turkey, Slovenia, Italy, the Netherlands and St Lucia.
YACHT author Thomas Käsbohrer spoke to Klaus Pitter about the current prospects for sailing holidays in the south.
YACHT: Mr Pitter, are your customers nervous about the current uncertainties?
Klaus Pitter: This varies from country to country. For Croatia, for example, our customers are relatively relaxed because the departure harbours can be reached by car. The same applies to the areas on and off Italy's west coast with the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Let's stay with Croatia. Will it be very crowded there again?
Yes, even more customers than in 2021 have already booked an Adriatic cruise for this year.
So you have to be prepared for overcrowded harbours, right?
That depends. I sailed twice in the south of Croatia last year. Firstly, I travelled around Split for a week, which was expectedly crowded. This is mainly due to the limited radius of a one-week trip. Later, I travelled again from Split on a two-week charter tour. You can also make it to the less frequented destinations, such as Mljet, Korcula and Vis.
However, the trend is towards shorter charter periods. Isn't there a recipe for these crews to escape the hustle and bustle?
Absolutely! We now offer Wednesday-to-Wednesday trips in addition to Saturday-to-Saturday charters. So the crews sail against the current.
What is the situation in Turkey, are you gradually expecting more bookings there again?
The situation in Turkey is likely to remain unchanged. German-speaking customers want to get out again and explore new destinations. However, they still prefer to stay away from the country.
Surely countries like Greece should benefit from this?
Yes, but charter holidaymakers have nothing to gain from this. As general flight-dependent tourism is clearly becoming stronger again, it is to be feared that there will not be enough flight capacity left for our charter guests. What's more, the area as we know it from the past no longer exists.
Because the crises are also having an impact there?
No, it has more to do with the Greek government's economic measures. It has launched major support programmes to stimulate the charter business, which are now taking effect. This means that the area will become increasingly crowded. And when it gets too crowded, the price-performance ratio is usually no longer right. The old calculation of a cheap Aegean or Cyclades cruise, where you can moor up in front of a taverna for free in the evening, will no longer work out in future.
Prices are rising massively in many areas. How badly are charter companies affected?
Everything is also becoming more expensive for our industry. The acquisition costs for new ships alone are currently climbing by between six and eight per cent - every quarter! Mooring fees are also likely to increase by around 15 per cent in southern Croatia, for example. We should have adjusted our own prices long ago, but we haven't done so yet.
Finally, let's take a look ahead: Which area has the greatest potential in the coming years?
I don't want to be a prophet, but I think it is likely that Turkey will return in the not too distant future as the marvellous sailing area that it is. Nowhere else can you book a new charter boat more cheaply than there.
