Maldives: The New Winter Hot Spot
As I go from yacht to yacht at the annual industry-only charter show here in Genoa, I make a point of asking where the boat will be moving after the summer Mediterranean season is over. Historically, the answer is “Caribbean.” It’s so common, it’s almost like a reflex.
Not anymore. This year, for the first time, at least one or two crew each day are telling me that they are likely to head to the Maldives this winter, followed by the Seychelles, both in the Indian Ocean. Apparently, there is a law in the Maldives that allows yachts to stay only for 31 days before their customs clearance expires, so the Maldives-Seychelles pairing becomes necessary to fill the entire season of winter months.
The reasons I’m hearing for this new trend are:
* There is not enough charter business in the Caribbean to support the expense of moving a yacht there from the Mediterranean. The cost to reposition some of the larger motoryachts for alternating Med/Caribbean seasons approaches $500,000, and this past winter, more than a few boats reported making the move without recouping the expense in charter revenue. Some say the U.S. economy is a key reason for that, with traditional Caribbean customers from America failing to book their usual number of winter vacations.
* A key, growing segment of the charter industry is in Russia and the Middle East, where more and more people can afford yacht charter–but do not necessarily want to fly across so many time zones to enjoy it. They prefer the islands and beaches in the Maldives because they are, as the Caribbean is for Americans, closer to home.
* Changing global weather patterns mean it has been rainier and windier in the Caribbean than in seasons past. I have no evidence to support this one, but I heard it from two different yacht crews, so it is taking hold as a rumor, at a minimum. I’ll do some research on this for you in the coming weeks to see whether it is, indeed, true.
* Experienced yacht owners and charter clients are tiring of the Caribbean. It has been the primary winter location for many years now, and people are looking to vacation someplace new. For many charter clients, the Seychelles and Maldives are an exotic, enticing option.
As any regular reader of CharterWave knows, I’m a big fan of yachts moving into new places. From my perspective, this is a good trend that is developing. It will allow more options for charter clients in terms of destinations.
Of course, plenty of charter yachts will still be availble this winter in the Caribbean, which will remain a lovely destination for many types of cruising vacations. To me, it’s just nice to know that anyone seeking a charter vacation has ever-expanding choices.