Travelopia Yachts, a global leader in the yacht charter business and parent company to charter brands The Moorings, Sunsail and Footloose, has announced a US$130m investment into its charter operations in 2020.

Following the devastation of Hurricane Irma in the fall of 2017, Travelopia quickly reestablished operations in its flagship Caribbean destinations, reopening in the British Virgin Islands in December of 2017 and in St Martin in February of 2018.

The company said the investment will fund new fleet additions, including monohulls by long-time partners Jeanneau and Beneteau.  Among models the company said it intends to buy are 25 new Sunsail Match First-40 monohulls for the UK sailing fleet over the next two years; new sailing and power catamarans built by Robertson & Caine, such as the award-winning Moorings 5000, as well as the purchase of new Lagoon catamarans to go into the Sunsail fleet in select destinations worldwide. The company’s statement called the investment ”an unparalleled injection of quality and variety into these charter fleets at a time when the financial stability of some operators in the broader yacht charter market remains uncertain.”

The charter boat sector has emerged as one of the fastest growing segments of the industry in recent years. The Beneteau Group, in particular, said growth in charter fleet sales exceeded 57% in the first half of the company’s 2019 fiscal year.

The charter operater said it is also investing in significant development for the infastructure of its charter base network, including marina operations in the British Virgin Islands covering dock updates, on-site hotel accomodations, provisioning stores, check-in desks, and pool and restaurant areas, designed to significantly improve the customer experience in its flagship destination.

Several million will also be invested in technology infrastructure and capabilities, with the aim of making the company’s charter products easier to research, find, and book. The company believes the technology investment will be mutually beneficial – changing the way it interacts with customers to provide them with a personalized customer experience from the first touchpoint in the customer journey – from company websites, to the sales team, and ultimately at the worldwide bases.

“We are extremely proud of how far we have come in such a short period of time,” says Josie Tucci, VP of Sales and Marketing. “This level of investment makes it clear that The Moorings and Sunsail charter brands are the strongest in the industry, and we look forward to providing a superior vacation experience for our customers in the months and years to come”.

Travelopia is a global specialist in the the travel sector, with a portfolio of more than 50 independently operated brands, which include sailing adventures, safaris, sports tours, and Arctic expeditions with operations spanning exotic and luxury destinations around the world. Beginning as small, independent business, the multple brands ultimately became part of the Specialist Group under the umbrella of the global travel company TUI Group. In June 2017, investment firm KKR facilitated the purchase of the Specialist Group from TUI by Travelopia Holdings Limited.

When details of the sale emerged, the estimated combined fleets of The Moorings and Sunsail was approximately 850 boats.