Turkey first entered lockdown on March 24, putting a halt to any charter firm wanting to prepare their vessels for the summer season. June 1 st saw the easing of restrictions. Although few companies expected much industry movement in June, many are quickly getting ready for an eventual return to business , expecting the first yacht visitors in July .
Under new guidelines, Turkish yachts can now charter at their usual capacity if the passengers are from the same family or the same group of friends. If not, they have to be low-capacity charters that take social distancing into account.
Disinfection of the yacht needs to take place before and after each group, and control of the disinfection documents will be overseen by port authorities.
During the charter, new passengers will not be allowed onboard the yacht. Food should be served in maximum hygienic conditions, or in packaging if possible.
Before the outbreak of Covid-19, Turkish yacht tourism was expected to peak in 2020 after the previous year’s low tourist numbers. Charter companies had a high number of bookings for the summer but after the outbreak most international bookings were postponed or cancelled.
