With its yachts and nature, how did Turkish Bodrum become an essential destination for the world’s wealthy?

With its yachts and nature, how did Turkish Bodrum become an essential destination for the world’s wealthy?

Despite the Corona pandemic and its negative consequences for global economies, the luxury yacht industry has boomed and the demand for the most luxurious yachts has increased unexpectedly, with the world’s wealthy choosing to travel and stay in their seaside mansions in luxury tourist resorts. Especially with the spread of the Covid-19 virus and the subsequent closure that affected the service industry and tourism.

Speaking of luxury yachting tourism, the city of Bodrum, located in Mugla in southwest Turkey, can be said to be the number one destination for wealthy yachting enthusiasts in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas.

Speaking of luxury yacht tourism, Bodrum, located in Mugla in southwest Turkey, can be said to be the number one destination for wealthy yachting enthusiasts in the Mediterranean and the Aegean during the Corona pandemic and the restrictions imposed by some European countries in the Mediterranean, as Bodrum has received at least 60 luxury cruise yachts worth hundreds of millions of dollars for the world’s rich.

Bodrum is known as the “Pearl of Turkish Tourism”, a paradise for the wealthy and the first stop for Turkish and foreign celebrities, and the starting point for international sports competitions specialized in yachts and sailing with its picturesque beaches. For diving, swimming, harbors for large and luxury yachts, places for amusement and a fun life.

Bodrum .. History and Nature

Overlooking the Aegean Sea and belonging to the Mugla Province in southwest Turkey, Bodrum is relatively small but its history, landscape, clean waters and sandy beaches are the first attractions that major Turkish tourist cities lack. As well as being a starting point for the most important marine sports races for the world’s richest luxury yacht owners in the eastern Aegean and the Mediterranean.

Bodrum is distinguished by its whitewashed homes and holiday villages nestled in the lush green mountains with wonderful views of the sea and dozens of small islands surrounding them.

Since the beginning of ancient history, Bodrum has attracted special attention thanks to its picturesque nature, temperate atmosphere and natural harbors. It contains the tomb of King Mausolus, the city’s Lyric theater from the Hellenistic era and a large Greek amphitheater, as well as the Museum of Underwater Archeology and the ruins of the ancient city that was submerged by the sea due to earthquakes and is an important attraction for diving and photography enthusiasts.

Since the outbreak of the Corona epidemic and the consequent restrictions on travel and tourism, the world’s wealthy have preferred to spend their summer vacations off the coast of Bodrum on yachts that offer similar service and comfort to luxury hotels. Bodrum Bays 2019 contains the most expensive yachts in the world. They are worth hundreds of millions of dollars. A paradise for the rich

Last year, the American “Forbes” magazine described Turkey, which has become the new favorite destination for luxury yacht owners, as a “new paradise” for the world’s rich, and said the number of yachts sailing to Turkey in general and to Bodrum in particular reached the highest level in the past three years.

Bodrum, favored by the Russian elite, the year 2020 witnessed a remarkable participation of wealthy people of different nationalities to visit Bodrum. Forbes added that “Turkey’s waters are now attracting more visitors from all over the world,” and last year saw the anchoring of the giant yacht Scheherazade, owned by a wealthy man in the Middle East, and the giant yacht “Flying Fox” by American businessman and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, 136 meters from the coast of Bodrum is rented for $4 million per week.

Boat and yacht racing

Mugla province periodically hosts yacht and sailboat races, including the Turkish yacht races, which were held on June 27 this year, and 300 athletes and 37 athletes participated in the first stage of the tournament organized by Turkey. In cooperation between the ministries of the Presidency of Culture, Tourism, Foreign Affairs, Youth and Sports. Sailing yacht from Turkey, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Russia and Holland.

In March 2017, Bodrum hosted the 5th International Optimism Regatta, which hosted nearly 380 participants from 13 countries around the world, including Ukraine, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Germany, Egypt and Bulgaria.

In addition to the races, Bodrum hosted the TYBA Yacht Charter Show events organized by the Turkish Yachting Operators Association in May 2019 with wide participation of local and international companies, while the exhibition events attracted great interest from companies in Turkey and owners of ships and yachts. In Turkey and the world. The situation that was directly reflected in the yachting tourism sector in Bodrum during the past two years.

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