WITH its 7,641 islands, the Philippines is one of the ideal places for sailing and yachting in the world. Moreover, the Filipinos are known to be passionate about water sports, and the country is regarded by travel authorities as one of the best cruising sites in the world. This scenario has attracted the major brands to seek the prospects in the local market.
Olivier Besson, CEO of Asia Yachting, noted the country is a great venue for water sports and touring, and has a strong potential market for boating. “We definitely want to strategically establish our position in the Philippines,” Besson said in a recent interview with the BusinessMirror.
The French-born Besson said he has been discussing the idea of introducing worldclass boating brands to the Philippines with Alfred Gotianun, managing director of Asia Yachting, discussing the idea of introducing top-of-the line brands, such as Monte Carlo in the Philippines. “We thought our collaboration would have good business prospects.”
Hong Kong-based Asia Yachting was established in 2007. It is an exclusive private-yachting dealership and brokerage that has significant presence throughout Asia. With services covering new boat ownership, brokerage and boat management, Asia Yachting represents outstanding boating brands in the world, including Monte Carlo Yachts, Monterey, Nautique, Scarab and more. Furthermore, Asia Yachting is a provider of a wide array of from multifunctional boats and luxury yachts, to sea scooters and inflatable castles. It has also a group of seasoned professionals that can provide top-quality services to all its customers.
Gotianun said the Philippine market is now ready to accept this type of product. He recalled it was quite different 10 years ago as it would be hard to see world-class sports cars on Philippine roads. “With us having more than 7,100 islands, it is a natural progression,” Gotianun pointed out.
“The Philippines is a great to go as far yachting is concerned. Any place traveler wishes to go, he would definitely see beautiful places on the islands,” he added.
The partnership between Besson and Gotianun was formed easily because the two shared the same passion.
Gotianun said sailing is in the family’s DNA, as his parents were enthusiastic sea travelers.
As part of their initial marketing plan, Besson said Asia Yachting will develop two markets such as launching new boats, such as the Monte Carlo boats, and the enhance the brokerage by introducing second hand boats that he believes will attract more Filipinos to try boating.
“The idea is to encourage Filipinos to step into the habit of boating by using second–hand boats for their initial stage,” Besson added.
Besson said Asia Yachting plans to introduce seven new models in the Philippine market. Monte Carlo yacht models range from 65-foot to the 96-foot models. It has a 105-foot model that has been sold in Hong Kong. Besson said one unique feature of Monte Carlo is the customized look. Monte Carlo yachts are owned by the Benneto Group of Italy.
Gotianun said he looks forward to market the Monte Carlo in the country because it is regarded the best brand in yachting in the world. “The interiors and the performance are the best that can be,”Gotianun pointed out.
Once the infrastructure is ready, Gotianun believes more tourists will go to the country using their yachts to visit the popular tourist spots.
Besson said Monte Carlo yachts put premium quality on their boats by partnering with the top suppliers around the world. Furthermore, Gotianun sees a market shift from sailing to motor boats, as the market becomes more mature.
Gotianun, who has experienced living in a marina for a certain period, said the introduction of Monte Carlo yachts can enhance the sailing experience of Filipinos because it uses topnotch equipment.
“Basically, Monte Carlo Yachts uses the best engine, radar, electronics system and interiors. It does not restrict on the origin of the components. It just wants to get the best,” Besson said.
Asia Yachting recently announced the inauguration of its official dealership for luxury Italian yacht maker Monte Carlo Yachts in the Philippines. Simultaneously, Asia Yachting is also expanding the existing brokerage yacht business to the beautiful waters of the Philippines.
This marks a major step in the expansion toward the growing Southeast Asian market for Asia Yachting. “The Philippines have the most beautiful waters in Asia, possibly even in the world, providing a fantastic yachting ground,” Besson said.
“We are excited to explore the unlimited possibilities for us here.” Having maintained a well-established name in the yachting industry for 10 years, Asia Yachting is recognized as a luxury yacht dealer, brokerage firm and luxury yacht-management company with over 40 staff throughout the region.
“It’s very exciting to bring such a distinguished brand of yachts to the Philippines,” Gotianun said. “With its timeless design and unlimited customization, we’re hoping to see great results in the expanding local market.”
Besson said developing a local yachting community will contribute to the economic development of the local communities. “It will require a lot of supplies for their crew,” he said.
To celebrate the inauguration of this, Asia Yachting displayed Monte Carlo Yachts and a series of Asia’s best brokerage yachts at the ninth Philippine Boatshow and Nautical Lifestyle Expo and Conference recently at the SMX Convention Center.
Asia Yachting is the official dealer of Monte Carlo Yachts in Hong Kong and Macau, delivering astonishing results for new yacht sales in the region including the successful sales of three MCY105s, the flagship vessel of the Monte Carlo Yachts collection. The company also has a strong presence in the brokerage boat market throughout Asia with transactions throughout Greater China and Southeast Asia.
Monte Carlo yacht (65-footer) is priced at €2.5 million (P133.2 million).
2 comments
Wow,
It’s a great post. I agree to your view that Philippines is the best place to travel in a vacation. It’s a place of beautiful islands. I had been there a few months ago by booking a yacht from medwavescharters.com. And had a blast there with my friends. The crew on the board provided us best possible services. Really yachting is beautiful in Philippines.
Thank you.
Helpful blog!
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