SuperyachtNews.com - Business - The role of yacht agents during COVID-19

By SuperyachtNews

The role of yacht agents during COVID-19

Bea Alonso, COO at Evolution Yachting, discusses the impact of COVID-19 on the yacht agent market…

The COVID-19 outbreak has affected almost all sectors of the superyacht industry and, for yacht agents assisting yachts with everyday operations, demand for certain services has increased significantly. For Evolution Yachting, the most immediate impact of the pandemic was to the team’s day-to-day focus, which shifted from preparing for the summer season to assisting crew.

“At this time of year we would normally be booking berths, planning itineraries for guests and arranging services for the summer and suddenly we had to convert all our operations to helping crew with travel arrangements, drawing up letters for authorities to allow movement for necessary trips on land and obtaining up-to-date information about individual countries’ restrictions and how they affect the yachts and their crew,” explains Bea Alonso, chief operating officer at Evolution Yachting.

As European countries started going into lockdown, there was immediate uncertainty about the upcoming summer season as well as concerns relating to the logistics of crew changes. “We received a lot of questions about what to do about arriving crew; will they be able to fly in and out and should they go into quarantine,” says Alonso. “The most frequently-asked question was about whether crew could go out for necessary trips, so we were providing them with the tools to be able to do this.”

“We are also keeping clients up to date about what to do in case someone on board develops symptoms, in the context of the local area.”

Evolution’s clients have overwhelmingly reacted professionally to the measures and continue to comply with the changing regulations, with team continually providing them with valuable advice. “It is important for yachts to check locally and review the situation day by day,” Alonso adds. “At one point, when the lockdown started to become really strict in all the countries, we were recommending that it was better for the boats to stay where they were, but most had taken that decision already. We are also keeping clients up to date about what to do in case someone on board develops symptoms, in the context of the local area.”

While the pandemic is a difficult situation for everyone, the yacht agent market is likely to be in a stronger position after the conclusion of the crisis as, more than ever, yachts realise the importance of reliable information. “All the shipping agents have been very busy during the pandemic – times like this reinforce our position that we are best placed to give yachts local advice,” concludes Alonso.

“In a situation where there are a lot of rumours being spread, you need to have the right information for each city and country and you need to know who is responsible for making the decisions with regards to yachting in a period of crisis. So, we have been able to go to the source and get accurate and real-time information in the nine countries we have offices. We realise that many people are lost in foreign countries during a crisis and need our assistance, so we have really tried to help crew.”

Profile links

Acquera Yachting

Join the discussion

The role of yacht agents during COVID-19

30807

To post comments please Sign in or Register

When commenting please follow our house rules


Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.

Related news

Image for SuperyachtNews COVID-19 Advisory – arriving in Porto Montenegro

SuperyachtNews COVID-19 Advisory – arriving in Porto Montenegro

The superyacht marina outlines quarantine requirements for arriving yachts and crew

Crew

Image for Insight from a superyacht SME

Insight from a superyacht SME

We speak exclusively to Palma-based small business and carbon fibre expert, BMComposites

Technology

Image for SuperyachtNews COVID-19 Advisory – Spain starts de-escalation plan

SuperyachtNews COVID-19 Advisory – Spain starts de-escalation plan

What does the Spanish government's latest announcement mean for the yachting industry?

Business

Image for Legal logistics and safety precautions for returning crew and future guests

Legal logistics and safety precautions for returning crew and future guests

She of the Sea webinar sheds light on these key topics

Business

Image for How is COVID-19 affecting crew employment?

How is COVID-19 affecting crew employment?

Quay Crew undertook a survey to understand whether crew positions are in jeopardy due to the pandemic

Crew

Image for SuperyachtNews COVID-19 Advisory – New Zealand eases restrictions

SuperyachtNews COVID-19 Advisory – New Zealand eases restrictions

Arriving and departing superyachts will be assessed by border agencies on a case-by-case basis

Crew

Sign up to the SuperyachtNews Bulletin

Receive unrivalled market intelligence, weekly headlines and the most relevant and insightful journalism directly to your inbox.

The SuperyachtNews App

Follow us on