SamBoat, a French start-up for boat-sharing, has decided to enter the Italian market after its great success in France, where it recorded a + 300% per year and 26 million euro in boat reservations since 2014 to date.
The Italian boat market seems to be promising. In 2016, the 27% of Italians have used a sharing service and the number is growing. According to the recent analysis conducted by Ispo (the Italian Institute for studies on the public opinion) for Ucina Confindustria Nautica, the 16% would be willing to buy a boat if allowed to share the costs with other co-owners.
According to several studies, boats are being used for an average 10 days per year: such a brief use makes all maintenance and mooring expenses less and less affordable. The peer-to-peer rental service offers much reduced costs (about 30%) and a better flexibility in dates if compared to the traditional charter service, without compromising the quality of the service.
The platform, just like Airbnb with flats and accommodation, connects boat owners with possible boat renters all over Europe to lower costs: it acts as a reliable mediator guaranteeing a rigorous control on all reservations, and on the management of payment and deposit.
Based on a reliable community, SamBoat ensure the highest level of transparency to both boat owners and renters. Moreover, the website allows users to leave a comment on boat owners, renters and boats. The rental offer of private boats on the website is completed by the association with the collaboration of yacht charter companies, so to allow for the best offer to the most convenient price.
SamBoat currently counts more than 10’000 boats available all over Europe and in the Caribbean, with a wide range of offers from 50 euro per day: from motorboats to sailboats, to superyachts, from rental with skipper to bare boat or bed&boat for the most romantic customers.
According to Laurent Calando, SamBoat co-founder, the Mediterranean nautical industry and tourism will be growing fast, thanks to its 46.000 km of stunning coastline and impressive touristic potential.
SamBoat clients, who have always left very positive comments, have mostly chosen the Mediterranean area and the Cote d’Azur. As for the Italian destinations, Sardinia, the Gulf of Naples, Sicily and Tuscany are the most appreciated.
As commented by Calando, “Thanks to sharing economy, the yachting itself is now democratising”.
