Magazine Praises Yacht Initiatives
At a time when European destinations including Greece and Italy are putting up barriers to visiting yachts by charging berthing taxes and other fees, Bermuda is proving itself to be a safe harbour for sailors the on-line magazine “Sail World” reports today [Feb. 21]
“Sail World” celebrated Bermuda’s decision to both streamline the visa process for visiting sailors and extend the maximum period of time that yachts can visit.
“The streamlined process will encourage more yachts to visit the fish-hook-shaped archipelago of 150 islands, already a frequent stopping place for yachts on their way to or from the Caribbean,” said the magazine.
“Sail World” cited recent comments National Security Minister Wayne Perinchief’s made on the subject in the House of Assembly, saying the Department of Border Control will now be able to process visa waiver applications while vessels are en route to the island.
The move is intended to address an issue in which some arriving yachtsmen have been unable to secure the Bermuda entry visa.
‘Those individuals are often unable to disembark and the rigid application of the policy defeats the economic aims of Bermuda as a premium yachting port,’ Mr Perinchief [pictured] said.
‘We have created a specific e-mail address, supplied to agents, and could receive visa waiver requests while the ship passes the Statue of Liberty.’
The Minister said this initiative, along with last year’s extension of the maximum period of time visiting yachts and crews can stay in Bermuda — from 21 days to 90 and extensions possible — will allow the $10 million that visiting yachts put into the local economy in 2010 to increase in the years to come.
And if the Yacht Clubs are smart, they would adopt policies and pricing that will increase the number of yachts tied up at their clubs and spending money in their facilities. As it stands at present, the Yacht clubs in Bermuda charge far too much for docking fees with the result that the majority of activity from visiting yachtsmen avoids the clubs. There is an uninformed expectation of the Bermuda clubs to charge the same rates as the top US clubs when visiting yachtsmen have so many other options in Bermuda.
Options such as?