SOS Yachting confirms the opening of its fifth office, in Athens, which will be committed to serving an ever- increasing local client base.
In January of this year, BWA Yachting announced the acquisition of SOS Yachting and the appointment of its new CEO. Within the space of only a couple of months, SOS Yachting is reaffirming its position as market leader in the Mediterranean by opening a dedicated office in Greece to support this growing popular charter destination.
Frédéric Dormeuil, CEO of SOS Yachting, commented: “The timing couldn’t be more perfect. In only the last couple of weeks during our pre-season fiscal training tours, the question on the tip of most tongues at every session was, ‘When is SOS Yachting opening in Greece?’ As we note evident trends for clients wishing to start their charters in Greek waters, offering SOS Yachting’s trusted support makes great sense, and I’m delighted to
have our new country office led by Ms. Maria Ntouka-Montesantou, the best-qualified person who has the ultimate understanding of Greek yachting procedures.”
Greece has been rising silently in popularity as a charter destination, and many brokers have noted this trend of demand moving towards the east, with destinations such as Croatia and Greece now rivalling the classic locations of France and Italy.
Maria Ntouka-Montesantou, the newly appointed Managing Director of SOS Yachting Greece, added: “The Mediterranean has so much to offer, and it’s clear Greece is now very much at the forefront of interest. With the opening of SOS Yachting Greece, we look forward to offering our clients total focus and the local support they deserve – SOS Yachting’s key strength.”
As part of a larger goal to promote regional tourism development in Greece, the new office will monitor progress with recently passed legislation making it easier for non-Greek yachts to charter in the country’s waters. If passed, the legislation will eliminate the current need to establish a physical presence there.
Charter brokers, clients and yacht owners are welcoming the new regulation. Ioannis Plakiotakis, Minister of Maritime Affairs & Insular Policy, recently reiterated the legislation’s relevance, saying: “Yachting for Greece is a particularly important sector of our tourism industry with a strong growth character. We have therefore recently undertaken a very ambitious legislative initiative creating a new framework that has taken into account best international practices as it attempts to establish a modern, simplified and clear framework for the operation of yachts in the country which will effectively meet the requirements created by the internationalised environment of sea tourism.”
