Water experiences are becoming a more and more sought-after leisure activity. The cruising industry is expected to make a strong comeback in 2023, especially after the lift of Covid-19 related restrictions. At the same time, the superyacht lifestyle is becoming very popular, with designers competing over who can create the most luxurious, lavish, over the top ship.
But what about the people who would like to spend a weekend on the water without buying their own boat or spending a fortune on a cruise? Launched in 2013 in San Francisco, GetMyBoat set out on a mission to connect boat owners directly with the interested adventure seekers, similarly to what Airbnb does for lodging. The model has proven incredibly successful, quickly turning into world’s largest boat rental and water experience marketplace, with over 150,000 listings in 184 countries and more than 9,300 destinations.
Anywhere in the world, from California to Croatia, people can easily search, find, book and experience the joy of being on the water.
GetMyBoat
The number of bookings made through the platform has been steadily increasing over the past few years, showing a clear trend for renting in the boating industry. And unlike cruises, boat renting was unaffected by the pandemic. On the contrary, after a quick drop in March 2020, when marinas and docks were shut down, bookings on GetMyBoat increased by 3,900% in the April-July period of 2020 compared to the previous year.
Throughout the past few years, demand stayed strong, the platform registering a 700% year on year increase in 2021. “Thanks to the reopening of most travel markets, we saw continued growth and demand in 2022. As consumers realized how accessible boat rentals and water experiences were, they downloaded the GetMyBoat app and booked experiences that got them outdoors with friends and family, whether it was locally or internationally”, Val Streif, GetMyBoat’s Marketing Manager told Travel Tomorrow.
With the strong start we’ve seen in 2023, it’s clear that consumers are prioritizing travel-focused experiences and booking excursions early in advance of their vacations.
Sascha Mornell, Co-Founder & CEO GetMyBoat, told Travel Tomorrow
This year has already started very promising too, with a ninefold increase in boat bookings in January 2023 compared to January 2019. “Despite recession indicators, there remains a strong desire to get back out into the world and enjoy special moments on the water with family and friends”, GetMyBoat Founder and CEO Sascha Mornell told Travel Tomorrow.
Besides making it easier for adventure seekers to access boat experiences, owners, captains and tour operators also have a lot to gain by registering on the platform by increasing the frequency their ships are rented out. According to the company, owners can earn from $25,000 annually to over $100,000/month, depending on the local market, demand and their activity on the platform.
