Online boat rental platform Barqo has achieved a record increase of 350% on domestic sailing holidays in the past sailing season. The demand for domestic boating holidays was so great that 60 percent of the requests could not be placed due to a shortage of available boats. While the COVID measures in March and April have made the water sports sector one of the hardest hit sectors in the Netherlands, the upward trend in the number of applications to Barqo has already started before the summer.
Thijs Janssen, co-founder of Barqo, says: 'We noticed from the visitor numbers that many Dutch people were planning to spend their holidays in the Netherlands. This was largely due to the negative travel advice for many countries. In addition, the warm summer days naturally had an influence on the success of the boat sharing sector. '
The trend continues
Due to the good weather forecast for next week, Barqo has again noticed an increase in the number of applications. For example, companies reserve a boat for small-scale company outings and families sail out one more time to enjoy the late summer sun.
Moreover, Barqo already sees an upward trend in interest for the 2021 water sports season. For boating enthusiasts who normally rent a boat for a holiday in Southern Europe, it is common to book with early bird discounts for the next season. We now also see this trend emerging for domestic rental. After years of choosing distant vacations, we are now looking closer to home. To counteract the shortage of available boats Barqo actively welcoming new fleets. Private individuals can also register with the boat rental platform.
Thijs Janssen: 'As a private individual, you can rent out your boat flexibly and insured when it suits you. You will quickly recoup your mooring fees and maintenance in this way '.
