Hundreds of Boats to be Exhibited at this Fair

Equipment and accessories will also be introduced at the fair, where more than 450 boats with a total value of approximately 5 billion TL will be exhibited in an area of ​​16 thousand square meters at Marinturk Istanbul City Port. Officials of the Yacht and Boat Industry Association (YATED), which organizes the fair, gave information about its goals and scope at the introductory meeting held today.

“WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT WE CAN GIVE TO THE MIDDLE CLASS”

YATED Chairman of the Board of Directors Alpaslan Sirkecioğlu said, “Our biggest goal is to make Turkish people love the sea a little more. We welcome all families with their children to our area. Everyone will have the opportunity to find a sea vehicle that suits them. When we see our youth and children in that atmosphere, this will especially motivate us. As future sailors, we want to see them. We never focus on the biggest boat or the most expensive boat in our fairs. We are looking at what we can give to the middle class. We have domestic manufacturers as well as imported boats at our fair. Some will be showing themselves for the fifth or tenth time, while others will be completely new manufacturers to the industry. “They will have the opportunity to introduce themselves,” he said.

“THERE IS A GREAT INTEREST IN TURKEY FROM ABROAD”

Speaking about the export and tourism potential of the sector, Sirkecioğlu said, “There has been a great interest in Turkey from abroad lately. Here, visitors will make many contacts both to buy a new boat and to host and maintain their existing boats in Turkey. The accommodation and maintenance of these boats will provide a huge income to Turkey. “Maritime fairs have provided great income to our country so far,” he said.

“BOAT PRICES ARE BETWEEN 13 THOUSAND TL AND 150 MILLION TL”

Dilek Günaydın, ED Fuarcılık representative and one of the organizers, said, “When we look at the number of boats and participants, it is the most comprehensive fair. More than 450 boats will be exhibited. There will be boats with lengths ranging from 3 to 35 meters. Prices vary from 13 thousand TL to 150 million TL. We have boat opportunities for all sizes and budgets. The best thing about fairs held on the sea is that you have the opportunity to test the boat you want to buy on the sea and see the performance of the boat. “Of course, it is not just limited to boats; sea toys, equipment and accessories, small unmanned boats, everything related to boats will also be available at the fair,” he said.

“WE EXPECT MORE THAN 50 THOUSAND VISITORS”

Stating that they expect more than 50 thousand visitors to the fair in a 10-day period, Dilek Günaydın said, “We have more than 150 participants in total. More than 500 brands will be in the fair area. It will be a fair where you can find every supplier and everything, from the materials used in the construction of the boat to its textiles, glass, wipers and doors. “Since it will be held with the contributions of YATED, it will be a fair where the entire industry will be under one roof,” he said.