Beyond the Price Tag: Winning Strategies to Drive More Bookings

As a consequence of several years of price dumping, we have seen a shift in the consumer’s behaviour: guests now shop around for the best deal, treating yacht charters more like a commodity.

To give you some context, the average discount in 2019 was 16% in Croatia, 17% in Greece, 18% in Italy, and 19% in Turkey. As of the 2025 season, we are recording average discounts of 31% in Croatia, 22% in Greece and Italy, and 18% in Turkey.

So what are the alternatives?

Your Yacht Deserves the Spotlight

The easiest and most impactful step is to optimize your yacht listing. You might have the same boat as your neighbour (and statistically, if you have a Bavaria 46 Cruiser in your fleet, you most certainly do), but that does not mean your online presence has to be the same as your neighbour's.

The second fundamental step is providing an informative list of equipment that features all the amenities that can make a difference for the client, such as SUP or toys included in the charter fee, or the obvious essentials like A/C, watermaker, generator, among others. To take it a step further, add a description of the boat and not only highlight the key equipment.

Introduce Your Crew

The next point should be a no-brainer for any charter with a permanent crew on board.
We know that the crew is what can make or break a holiday. Introducing them early in the booking process builds trust, reduces unnecessary back-and-forth before reservations, and improves conversion rates.

The Early Reply Gets the Charter

Of course, being present online and having an international distribution channel is a must, but it is also essential to be reactive in following up and answering potential enquiries and bookings. The early bird catches the worm, or in this case, the booking.

Social Strategy that Sails Smoothly

With the online presence nowadays, we cannot neglect our social media presence; here, the rule is less is more. Use only the channels you can truly master (and update regularly).
Plan ahead the strategy, pre-record or shoot all the material you might need to set the autopilot while the season is at its peak. Make your guests the ambassadors of your brand online, showcase your knowledge and provide unique tips through your socials to keep the audience interested and loyal.

You can also integrate spot actions like social media or email marketing campaign operations through promo codes, and you can do targeted offers to a specific group of clients or thematic deals.

As a charter operator, you also have the ability to manage the commission structure more strategically. You can control the percentage of commission that agents are allowed to share with clients and set specific limits per agent on how much of that commission can be used as a discount.

Staying competitive doesn't mean slashing your prices. It means standing out for the right reasons. By refining your listing, leveraging platform tools, and adopting a thoughtful marketing strategy, you can drive more bookings and protect your bottom line.