It’s hard to think about life without the internet. The information superhighway has become such an everyday part of people’s lives, it’s hard to believe humans ever got by without it. People do things so much different than before, including the way they access travel services, such as chartering a yacht to explore the waters of some of the most stunning countries in the world or booking a holiday.
Below is a look at how the internet has enabled people to travel more, a focus on the yacht chartering and boat hire marketplace Borrow a Boat, the benefits of the company’s recent acquisition of Bargo for its customers, and the potential future of travel booking.
Digital platforms providing travel options
The digitalization of travel has transformed the way people research, plan and book travel. It has also made travel experiences that were previously not accessible to some now more accessible. All of this has been especially the case in the yacht chartering industry.
Peer-to-peer yacht chartering and boat hire websites such as Borrow a Boat have harnessed the power of the internet to pursue their mission of making yachting and boating more accessible to everyone. Owners can use the platform to rent out their boats or yachts to help pay the fees that owning a vessel entails. Meanwhile, travelers can now pay much less than before to charter a yacht.
Acquisition of Bargo
This year, Borrow a Boat expanded into the European market by acquiring Dutch peer-to-peer marketplace Bargo, which connects watersports enthusiasts with boat owners and yacht charter companies around the world. It’s been a good purchase as Bargo and Borrow a Boat share the same goal of making yachting and boating more accessible.
Borrow a Boat has forged a reputation for itself as the Airbnb of boats. Through the acquisition, the company is thought to have added a further 5,000 boats to its market. Whether an owner wishes to rent out a sailboat, catamaran, riverboat, or yacht, they can. The platform gives them this freedom.
The benefits for customers
Of course, Borrow a Boat is on a major adventure as it pursues both its mission and growth. Customers are enjoying major benefits as a result of the company’s activities, of course. Flexibility in their choice of travel destinations and the possibility of hiring a yacht for less are two. Here are a few more that digitalization and platforms such as Borrow a Boat have brought them:
Greater convenience
Before, booking a yacht was something of a long process. Platforms such as Borrow a Boat have made it much easier by allowing customers to browse online, research, and make inquiries over the internet, rather than have to wait for a customer service agent to come on the line somewhere or to have to enter a brick-and-mortar building and wait to be served face to face.
Quick booking
A digital platform shortens the whole booking process. On a digital platform, the customer can book within just a few minutes if they’ve already researched their destination. They can check the prices, check whether the boat or yacht is available and then if they’re happy with the price, go ahead and book.
Straightforward
Websites give customers more control over the process by making it as straightforward as possible to do what they need to do. The customer can take their time when browsing for information and check they have all the details correct before they book. They also don’t risk the confusion any language barriers could cause or of a customer service agent making a mistake with the booking.
Traditional travel, digitalization and the future of travel
Clearly, the availability of travel services on the internet has made it more convenient and easier for consumers to research trips, plan them or book them. The provision of online booking services cuts out face-to-face interaction and also the need to conduct bookings over the phone, speeding up the process. But what else could be next for the travel sector?
People may book even earlier
Rentals are becoming something of a ‘home away from home now and have overtaken hotels as a form of accommodation. This is because of the safety and the privacy they offer. As they become more popular, the short-term rental market may see people book even earlier than before and have to accommodate this. This could even be the case with yachts as boating becomes a more and more popular choice of spending time away from home.
Domestic travel will become more popular
Companies online and offline are going to have to adjust to higher demand for domestic travel. The events of the past few years have inflicted damage on the international travel sector.
Now, customers are also prioritizing flexible cancellation and rebooking policies when they choose where to spend their holidays. They’re choosing to take their holidays away from cities, where this is hustle and bustle and there are crowds, and opt for quieter, slightly more remote locations in the countryside. Yacht chartering companies should also adapt to this as people flock to the sea, where there’s more open space as well as a different way to experience travel.
The digitalization of travel has transformed how people travel and made chartering a yacht much more accessible than before. People can travel to so many more destinations by yacht and enjoy an experience they’d previously considered to be available only to the more affluent.
Sources:
https://www.techtimes.com/articles/271633/20220209/how-the-world-of-yacht-chartering-is-changing.htm
https://www.businessleader.co.uk/borrow-a-boat-buys-dutch-peer-to-peer-platform-barqo/
https://www.traveldailymedia.com/what-does-the-future-of-travel-look-like/
