From celebrating anniversaries to reunions, tourists hire yachts, ride Harleys in Goa

PANAJI: In Goa, everything is available for a price. Well, almost. Tourists arriving in Goa these days have newer fascinations and demands. Gone are the days when they would seek cars and bikes on hire. Now, many come seeking Harley-Davidsons, vintage cars, convertibles, beach buggy’s and for those who have the money to burn, there are yachts.
“We started renting out yachts in 2014, but our clients were largely corporates.Now, there are plenty of domestic tourists who are attracted to yachts and luxury tourism. You can call this a boom,” said Azruddin Yadrami, managing director of a luxury rental company from Porvorim.
With approximately 25 yachts available for rent in the state, tourists now have an option of celebrating their anniversaries, reunions of college friends and bachelorette parties, while companies find the yacht option interesting for their reward and recognition programmes.
“There is a yacht available for every occasion. People come here and host parties, some do their pre-wedding photo shoots, while some have even held kitty parties,” said Almanzo Barreto, who along with his brother, specialises in luxury tourism.
On Saturday, Chennai-based Vivek Raja got a taste of the luxury as he celebrated his wedding anniversary on the yacht.
“The experience was too good. In fact, it was better than what I had imagined, and it perfectly fitted my budget. I wanted to do something different for my wedding anniversary. I am glad I chose this yacht cruise,” said Raja, who was enchanted by the magic of the Arabian Sea.
Besides the decorated yacht, Raja had a photographer to capture the moments and a candle-lit dinner.
Yachts are available in Goa for hire on an hourly basis with majority of the clients from North India. The average spend for a three-hour booking on a yacht is Rs 1.5 lakh, while a group of 20-30 people on board a yacht or catamaran for five hours of sailing time, could cost around Rs 3 lakh, which includes dinner and entertainment.
Smaller speed boats are available for Rs 10,000 per hour, while other yachts can cost up to Rs 60,000. Ultra-luxurious yachts can cost customers Rs 1 lakh for an hour.
Yachts can accommodate a maximum of 20 people, while different groups could have different needs with catamarans and speed boats also being available for rent. Some catamarans can host parties for 60-70 guests.
It is not just yachts which are much sought-after in Goa. Harley-Davidson bikes are also in vogue.
“If you cannot buy, why don’t you rent one? That’s what we have been telling our clients. The demand is growing,” said Alain Barreto, co-owner of another company.
There are five variants of Harley-Davidsons available for hire in Goa. While Rs 6,000 can get you the lower model for a day, tourists don’t mind shelling out Rs 14,000 a day to rent the top Harley-Davidson model.
“Tourists coming here seek luxuries which were not available before. It’s a changing world, and since the tourist spends big money, the margin for error is minimal,” said Almanzo.