Wednesday, July 3, 2024
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Uber to begin its new range of yacht services and so the summer travel industry in Europe is seeing a significant surge.
The ride-hailing giant’s latest offering, Uber Yacht, debuts in Ibiza this August, promising a more opulent way to explore the island.
In a first for the company, Uber Yacht allows users to pre-book a private yacht via the Uber app.
Starting from €200 per person, groups of up to eight can enjoy an eight-hour journey on a Sunseeker yacht.
The service, departing daily from Ibiza Town Marina at noon, includes a personal skipper, champagne, and artisan snacks. Transfers to and from the yacht are provided from anywhere on the island.
Beyond Ibiza, Uber is expanding its nautical reach with several other water transport services.
In July, Uber will launch ‘Limo Boat’ in Venice, offering on-demand boat rides through the Venetian Lagoon.
Priced from €120 per trip, the service can accommodate up to six passengers and operates daily from 8am to 8pm.
In Greece, Uber Boat will extend its services from Mykonos to Athens, Corfu, and Santorini. This service allows travellers to access beach clubs, scenic coves, and remote areas in style.
Meanwhile, in Paris, Uber Cruise offers a free one-hour electric boat tour along the Seine, providing views of Notre Dame, Le Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower, complete with complimentary bubbly.
These services are a response to the growing demand for Uber’s mobility solutions in Europe’s tourist hotspots.
Data from summer 2023 indicates a 55% rise in demand for Uber’s services in places like Greece and Spain.
Over 6.5 million international customers used the Uber app in Europe’s most popular destinations last summer, with Ibiza alone seeing over 800,000 users in the past 12 months.
Named ‘Uber Yacht,’ the service will be available for pre-booking on the Spanish island of Ibiza starting July 26. It will be made available later on in August.
Besides this, the ride-hailing platform is also planning to launch a ‘limo boat’ service in Venice, Italy. This is expected to start later this month.
The service will allow the customers to travel around the Venetian Lagoon, the report added.
According to the company, official data from the summer of last year highlights how demand from international customers for Uber’s mobility services has witnessed a major jump of about 55% in 2023 in major places such as Greece and Spain.
The company said it was now looking forward to expanding its ‘Uber Boat’ service in Greece from Mykonos, where it was launched last year, to other places like Athens, Corfu and Santorini.
It will allow visitors to travel to beach clubs and further reach remote locales, Uber added.
This comes ahead of the much-awaited 2024 Summer Olympics scheduled for July-August in France.
A large number of tourists are expected to travel to Europe to witness the international multi-sport event.
In May earlier this year, Uber also unveiled the tie-up to offer cruises on the Seine River.
This is reportedly expected to meet the explosive demand stemming from the upcoming Olympics in Paris.
These initiatives are in line with the approach the company seems to be taking to take care of the needs of travellers looking forward to memorable experiences in Europe in the coming time.
