St-Tropez officials are lamenting the sinking number of yachts that have berthed at the glittering French Riviera resort’s marina this year.
They say that revenue at the iconic marina has fallen 30 percent since the start of 2017; luxury yacht owners are instead choosing destinations like Spain or Italy, where berthing fees, fuel and crew costs are lower.
The high costs can be blamed on France’s high fuel taxes and recent increase in benefits that must be paid to crew members, the UK Telegraph reported, adding that local politicians have appealed to France’s President Emmanuel Macron.
While many more superyachts appear to be sailing around Italy and Greece — including Topaz, the 480-foot yacht owned by the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates — many are still docking in St-Tropez, according to official marine sites.
Among them is US real-estate developer Warren E. Halle’s 230-foot yacht Martha Ann, but Roman Abramovich’s Eclipse, which is 533 feet and too large for any marina, is moored off the Cap d’Antibes.