Boat show, camping fair join hands in Istanbul

Tens of boats, yachts and camper vans will be exhibited at the Marmara Boat Show that will be held together with the Camping, Caravan and Nature Sports Fair in Istanbul between Sept. 18 and 26.

The joint fair organized by Anadolu Ekspo will take place at MarinTurk Istanbul City Port in the district of Pendik.

With a total value of 900 million Turkish Liras ($106.5 million), 118 boats and yachts will make their debut.

According to a press release, the price range of the sea vessels, of which 55 are produced domestically from stem to stern, is between 65,000 liras (nearly $7,700) and 60 million liras ($7.1 million).

Catamarans, sailing boats that have two parallel hulls, are expected to attract interest with their fuel-saving motors and cozy style.

The cheapest of the 80 travel trailers and camper vans that will be exhibited at the event will be priced at 70,000 liras (about $8,280). The price ceiling for them will be 2 million liras ($236,700).

More than 50,000 sailing and nature enthusiasts are expected to visit the fairs.

Boat and yacht exports and caravan sales soared in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Turkey's yacht building sector posted an astonishing 279.6 percent increase in April to $109.9 million year-on-year.

Some 120,000 travel trailers and camper vans are in use in Turkey, according to estimates. Some 15,000 trailers are expected to be produced this year, up from 3,000 in 2020.

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