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Arne Ploch

SPAIN - Tourism

Arne Ploch

Senior Yacht Broker, Camper & Nicholsons International

Bio

An alumnus of the International School in Mallorca, Arne Ploch studied at the European Business School (EBS) in Madrid and Oestrich-Winkel in Germany before continuing his studies in London, where he graduated in European business administration. During and following his studies, he worked for a major German car manufacturer in market research and in corporate finance with a Japanese investment bank, before returning to yachting in 1995 as a broker with Camper & Nicholsons in Palma de Mallorca. He has participated in many regattas and ocean races and is also one of the co-founders of what is now the Palma Superyacht Village.

A long-standing business in yachting brokerage on the island, Camper & Nicholsons International has become a reference in the local yachting sector and its growth.

With more than 25 years working in the yachting business in Mallorca, how would you describe the evolution of the island as a yachting destination, especially after COVID-19?

Mallorca used to be more like a parking spot for large yachts, which used to head to the south of France, Corsica, and Sardinia. That has changed significantly in the last few years. There was a regulatory change in Spain that allowed yachts to charter in national waters without paying the so-called registration tax. This created an increase in large yachts coming to Spain, specifically the Balearic Islands. Many owners are coming to Mallorca as a destination and not only as a repair and refitting base, which has always been strong in Palma. After COVID-19, there was a large increase in yacht sales and yacht charters, because many people see them as being a safe home. 2022 looks extremely promising. Camper & Nicholsons International has many charter bookings, and sales figures of yachts over 24m almost doubled in 2021 globally. This year should be a fantastic year for the nautical industry and for Mallorca. Camper & Nicholsons International is a long-standing business in yachting brokerage.

What does the island mean for the company’s business?

Camper & Nicholsons International has been on the island for about 35 years now and is committed to promoting Mallorca as a destination for large yachts. Mallorca is a fantastic destination that offers something different than the south of France. Our company is seeing interest in Mallorca grow by the day. Numbers of large yachts coming to Spain for the summer have tripled, a development that our company is pleased to have contributed in terms of pushing for the change in legislation and allowing these yachts to come here and enjoy what the islands have to offer. Also, as a company, we are seeing clients coming from all over the world to Mallorca: northern Europeans, Americans, and Middle Eastern. Now, Asian yacht owners are also increasingly visiting Mallorca.

How is the Palma Super Yacht Show contributing to further placing Mallorca on the map of the super yacht industry?

The Palma Super Yacht Show is a part of the Palma International Boat Show, which has been operating for six or seven years now. Before, the Palma Boat Show was a show of small boats, and we brought in a completely different type of yacht and a completely different clientele to Palma. The show itself brings in many visitors and shows Palma from a different perspective, including its beautiful old town, luxury hotels, quaint boutique hotels, and restaurants, all located near the show area in the city center.

What is your opinion on the future of Mallorca and its potential to further develop its yacht industry in terms of both repairs and as a destination?

Mallorca is becoming increasingly important as well as a base for super yachts and as a home for them, not only as a refit and repair base. There is new infrastructure for super yachts coming up, such as Club de Mar and other existing ones like Port Adriano. Our sector needs to work more and harder on keeping super yachts here and create the right environment and keeps these owners satisfied. We want them to enjoy cruising here and choose to stay here. As a company, we keep pushing hard to promote yachting; at the same time, legislation and the public authorities need to work in the same direction, because if the environment is not favorable for super yachts to come, they will simply choose somewhere else. The economic impact of these large yachts on the local industry is enormous, and they bring a higher quality of tourism to Mallorca.

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