Sail-World.com : Greece and Italy tough on yachts but Bermuda makes it easier

News Home

Text Only News

Cruising Int

Greece and Italy tough on yachts but Bermuda makes it easier

'Bermuda - popular with cruising boats' .

While Greece and Italy are putting up barriers to visiting yachts by charging berthing taxes and other fees Bermuda is making it easier for visiting yachts by streamlining their visa process, allowing it happen while the yacht is still enroute. This comes after last year's lengthening of the maximum period of time that yachts can visit.

The streamlined process will encourage more yachts to visit the fish-hook-shaped archipelago of 150 islands, already a frequent stopping place for yachts on their way to or from the Caribbean.

Bermuda St George’s Harbour - photo by Kyle Hunter - .. .

National Security Minister Wayne Perinchief told the House of Assembly that as a result of meeting with private sector partners, the Department of Border Control will now be able to process visa waiver applications while vessels are en route to the Island.

The move is intended to address an issue in which some arriving visitors have been unable to secure the Bermuda entry visa.

'Those individuals are often unable to disembark and the rigid application of the policy defeats the economic aims of Bermuda as a premium yachting port,' Mr Perinchief said.

'We have created a specific e-mail address, supplied to agents, and could receive visa waiver requests while the ship passes the Statue of Liberty.'

The minister said this initiative, along with last year's extension of the maximum period of time visiting yachts and crews can stay in Bermuda (from 21 days to 90 and extensions possible), will allow the $10 million that visiting yachts put into the local economy in 2010 to increase in the years to come.

by Renate Johns

Tweet

Click on the FB Like link to post this story to your FB wall

http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?nid=94103

11:56 PM Mon 20 Feb 2012 GMT

Click here for printer friendly version
Click here to send us feedback or comments about this story.

MORE STORIES ...

Our Advertisers are committed to our sport, please support them!
This site and its contents are © Copyright TetraMedia Pty. Ltd and/or the original author, photographer etc. All Rights Reserved.

Photographs are copyright by law. If you wish to use or buy a photograph you must contact the photographer directly (there is a hyperlink in most cases to their website, or do a Google search.) with your request.

Please do not contact Sail-World.com as we cannot give permission for use of other photographer’s images.

Only if the photographer named on the image is Sail-world.com, Powerboat-world.com, Marinebusiness-world.com or NZBoating-World.com. Contact us .
Ph: +61 2 8006 1873 or complete our feedback form Contact us .
View our Privacy Policy. [Go Home] [ Banner Advertising Specification] [Bot Archive ]

Customised news feeds -Marine Industry companies, Clubs and Associations have their own customised version of our news feed on their website.
Look_here_to_see_examples

CLD