Panel “Crewed charter - opportunity and challenge” (and huge potential)

• 07.04.2025.
• News, Education

The 17th edition of the Croatian Small Shipbuilding Days – Croatia Nautic Show 2025 – officially concluded in Marina Kaštela, and this year’s event brought more content, more vessels, and even more reasons to attend. One of them was the panel “Crewed charter - opportunity and challenge” organized by the Adria Libar Maritime Education Center.

During the Croatia Nautic Show from April 3 to 6, visitors had the opportunity to get up close with the latest models of yachts and boats as well as top-tier technology. 
The fair also showcased tourism offerings – from rental equipment, outdoor furniture, pools and SPA equipment, to cars and electric vehicles. 
 
Professional panels and workshops, industry experts were available for advice, along with a rich entertainment program that further enhanced the nautical experience. 
On Friday, April 4, at the panel “Crewed charter - opportunity and challenge” organized by the Adria Libar Maritime Training Center, the discussion focused on a topic that is increasingly shaping the tourism industry – charter crews. 
 
The market is changing, and guests are increasingly seeking top-level experiences, personalized service, and luxury. And such a premium service and full-service model also bring certain challenges. 
 
In Croatia, the trend of demand for crewed charter is growing. 
As well as the need, or rather the desire, to position the Croatian Adriatic as a top luxury nautical destination. 
 
Those questions and many others were addressed by the panelists, experienced professionals from the charter industry, education, communication, and hospitality sectors.

 
The panel moderator and representative of Adria Libar was Katarina Barić, and the panelists were: 

• Sara Douzzan, President of the Nautical Tourism Professional Group at the Croatian Chamber of Economy (HGK) 
• Zlatko Vodanović, member of the Executive Board of the Croatia Yachting Association (CRO.Y.A.) 
• Selma Ćubara, communications and digital tools expert, founder of the platform čarter.hr 
• Ivica Matijaca, consultant, instructor, corporate and motivational trainer 
• Vicko Ozretić, captain and president of the Association of Croatian Skippers and Yacht Crew Members (CROSCA) 

Panel moderator Katarina Barić introduced the topic by saying that there is no doubt crewed charter is becoming an increasingly sought-after model, and at the same time, charter companies and crews need to recognize the opportunities that are emerging and adapt. 
 
When asked how many crew members are currently active, Sara Douzzan said that it is actually very difficult to track such data because there is no proper tracking system. 
Zlatko Vodanović pointed out that we are very “small” in the crewed charter sector, but there is great potential for the development of this segment in charter. 
 
He also stated that the CRO.Y.A. association was founded, among other things, to regulate that “crewed” part of Croatian charter, even though we are the last in the Mediterranean in that regard.  
Crewed charter does exist here, although in a much smaller volume than with the competition, and that CRO.Y.A. wanted to showcase part of what we have to offer at their last year’s show.

What does the "new" guest profile expect from charter 

On the topic of what kind of guests have been coming to us in recent years, Sara Douzzan stated: “It is clear that guests want more experiences, they want luxury. There is a visible increase in guests who are actually tourists and who have replaced villas with catamarans. They are looking for better service quality, and it matters to them how the vessel is equipped and what kind of restaurants are in the area. Such guests are not necessarily more demanding, but rather more ‘tourism-oriented’.” 
 
The opinion of everyone else is the same – guests are seeking higher service quality, that is, value for their money. And we can offer that kind of premium, top-level service, we just need to move away from the current mass-market mindset. 
 

Higher service quality – the future of charter or the standard to strive for 

Ivica Matijaca gave an excellent insight into the current state of Croatian charter, also involving the audience in his discussion. The question was raised – where is the luxury here? What is luxury? 
 
Matijaca stated: “There is a lot of yachting, a lot of charter... But luxury? No. Only one percent of the world’s population knows what true luxury is.” 
 
He also talked about whether we have people and experts for luxury, whether we are training future employees. He concluded that this is not the case, because everyone expects employees to educate or specialize themselves, and that doesn’t exist anywhere – we will get out what we put in. 
 
The panelists commented that we need educated charter staff, we need educated crews. If Croatian charter wants to take a step forward, we need to offer more specialized services, but also follow the latest global trends. We also need to prove ourselves, because for the people coming on luxury yachts, luxury is something completely normal. 
 
The biggest problem is that our marinas lack content that would hold the attention of these luxury guests. We only have the beautiful sea, coastline, and islands to offer, yet we have huge human potential and a fleet that definitely cannot be overlooked.

Digital tools and technology – Croatian charter must not fall behind 

The question was raised whether charter companies use digital tools and new technologies, and which tools they could use, or whether there is a fear that too much technology would eliminate the human touch. 
 
Selma Ćubara responded that even though we have a large number of charter companies and are considered a charter powerhouse, we are still not organized because we don’t even have official divisions for the different charter segments. 
 
“Digital tools are essential, and no matter how demanding someone may think they are, or even if they may seem out of reach for some, the first change that needs to happen is a change in mindset. Digital tools will only simplify the entire process and allow crew members to do their jobs much more efficiently, much more easily, and much faster.” – said the founder of the platform čarter.hr. 
 
Selma Ćubara said that what she has encountered in the charter world is resistance to digitalization because charter companies still have that entrenched belief that what they have been doing for years is still good, and the way they’ve been working for years is still good... And that is absolutely not good, because the world is changing and moving forward, and Croatian charter must not fall behind.

How aware are guests and crew of safety and safety protocols 

Katarina Barić raised the question of how aware guests are of the importance of safety on board and how informed they are about maritime safety regulations. 
 
Vicko Ozretić responded: “Guests are very much aware of safety because there are specific protocols on crewed boats. There is a clear charter briefing protocol, and everything is presented to the guests in an informative yet accessible way.” 
 
Zlatko Vodanović commented that education exists, and there are educators, but there is no interest – there is no concept of understanding how necessary education in charter and nautical fields is. He said that the only thing saving us is the geographical proximity of the islands and the mainland. 
 
We simply must be on the level, we cannot expect luxury or any other guests and their trust if the crews do not know the basics of safety. Because statistics show that safety is one of the most important factors for people who travel. 
 

Service cannot be paid with money 

Ivica Matijaca emphasized that education and the way of interacting with guests are important. But he also raised the question – do we even know the difference between service and hospitality? 
 
If we don’t know that, how can we expect skippers, captains, hostesses, and other crew and employees to know it? “Most of the crew must be trained, and trained to the highest standard – because for them it is, or should be, a calling, not just a job,” said Matijaca. 
It is clear that charter companies in any segment still have a lot of work to do, and everyone needs to invest in people – those who represent the spirit of hospitality. 
 
Guests want to feel safe and special, but also want a level of service they cannot get in similar places around the world. Therefore, Croatia needs top professionals, educated employees, and as soon as possible. 
 
Among other things, employees must be continuously educated, and training centers have their part of the responsibility, but so do charter companies. And whoever the responsibility for education lies with, it definitely exists. 
 
Selma Ćubara commented that every company that wants to have its own team, its own procedures and rules, must also invest in the education of its team. “I know it’s a challenge, and I know how much it demands in terms of time, money, and investment, but until there is a mindset shift, there will be no progress. And the first contact the guest has with the charter must be flawless.” 
 
There are no guests more valuable than others, service and communication must be equal across all levels of service. Why? Because when a guest returns home after a top experience, they will talk about that experience. 
 
The task of Croatian charter is to meet guest expectations. And communication is the key. 
 

Communication and guest interaction are as important as navigational competencies (?) 

At the end of the panel, it was concluded that for both luxury and bareboat charter, you need people who are educated and know how to provide the special and personalized level of service that is expected from them. 
 
The question was raised whether those “soft skills,” communication and the way of interacting with guests, are just as important as, for example, navigational skills and similar competencies. 
 
Vicko Ozretić responded: “The entire service provided to the guest is important. The guest wants an unforgettable experience, and we must make that happen.” 
Working in charter is demanding and carries its own challenges, but also opportunities. Still, there are situations one must know how to handle – such as unexpected or “impossible” guest requests.

 

We need to define what we want to achieve, because the competition is relentless 

Toward the end of the panel, it was concluded that in some segments our competition is far ahead of us – while Croatian charter is still finding its way in some areas and fighting for its rights with institutions. 
 
And that competition, regardless of geographic location, has the advantage simply because they know better how to please the guest and have more educated staff. 
And is there a better recommendation than a satisfied guest who will recommend Croatia as a destination? There isn’t. 
 
Ivica Matijaca responded to all of this by saying: “No matter which part of the world guests come from, they will understand one thing without hesitation – friendliness and smile. And those charter companies that are educating their employees have only just started – and instead of choosing among staff, they are still struggling with a labor shortage.”

How to differentiate “our” service from the others 

There are several other countries in the Mediterranean that are our direct competitors in the charter industry. And what some of them may have that we don’t, the reverse is also true. 
 
And that is why it is important to know how to differentiate from the competition, which we will only be able to do with educated and top-quality crews and top-quality service, because there is not much room for improvisation. 
The panelists also touched on the topic that our marinas have no offer during the off-season, and that competing marinas are cheaper and invest in internal crew training. 
We know how much we are worth, but we also need to provide value for our services. 
And there are not many countries that can compete with us – in terms of workforce, experts, natural beauty... 
 
And Ivica Matijaca says that even though we have all of that – something still doesn’t “click.” 
Has the time come to let some things be entrusted to the youth? Because they are the ones who will lift this industry to a new level. 
 
Vicko Ozretić concluded that crewed charter has a bright future: “Crewed charter will definitely grow, things are just beginning, and the heights it can reach are unimaginable. We just need to invest in it and recognize its value.” 
 
All in all, the panel’s conclusions are that crewed charter is a segment that we still need to invest in heavily, and we need to think about how we can (and must) meet guest expectations every step of the way. 

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