You know you’ve made the big time when you own a yacht, sail it around the Med like a boss, and park in Saint-Tropez to party with the celebs and super rich.

Over the past few years, however, more and more yacht owners are turning their backs on Saint-Tropez, or Antibes’ renowned “billionaires’ harbour”, because of their marina’s massive prohibitive costs.

Many owners are now choosing the likes of Italy and Spain, where crew and fuel and berthing fees are significantly cheaper.

As concern for local businesses and jobs grows, three of the Riviera’s most prominent politicians have appealed for help from President Emmanuel Macron.

The Telegraph reports:

“The gravity of the economic situation of the yachting sector in the Provence-Alps-Riviera region makes it necessary for us to appeal for your direct intervention,” they said in an open letter released to the media.

Revenue at the iconic marina in Saint-Tropez has fallen by 30 per cent since the beginning of the year, while Toulon, a less glamorous destination, has suffered a 40-per-cent decline, they said.

Complaining that the EU is allowing Italy and Spain to undercut the Côte d’Azur, they called for the “urgent harmonisation of tax and social regulations at the European level”.

They added: “Refuelling a 42-metre yacht in Italy (instead of France) gives a saving of nearly €21,000 (£18,800) a week because of the difference in tax… while the additional cost of maintaining a seven-person crew in France is €300,000 (£268,000) a year.

They said hardly any French sailors were being hired to crew yachts and sales by the four largest marine fuel vendors had fallen by 50 per cent this summer.

The open letter also pointed out an example from the Monaco Maritime boatyard, where a massive contract for a 152-metre mega-yacht was lost to a Spanish rival.

I’m sure we’ll still see celebs strutting their stuff on the beaches, the paparazzi snapping away, but it’s not a good look when the boats stop rocking up.

First world problems, right?

[source:telegraph]