Renting a boat: an easy and convenient way to experience the summer!

InMare interviews Filovent, the hiring boats specialist  

Many lovers of boats and boating have always the same dilemma: to buy or to rent a boat? The answer is never univocal, because there are several reasons that lead to choose one or the other option. Certainly, owning a boat means a huge amount of energy and money. For this reason, if an owner uses his boat for two or three weeks a year, it is always better to opt to rent it, thus saving several thousand euros. In addition, opting for Charter solution, you could find almost new boats in every marina in the world and, after the cruise, you will not have to think about cleaning, maintenance and boat storage. In this case you will take the best of boating holiday - sea, wind, freedom - without having nothing to worry about! We spoke with Sara Quagliariello, Web marketing assistant of Filovent, a leading French company in rental boats with 20 years of experience and more than 18,000 boats to rent.

Hi Sara, tell us what is Filovent, and what it offers!

Filovent is a leading French company in the field of boat rentals since 1995, when the passionate sailor Philippe Brunet decided to make his passion available to everyone and to combine his experience and his love for the sea with his web marketing strategy skills. Present on five different markets (French, Italian, English, German and Spanish), Filovent launched its website in Italy in 2007, expanding its client portfolio. The agency operates in more than 50 destinations around the world as an intermediary between the customer and the owner, and offers a wide choice of sailing boats, motorboats, catamarans, but also river boats, and luxury yachts, with or without skipper. The 520 Filovent bases are all over the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean Sea ... The customer will be spoiled for choice!



How were you able to establish yourself as a leader in a fragmented and competitive market like the yacht charter one? What is the key to your success, what are your main strengths?

The rigor in the choice of boats at the best price, the desire to do our best and propose new offerings to customers are the fundamental factors that have enabled us to establish ourselves on the boat rental market. Thanks also to the evaluations of the customers, Filovent has never stopped growing, in order to surprise their customers with the right boat for a successful cruise. Of course, nowadays it is complicated to assert itself on the web because the competition is getting tighter. The way of thinking and using the website is constantly changing, so you have to keep up with the times: social media, advertising, web marketing strategies are just a few factors for the success of the activities. But one of the keys to success is always listening to customer feedback, to improve their experience and offer them the best: let us remember that the customer is always right!

What are the best destinations and the most popular route?

For Italian customers the best sites are Sardinia, Corsica, Mediterranean France and Croatia. The Mediterranean, therefore, with its coasts and its crystal clear waters, attracts millions of sailors each year.



What are the most common requests of the users? And the most common questions that people ask before getting on board?

The majority of our customers prefer catamarans, especially for comfort, excellent design, performance and their excellent stability while traveling. Depending on the boat and the destination, we are ready to respond to any type of customer demand: which are the good outfits to be used on board, what to bring, what is the best route to follow.

What was the best compliment you received from one of your customers?

We receive many testimonials from our customers, feedbacks of the effectiveness and quality of our service. Whether they are passionate customers or novice clients, everybody leave a memory of their experience. As for this customer, which – in my opinion - highlights some of the fundamental objectives of our business reality: It was an unforgettable holiday, spent with the person I love. Just me, her and the Aeolian islands where our relationship was born few years ago. Today that relationship has becomed love for the sea, for sailing, for life, and has the look and the light of a wonderful woman. Thank you for helping me to live this.