Take centre stage
Northrop & Johnson's 'super famil' aims to put the Australian superyacht industry on the world stage
Photography by Northrop & Johnson
28 April 2017
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Australian superyacht and tourism heavyweights have recently rolled out the red carpet for some of the world’s most influential charter brokers to experience the wonders of super yachting Down Under.
With the support of Tourism Australia and Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia, Northrop & Johnson Australia, which manages the nation’s largest superyacht charter fleet, has just staged an eight day ‘super famil’ that invited key international industry figures to experience two of the country’s most iconic cruising destinations.
Charter brokers from London, Monaco, Russia, New York, Florida and New Zealand spent four days exploring Sydney from the luxury of the 120-foot Sahana, and then were introduced to the magnificence of the Great Barrier Reef aboard the super sleek 115-foot Spirit.
Northrop & Johnson Australia managing director Cameron Bray said the trip familiarised international brokers with the world-class superyacht charter experience available in Australia.
“These people are based in some of the world’s most wealthy hubs with clientele that are ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) individuals who are adventurous and wanting to go further afield,” Bray commented.
“We were able to show them the diversity available in Australian superyachting; the cosmopolitan experience in Sydney with superb shore-based highlights and then the fishing, diving and exploration possible on the Reef.”
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Tourism Australia global manager of experiences Karen Fitzgerald, who co-hosted a wine tasting aboard the Sahana for the group, said that the ambitions of the superyacht charter industry in Australia aligned closely with its own efforts to attract more UHNW tourists down under.
“This is a relatively untapped sector of the tourist market for Australia, and certainly an area which has the potential to give us a competitive advantage against many of our competitor destinations,” she said.
Eager to explain further, Ms. Fitzgerald commented, “What happens on-board is obviously critical to the superyacht experience, but so too are the land-based experiences which form such an important part of the itinerary. This is an area we see huge opportunity for Australian tourism and key to our thinking when putting together this ‘famil’.”
Superyacht Australia CEO MaryAnne Edwards said the trip eventually would have a knock-on effect for the industry’s extensive supply chain which employs thousands of people.
“There is so much scope for growth in the superyacht charter industry here and it’s exciting to see initiatives such as this bringing us closer to realising this potential,” Ms. Edwards said.
Mr. Bray said early feedback from the participants was very encouraging, with some indicating they had clients who would be interested in taking an Australian superyacht charter.
“All of them were incredibly impressed, particularly with the high quality and variety of cuisine onboard our yachts and with how much there is to do down here,” he said.
Aside from cruising two of Australia’s most iconic charter destinations in absolute luxury, the group also experienced high-end hotel accommodation, fine food, superb wine, and iconic leisure activities on and offshore.
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