Sailor’s Newspaper: Could you share the founding story and the main mission of Oxygen Yachting?
Oxygen Yachting: The sea has only one meaning for me. “Freedom” Oxygen Yachting started its journey in 2021 by combining my passion for the sea and therefore freedom, my holistic view of life and the luxury service understanding I gained from hotel management. My goal was to offer a more complete, beneficial, exclusive and privileged experience in the yachting industry. Our mission was to provide all our guests with unforgettable moments at sea and to exceed their expectations. With the motto "We create personalized experiences on extraordinary routes", we set out to combine comfort, safety and prestige at sea with a sense of freedom.
S.N: What are your tailor-made services? What is the most unique service you offer to your customers?
O.Y: Our main idea is based on understanding the desires of our guests. We believe that understanding this is an important key to success. That's why our services are completely personalized according to the desires of our guests. From food menus to planning special activities, we carefully consider every detail. Among our most unique services are our Ayurvedic nutrition menus, our "Thank You Boxes" that we leave in guests' rooms upon arrival with a small detox package and our personalized "Butler" service. Among these services, the personalized Butler service can turn the whole trip into a concierge experience. In this way, our guests' instant requests are met instantly and it gives the feeling that we can offer all the comfort offered by hotels on the sea. And they reach this comfort in the privilege of waking up every morning in a different work of art bay.
S.N: How do you select your exclusive yachts and what is the process of making them special?
O.Y: Our yachts are selected from models that are recognized as the best in the industry in terms of comfort, luxury, performance and design. We prioritize guest preferences and add special touches in terms of technology, entertainment and even security in the interior and exterior living areas. Such guests have high expectations and being at sea can sometimes feel unsafe for them and their guests. Just staying away from the paparazzi is a job in itself. So whether they are looking for a holiday with their families, need to have an important meeting or want to have an unforgettable celebration, our task is to organize their wishes in terms of comfort, service, technology, entertainment and security to the finest detail. Although this job seems very easy, it is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming process that we are very tired both physically and mentally.
S.N: What factors play a role in determining your extraordinary routes? Which routes do you recommend the most to your customers?
O.Y: We take into account factors such as our guests' interests, weather and sea conditions and the activity in the region at that time. Especially the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts are among our popular routes. The bays stretching from Bodrum to Göcek and even Kaş and the Greek Islands are frequently preferred. We also offer hidden routes for guests looking for quieter and unexplored regions.
S.N: What strategies do you use to meet your customers' expectations?
O.Y: I personally think that one-on-one meetings with the guest is the quickest way to understand their expectations and meet them easily. Sometimes this is not possible for guests who have a hard line on privacy, but I somehow convey to them that we, who provide this service, have the opportunity to bring them what they want, wherever they are in the world. When this information is passed on to the other side and they start to make demands that push the boundaries, I also understand what kind of experience they want to have. And so we can go beyond these requests. For example, if the guest is sensitive about their food and drinks, I can invite an internationally recognized Chef to the boat for a special performance one night. These are the kind of situations that leave a mark in the guest's memory. And this is one of the main purposes for which Oxygen Yachting was founded.
S.N: Are there any new services or projects your company plans to offer in the future?
O.Y: There is no limit to luxury. Therefore, the sine qua non of this business is to keep the service we provide in terms of luxury, comfort, food and beverage and technology constantly updated. We already have to do this. But I am a bit on an ideological line in this regard. My biggest dream is to raise the service standards of all our boats, big or small, commercial or private, serving in Turkish territorial waters. In order to achieve this, we have a project to establish a training and rating system that is also recognized abroad. We are about to complete the infrastructure of this system, which includes detailed training and education programs from greeting to security and even ensuring the internal balance of the employee. I hope it will become operational in the near future.
S.N: What changes have you observed in the yacht industry in recent years and how have these changes affected the way your company does business?
O.Y: In general, I observe that interest in the yacht industry has increased and that people no longer want to spend their vacations lined up like fish on a single beach and want to feel more freedom. I have my doubts about our ability to respond to this change. Freedom is human nature. And in order to make our guests feel this, we need to be open to all their wishes and feelings. Our point of view has been the same from the very beginning. Our first reaction to difficult requests is to ask ourselves "how can we make this happen" instead of "no, we can't do that". If the guest looks at you as "this person adds value to my life, makes it easier, liberates me", that's when you win.
S.N: As a yacht company, what do you do in terms of sustainability and environmentally friendly practices?
O.Y: I am a bit realistic about this. I think it is naive to expect our commercial boats, the youngest of which is 10 years old, to switch to an environmentally friendly structure with electric motors. Or it doesn't feel right to talk about sustainability in an environment where our waste, which we separate as plastic, paper and glass within the scope of zero waste, is carried together in the same garbage truck and dumped at the same point. Maybe these situations will be more possible in the next 5-10 years. I am definitely looking forward to the days when sustainability is a way of life, but Oxygen is always at the forefront of whatever can be done to prevent the bays from being polluted and to prevent the creatures living under the sea and on it from being affected. I cannot restrict this to the seas just because I eat bread from this sector. The right to life of every living creature should be a responsibility on all of our shoulders. This is actually where the name Oxygen comes from. Oxygen was established to be a more beneficial solution center in order to give more life, more breath to every living thing. Therefore, in my opinion, focusing on inner balance in our trainings is one of our most environmentalist approaches. Because it is very difficult for someone who is at peace with themselves to harm their environment. If we can take this first step correctly and train the members of the sector in this way, I think the rest will come by itself.
S.N: What were the biggest challenges you faced in this sector and how did you overcome them?
O.Y: Of course, as a new company, I can say that the biggest challenge was the effort we made to make both our business partners and our guests trust us. Personally, I was already in the sector before in my hotel management experience, but when you get to the other side of the table, of course things change a bit. We overcame this through a trustworthy and transparent relationship with everyone we are in contact with. My personal challenge is completely different. I can't get used to the greed, opportunism and intolerance that has been growing among the collective lately. And so those who cannot understand that at the most basic level we are "One" and that we need to live for each other, unfortunately cannot work with us. I cannot go looking for boats that try to extract as much financial benefit as they can from the guest. Or the guest who tries to crush the boat crew who have shown great effort cannot go on a tour with us again. Oxygen was founded to create benefit, not to make a difference. If everyone involved in what we do benefits, only then can we consider that we have done our job. Only then can we rest our heads comfortably on our pillows. We have done very good work with all members of the sector who think along these lines. And we continue to do so.
S.N: What has been the impact of the feedback you have received from your customers and how do you evaluate this feedback?
O.Y: I can clearly say that all our guests or their closest representatives and even all our business partners know that Oxygen is a company that lives in the "Heart". This makes me especially happy. The work we do should first of all bring the greatest possible benefit and fulfill us internally, for everyone involved. It's not good to be too capitalistic. We cannot reduce people to numbers. I feel very sorry for managers and bosses who think like that, because there is no grace and compassion left in their lives. Slowly the life energy is draining out of them and you can see it in their eyes. In such a world, I think Oxygen's efforts to benefit all those it touches and to increase the intensity of this benefit every year is a good development not only for this sector but for the whole business world. The more businesses like this, the happier employees we can have, the happier customers we can see, and the more profitable and prosperous business we can do in all aspects. No one may not see or want to see the impact this has on changing society, but as humanity drifts towards darkness every day, it is very important that hopeful seedlings grow. We have chosen to do our part in this regard and increase it day by day. I hope this perspective will set an example for other companies.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.
Banu Demir / The Sailor's Newspaper
Prepared for Publication: Doruk Agency / Founded by Sailor's Newspaper
