For starters, they have both been to Albany House in the Bahamas. Being a secluded and magical estate, Albany House was chosen as the setting for the latest James Bond movie Casino Royale. Not only is the setting magical, but this has helped to put the place onto the world map with renewed acclaim for the Bahamas.

While Bond was sipping his Martini, Tiger Woods got busy buying into the brand new Albany development. His joint venture with fellow golfing buddy Ernie Els and the Tavistock Group (owned by Lyford Cay resident Joe Lewis) has created much speculation and interest from all around the world.

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Thai resort style developments have lured many sport stars into their fold in recent years. The latest to join the gang of Thai investors is Kimi Raikkonen. The Ferrari racing Finn has invested his money into a luxurious beach front unit in Phuket, Thailand’s largest and most popular island.

Raikkonen who lives in Switzerland has apparently paid a hefty US $1.5m for his upmarket private villa in the sought after Serenity Terraces.

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Fancy your own private island in Fiji? Now’s your chance. New Zealand estate agents, Bayleys Realty Group have three to choose from – all at less than £3 million each. Two of the Islands are in Fiji, the third in Marlborough sounds, NZ. Toberua Island sits two kilometres east of Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu, comes with 1.62ha of land and a 15-bure resort operation that has attracted a number of celebrity visitors recently. The island, with resort, is for sale for $3.9 million plus 12.5 per cent Fijian value added tax.

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The Palm Islands is a series of artificial islands in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on which major commercial and residential developments have and will be constructed. The islands are the largest land reclamation projects in the world and will result in the world’s largest artificial islands. They are being constructed by Nakheel Properties, a property developer in the United Arab Emirates, who hired the Dutch dredging and marine contractor Van Oord, one of the world’s specialists in land reclamation. The islands are The Palm Jumeirah, The Palm Jebel Ali and The Palm Deira.

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We all know about the tropical climate and the locals’ penchant for carnival - Brazil, after all, is one of the world’s most glamorous, exotic destinations. But recently, the visitors have shown a desire for more than just a week in a hotel - they’re eyeing up the property market, too, and the trend has spread so fast that even the country’s most famous son, Pele, is getting in on the act.

None of this is accidental. Back in 2003, the Brazilian government decided one way to save the country’s weakened economy was to encourage tourism. They set out a plan to attract around nine million visitors each year and began improving coastal resorts and infrastructure in key areas, such as Natal on the north-east coast.

The plan succeeded and the number of tourists rocketed. But what the ministers may not have foreseen was quite how many visitors would be so blown away by the country’s fabulous beaches, friendly locals and low-cost, laid-back lifestyle that they’d choose to buy property there.

From the UK, it takes around eight hours longer to fly to north-east Brazil than it does to Spain or Portugal, but British buyers are beginning to flock in, and property that a few years ago was selling for less than £20,000 has more than doubled in value. In fact, the area’s become such a magnet for overseas investors that even legendary footballer Pele is getting involved. He recently helped launch King’s Flat, a development of 32 luxury, beachfront apartments at popular Ponta Negra beach, on a plot of land he was given after helping to win the 1970 World Cup.

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DUBAI — The fast growth in the local leisure boat market is being sparked by the numerous waterfront developments in Dubai, a source in the industry told Khaleej Times yesterday.

An estimated 25,000 new berths for boats will be built over the next five years in the UAE. In Dubai alone, mega- projects such as the Dubai Marina, The Palms and the Dubai Festival City will feature large marinas, capable of hosting thousands of boats.

“The general demand in this region is for boats which are usable for watersports, fishing, diving and snorkelling; multi-functional boats which are suitable for beginners and advanced drivers,” the industry official said.

According to the Gulf Boating Market Report, this strong incline in marina leisure is projected for the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar. Around the Gulf, experts estimate one boat for every 423 local people.

Leisure fishing is on of the main drivers for boating in the Gulf, due to the traditional aspect of fishing and pearl-diving in the past. However, with the increasing number of overseas property purchasers in Dubai, imported boats from leading European and US builders are on the increase. Sailing boats, which have had only a small market share in the Gulf in the past, are showing an increasing trend in the UAE.

The market leader in the supply of leisure boats in the Gulf is the UAE-based Gulf Craft, which has built some 4,500 boats in twenty years of production and has a boat park market share of 16 per cent. Bayliner, a member of the UK Brunswick Boat Group, has the largest share of the imported boat park with an estimated market share of 3.6 per cent.

Italy-based manufactures Azimut, Ferretti and Pershing and Princess and Fairline from the UK are the most established brands in the region.

There are currently three Arabic boating magazines, The World of Yachts and Boats, Bahry and Knotika, besides a few web sites that service the marine leisure market.

World wide, it is estimated that 30% of the world’s mega-yachts are owned by AGCC nationals, yet many keep them in the Mediterranean.

Local and international banks have been quick to realise the opportunity, offering a range of financing options for potential boat owners.

UK-based HSBC requires a 30 per cent down payment and a valid boat and life insurance. The National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) also offers two types of boat financing loans.

This year’s boat show, scheduled from March 14-18, is set to break records with over 90 per cent of exhibitor space already booked, and more than 25,000 visitors anticipated.
Source: khaleejtimes.com