American app-based transportation platform Uber introduced a private boat transfer service UberBoat to Croatia on Friday.
With over 1,000 islands, the southeastern European country was chosen to be the first place in the world to see the launch of the UberBoat service. At the beginning, UberBoat will be available at three Croatian locations, namely Split, Island Hvar and Dubrovnik, the most famous tourist destination in the country.
Via UberBoat, users now have access to two separate services, a transfer from island to island and a half-day or full-day excursion.
About the charges, a 33.5-nautical-mile ride on an eight-passenger speedboat from Split to Hvar costs around 350 euros, while the price for a larger XL boat with a maximum accomodation of 12 persons is around 450 euros.
Currently, there are about 100 UberBoats with eight or 12 seats. The company also has about 200 skippers.
Davor Tremac, Uber Director for Southeast Europe, told Croatian media Friday that the service will be available through summer months, while later it will depend on weather conditions.
Tremac said that this type of service is already being sought by guests in other Croatian coastal cities and that there is plenty of room for expansion. If the service justifies expectations in Croatia, it could be extended to other countries that have a lot of islands, such as Greece, Spain, France and Thailand.
Tremac believes that UberBoat won't have any legal problems in the country, as they do have with Uber cars. Last week, taxi drivers blocked the center of Croatian capital Zagreb, protesting against Uber whose operation is illegal in the country.
