Keeping your boat in an Italian marina has never been more convenient. The trend, which we already foretold to you last year, is being consolidated this season thanks in part to news from Greece and France. The former has just instituted a new nautical tax not on possession but on the presence in Hellenic waters of vessels, regardless of nationality. Our transalpine cousins, on the other hand, have seen the Ministry of Budget (the equivalent of our Ministry of Finance) increase taxation on ports, basically raising property values. A cost that each port (and this is what is causing a lot of confusion in France) will have to bear differently depending on how much its value in the territory will be estimated. An expense that, especially in municipal facilities, will go to the individual boater’s boat cost.
THE ITALIAN SITUATION
Apart from the changed conditions of our neighbors, the improvement of the Italian port situation starts from further back: in fact, in recent years we have had a increase in the number of berths impressive: it has grown from about 60,000 berths (6 to 24 meters) in 2007 to more than 83,000 today, divided among 194 marinas. If we also add to these the availability of berths from facilities equipped in pre-existing ports, the number of berths almost doubles to an impressive 161,000. To understand better, we are talking about state-owned concessions from cooperatives, boat clubs, and small companies that have converted obsolete and unsafe moorings (perhaps at the buoy) with efficient floating docks and good service at the dock as well.
Check out all 14 pages of the Ports Special in the June Sailing Newspaper
