Port Inquiry 2016. The turning point must be now

We have been telling ourselves this for years: there are not enough places in the ports in Italy, and as a result Italians do not buy boats. In part, but only in part, the argument was correct. However, the situation now appears to be in a phase of real change. After much proclamation, work has begun on the construction of many new marinas along the coasts of the Boot, especially in central and southern Italy. Why? Because it has finally been realized that boating brings great benefit to the local economy, and miles of undeveloped coastline in Sicily (to take one example), can become a real boon.

HOW THE NAVY HAS CHANGED
Also because more and more ports have become true centers of gathering. Gone is the era of isolated marinas dedicated solely and exclusively to hard-core sailors. Today they have grown rich with stores, restaurants and service centers that make them true “villages.” Today the situation has radically changed, including in terms of costs: in fact, prices have not increased from 2008 to the present, and in some cases have even fallen.
Southern Italy has grown a lot, both in terms of places and services. If before the southern marinas were “inhabited” mainly in the summer season, today the discourse has changed. More and more boat owners are moving, for example to Sicily, even if they live in northern Italy. This is thanks to the explosion of low-cost airlines.
Let’s take an example: a flight from Milan to Trapani, Palermo or Catania can be found starting at about 40 euros. In this way, a boat owner can change his or her sailing area every two or three years. This is a very important aspect of nautical tourism, which is being transformed accordingly. If at one time going on a cruise hardly “bothered” to discover the beauty of the hinterland as well, today the situation has changed. And ports are adapting.Among the services that many offer their clients (whether permanent or passing through) are also tourist services (with food and wine tours leading the way). Some marinas, then, are making real “Apps” that allow boaters to keep up to date and even be able to request and book any interventions on their boat: from cleaning to repairs of all kinds.

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THE SITUATION: TODAY AND… TOMORROW
We started talking about the Italian port situation from Southern Italy, let’s see why, following data provided by Assomarinas (the Italian Association of Tourist Ports, www.marinas.it), also presented to the Chamber of Deputies.
Today in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea and Sicily there are about 29,000 berths divided among thirty-seven marinas (783 average berths). With those under construction today, we will come up with another 7340 places, for a total of fifty-three ports. Remarkable growth.
Remaining in the Tyrrhenian Sea, but starting from the north, Liguria and Tuscany together now have as many as 38,500 berths (divided into thirty-eight marinas); a figure set to increase further by 2770 berths, for a total of more than 41 thousand berths located in 44 marinas for an average of more than 900 berths each.
But taking the lead is the central Tyrrhenian Sea, which already has 41,000 berths, which will grow to 45,869 (4,869 more). In Lazio and Sardinia, the marinas will become as many as fifty-eight, up from forty-eight today.
If we move to Adriatic, the discourse becomes different: in fact, here although there is, as we will see in a moment, a fair amount of ferment in terms of berths, the effort of those in the industry is focused more on optimizing the existing marinas, this stretch of the Italian coast being the best manned ever.
However, to the existing thirty thousand berths in thenorthern Adriatic, another 1,760 berths will be added in the coming years (with six new marinas planned). TheCentral Adriatic, which has been carrying out an intensive modernization policy for several seasons now, will increase from 22,500 to 25,120 berths (+ 2,620) with nine new facilities. We will then go from having 194 marinas to a total of 241. This is an interesting number, also taking into account the many expansions already underway that will further enrich the ‘offerings on a national scale.

WHAT ABOUT THE PRICES?
We mentioned it earlier: the price of berths in recent years has leveled off all over the peninsula. Most affordable today, taking a twelve-meter hull as an example, is the northern Adriatic, with an average annual expenditure of 4,750 euros. Exactly on the opposite side of the boot, between Liguria and Tuscany, we find the highest rates, which hover around 7,000 euros per year for the same type of boat.
It is confirmed, and no longer a surprise, among the most affordable regions is Sardinia. Why? Because if we average the prices (high and very high) in the summer season and those out of season, we find that keeping a boat on the Sardinian island can be really affordable.

UNITY IS STRENGTH
Then there is another aspect that is often left in the background, which is the growth of real networks of marinas and marinas, capable together of providing services that a single entity would not be able to give. A solution that is gaining momentum and offers some interesting insights. Such as the fact that a single shipowner, relying on these networks of ports, can arrange his or her own sailings by being able to book (perhaps with favorable terms) his or her place at transit in another of the network’s marinas.

MARINA RESORT CHAOS: ALL RESOLVED?
It seemed to be the ideal solution to bring down the costs of Italian ports: we are talking about Marina Resorts. To understand it better, I can enter into a seasonal mooring contract with the Marina Resort in question: it will be at its discretion what regime to apply (whether at 10 or 22%), just as it is in the industry of, for example, RVs. And remember among other things that the port will have to adapt (just like hotels and campsites) its facilities to reception, and based on those it will be classified.
That’s right, because in order to become a marina resort, a port must achieve certain requirements in terms of services and reception, which currently vary from region to region, as regional regulations override national regulations in tourism. All clear and seemingly unassailable. Except that the Campania Region, in the spring of this year, had approached the Constitutional Court to annul the rule: an absurd request that was promptly accepted. So it seemed that we had gone back three years, and while some regions, such as Sardinia, promptly ran for cover by enacting ad hoc laws, the countdown in the political arena to fix the problem immediately began.
That’s how in mid-June the State-Regions Conference approved the new Marina resorts implementation decree, which makes the application of 10 percent tourism VAT to short-term moorings operational again.

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