Nautical tourism (economic) growth opportunity for Italy

Nautical tourism on the Peninsula already impacts billions of euros, appealing to a large segment of tourists, often high spenders. And that it can grow a lot more, as the Sailing Newspaper and Motor Boats have always maintained.

Nautical tourism. Have the institutions noticed this as well?

The Italian vacation industry is finally realizing it too: at the sector’s main national fair – TTG Travel Experience in Rimini – staged in mid-October, a section expressly dedicated to boat tourism was in fact organized for the first time. Not only stands and presences of operators and insiders, but also four detailed conferences on nautical tourism that saw precisely the moderation by il Giornale della Vela and Barche a Motore and at the main one of which the Minister of Tourism Daniela Santanché participated, together with other authorities of the sector. A first important recognition for a sector, that precisely of nautical tourism, in which Italy is a leader: more than 3 million people took boating vacations in Italy in 2023, spending more than 6 billion euros in the territory. If the nautical industry is then a recognized excellence in the world cruising market, it is time to give the right value to the world of pleasure boating as well. Not least because, the numbers still say it, the nautical tourist is a special, prized tourist: and one who, above all, brings to the territory and to travel an average daily expense that averages 150 euros per day. Almost double, for example, the 85 euros spent on average by vacationers disembarking from cruise ships, a segment of tourism that is so celebrated today but much more impactful than pleasure boating. But there is more: research estimates that in ten years, with the presence of a plan of coordinated interventions, perhaps at the institutional level, the turnover of nautical tourism in Italy could almost double to over 10 billion euros (+70%). Finally approaching even the “results” of other Mediterranean countries – such as Spain and Croatia – which today are ahead of Italy in terms of quality of offer and turnover.

Nautical tourism to be pushed

In Italy at last the Ministry of Tourism has included nautical tourism in its Strategic Plan 2023-2027 also in an attempt to finally define an Italian way to develop nautical tourism. “Enhancing nautical tourism in Italy,” explained Francesco Di Filippo, vice-president of Assonautica Italiana, at marine of the highly attended events staged in Rimini, “today in particular means precisely recognizing that unique economic value that recreational boating offers, thanks to which marinas and landing places become true tourist accommodations. As well as finally telling that this is a real tourism segment that is already very present, in which nautical operators must become tourism service operators. All this design was the driving force behind the creation of the nautical tourism promotion project entitled ‘Italy Seen from the Sea – Discover Where I’m Taking You,’ the implementation of which was entrusted to Assonautica as part of the Promotion Plan prepared between the Ministry of Tourism, Regions and Autonomous Provinces, in collaboration with Enit. It is a concept that was created precisely to promote ports and tourist landings as convenient and at the same time useful access points for the discovery of the territories surrounding the marinas.” A work that today then is certain to be refined, knowing full well that tourists from all over the world are on the hunt for vacations that are above all experiences to remember, perhaps visiting famous places-and Italy has topped the World Tourism Organization’s rankings for years as a favorite destination for travelers from around the globe-in which to do something unique. And a vacation by boat is in itself something special and fascinating. There is no shortage of examples already: such is the case with the booming Cinque Terre where (foreign) tourists queue endlessly to have even daily vacation experiences but rightly considered unparalleled.

Nautical tourism to be told

Nor should it be forgotten that there is tourism and tourism, now that one of the most debated issues in the travel industry is that of so-called “overtourism.” That is, the invasion of guests and travelers in the most beautiful tourist locations, but which due to its characteristics as a mass phenomenon more than bringing economic benefits brings confusion and consumes natural (especially) and artistic resources. And instead Italy should become a favored destination, even from this point of view, for high-spending tourism, as it is mainly foreign tourism, though not only of course. So in fact, also as part of the ministerial and regional project ‘L’Italia Vista dal Mare – Scopri dove ti porto’, 30 nautical itineraries have been included in the official portal of Italian tourism – Italia.it – “from the port to the hinterland” that were created precisely to spur tourists and visit the Peninsula by arriving by sea but then enjoying all its many beauties on land as well. Defined on a regional basis, after all, the Boot has almost 8,000 kilometers of coastline to offer pleasure boating almost all of which are rich in beauty, they are obviously only the tip of the iceberg of what destination Italy can offer to the nautical tourist. As is well known by those who have been following the Giornale della Vela e di Barche a Motore for years, which not only each month recounts some special insights for those who already love to go by sea, but also for more than ten years have been developing and publishing a series of Tourist Guides for boating vacations – both regional and national and “thematic” in nature – available in both digital and printed versions. The foundations in short, institutional and otherwise, are there this time: the opportunity should really be seized and not thrown to the wind.