Nautical tourism, ports, marine protected areas. What to do in 2025. Episode 2

There is a treasure, we will never tire of repeating, that is worth billions and that our country has yet to figure out how to make the most of. It is nautical tourism, in all its forms.

Nautical tourism 2025, what to do

In 2024, although undoubted steps forward have been taken(boating license, new equipment, eco-incentives…) the world of boats (and of all those who enjoy boats, at every level) is still burdened, above all, by endemic vices. Beginning with a slow and complex bureaucracy, byzantine laws, asphyxiating obligations, excessive charges, inadequate, expensive and elitist landings, constant sea controls, and poor services. So let’s come up with some ideas, suggestions (in some cases, advice) to improve the industry by making boating (and nautical tourism) more efficient and accessible to an ever-widening public.

In multiple installments, theme after theme we will dissect problems and proposals to solve them for the 2025 beginning.

After dealing with the still-still professional skipper title, computerized boat registry, end-of-life boats today we tell you about marinas and marine protected areas, a real mine for nautical tourism.

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Marinas, what needs to change

For the tourist port industry, it is a period of favorable winds. The economic balance is growing for the fourth consecutive year (average 2 percent), permanent and transit berths are increasing, several landings are nearing completion (Palermo, Piombino, Pietra Ligure, etc.) and many others are on the launch pad. In addition, marina operators celebrated excellent news last November, as the Infrazioni decree excluded port facilities dedicated to boating from the Bolkestein Directive (the one that revolutionizes the procedures for entrusting, modalities and duration of concession contracts of the maritime domain), bringing newfound certainty to the sector.

Thus, for dedicated recreational facilities (and berths), the previous allocation criteria remain in place. The sector, which now has about 500 berths along the entire peninsula (and islands) with at least 170,000 berths, is now pushing for a cadastral modification of marinas aimed at exemption from Imu, for targeted incentives for the redevelopment of existing facilities, and for the simplification of procedures for dredging. They are welcome. However, a number of general critical issues remain: The absence of national coordination on tourist ports, resulting in haphazard settlements decided by regions and municipalities (where local interests can be very strong), often in competition with each other; an often unfortunate siting of new ports, with deleterious effects on the surrounding coastline and the need for constant dredging; speculative use, with ever-increasing space devoted to shopping centers, parking lots and residential construction; a tendency toward gigantism, with many berths reserved for ever-larger units; an inability to “network”; and the absence of quality criteria, so that stellar berthing costs are often not matched by equivalent services.

Proposals – Create a national steering committee to coordinate the work of regions and local authorities on tourist ports so as to avoid parochial competition or concentration and, conversely, avoid (through funding or relief) stretches of coastline that are too uncovered. Reserve a greater share of berths for small to medium-sized units. Make “system” by encouraging common coordination (like Croatia). Establish a “quality” classification in the same way as for hotels (stars), with an effective correspondence between required rates and services offered.

Marine reserves, it’s every man for himself. We need more buoy changes!

Our country has the largest network of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean Sea: there are 29 of them with a total area of more than 200,000 hectares at sea with about 700 kilometers of coastline to which should be added 2 submerged marine parks, 2 national parks with protection at sea and the International Marine Mammal Sanctuary (Cetacean Sanctuary). It can be said that the “best” of our sea is under protection, but it is complicated to navigate it. Each reserve, although with common general rules, decides autonomously the areas usable for recreation, the periods, the methods of access, the need for permits and possible fees. A big cauldron where the rules are not easily understood or one has to “reconstruct” them by scrolling through decrees, resolutions and circulars. Often then buoy fields or equipped mooring fields are lacking or insufficient and access or reservation procedures cumbersome.

Proposals – The best way to learn about (and appreciate) marine reserves is, precisely, from the sea. Therefore, it is necessary to balance the need to protect a fragile environmental asset with low-impact nautical tourism. The latest amendments to the Nautical Code allow for buoy camps and equipped moorings in both general reserve ( B ) and partial reserve ( C ) areas, so there is a need for management bodies to take action in this regard. It would also be useful to create efficient and understandable online sites with up-to-date maps of moorings and the possibility of making reservations. Good also to deseasonalize the flows of boaters with ad hoc initiatives (subsidized rates, organization of shore excursions, etc.).

Fabrizio Coccia

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• Previous installment: professional skipper, telematics registry, end-of-life boats
• In the next installment: Foreign flag and boat license