GROWTH IN YACHTING PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ENTIRE ITALIAN ECONOMY
Genoa, 3 October 2026 – Figures, assessments and, above all, the search for common ground between industry and government shaped Day 3 of the 66th Genoa International Boat Show. In the Forum Hall of the Blue Pavilion, the findings of a new study commissioned by Confindustria Nautica – Italian Marine Industry Association from Deloitte on the economic impact of yachting on coastal economies provided the starting point for a discussion of the main opportunities and challenges facing Italy’s current yachting tourism model and the scope for future development.
Piero Formenti, President of Confindustria Nautica, highlighted in his address that the Italian industry is the undisputed world leader in yacht construction. “But it cannot continue to do so without a modern infrastructure network and a tourism offering integrated with coastal areas,” he stated. “Existing port infrastructure needs to be upgraded, both to meet market requirements and to provide facilities for superyachts: today, only around 2% of Italian berths are intended for vessels over 24 metres. We also need to complete the infrastructure network in the South and simplify the inter-agency approval process. Once yachting is recognised as part of the country’s economic policy, a coordinated vision of all the measures needed to achieve these objectives is essential.”
Marco Bucci, President of the Liguria Region, highlighted how the analysis of the major opportunities offered by yachting and yachting tourism provides considerable food for thought about the future of Liguria and other regions. “After all, the Genoa International Boat Show is one of the most important international showcases for the yachting industry and recreational yachting, two sectors with a significant impact on Liguria in both the short and long term,” the Governor commented. “A region grows not only for those who live there today, but also with those who will live there in the future, and who will contribute to its growth with tomorrow in mind. Public administrators therefore have a duty to adopt a vision that looks ahead twenty years, rather than just two or three. Events such as the Genoa International Boat Show certainly generate economic and employment benefits and contribute to regional development, but their value extends far beyond these aspects. They can spark interest, provide fresh inspiration and give visitors, particularly younger generations, opportunities to reflect. Walking among the boats, observing innovation and discovering the many professions associated with the yachting industry can ignite a passion, an interest, perhaps even an idea for one’s own future. This is how an event can, over time, help shape tomorrow’s engineers, entrepreneurs and yachting industry workers.”
Tommaso Nastasi, Deloitte Strategy and Value Creation Leader, then presented “Yachting Tourism and Economic Contribution“, produced by Deloitte for Confindustria Nautica, a detailed analysis of the economic impact of yachting on Italian coastal economies.
The study identifies yachting tourism as a powerful driver of growth for the Italian economy: the value of the business it generated reached around €5.7 billion in 2025. Operating expenditure – berthing, fuel, maintenance, storage and crew – amounted to €3.6 billion (63% of the total), while spending ashore – including dining, shopping, entertainment, transport and hospitality – totalled €2.1 billion (37%) across the entire fleet. “Yachting is a strategic sector for Italy, both for its direct contribution to the economy and for its spillover effects on other Made in Italy and tourism supply chains,” he said. “Making better use of the entire supply chain and of yachting tourism, with the ability to attract increasing domestic and international demand, can further strengthen the Italian yachting industry’s global position, generating substantial benefits for the country’s economy.”
The study identifies yachting tourism as a powerful driver of growth for the Italian economy: the value of the business it generated reached around €5.7 billion in 2025. Operating expenditure – berthing, fuel, maintenance, storage and crew – amounted to €3.6 billion (63% of the total), while spending ashore – including dining, shopping, entertainment, transport and hospitality – totalled €2.1 billion (37%) across the entire fleet. “Yachting is a strategic sector for Italy, both for its direct contribution to the economy and for its spillover effects on other Made in Italy and tourism supply chains,” he said. “Making better use of the entire supply chain and of yachting tourism, with the ability to attract increasing domestic and international demand, can further strengthen the Italian yachting industry’s global position, generating substantial benefits for the country’s economy.”
Italy thus confirms its position as one of the leading international destinations for yachting tourism, particularly in the superyacht segment, while still offering considerable scope for growth in infrastructure and in its ability to attract and retain high-spending customers.
Above all, the economic contribution of this segment highlights the potential of boating tourism. In 2025, the sector’s direct economic impact in Italy is estimated at around €5.7 billion, of which €3.6 billion relates to vessel operating expenditure and €2.1 billion to tourism spending ashore. Superyachts account for just 3% of the fleet active in Italy yet generate 42% of the direct economic impact. Including vessels between 18 and 24 metres, premium yachts account for around 7% of the fleet and generate 55% of yachting tourism’s overall economic impact. The study also shows that around 1,200 seasonally visiting superyachts stay in Italy each year for an average of 23 days, visiting around seven locations, with a strong concentration in the summer months. Leading destinations include the Costa Smeralda and the Gulf of Olbia, followed by Capri, the Gulf of Tigullio and the Amalfi Coast. By contrast, the approximately 960 resident superyachts spend an average of 193 days in Italy, spread across 8.3 months of the year, and are predominantly vessels between 40 and 60 metres. In this segment, Liguria is Italy’s leading hub in terms of days spent in the country, with the Riviera dei Fiori, Genoa and the Gulf of La Spezia among the areas most frequently chosen.
The figures therefore point to two avenues for development: strengthening the infrastructure network, particularly in areas currently less well served; and increasing the ability to welcome and retain large yachts through specialist services, storage, refitting, crew welfare and a local offering that encourages longer stays spread throughout the year.
Following the study’s presentation, Mario Zanetti, Confindustria’s President’s Delegate for the Maritime Economy, took the floor to confirm how yachting generates value throughout the supply chain, stating: “It confirms Italy’s role as an international leader in both yacht construction and high-end boating tourism. This is the picture presented by the Deloitte–Confindustria Nautica study, which also identifies areas for growth: longer stays, winter storage, refit, crew services and skills. The Confindustria–BCG study published last April estimates that the entire economy of the sea will need 175,000 workers between 2026 and 2030. In yacht construction, this challenge is more acute: 43% of vacancies remain unfilled, almost twice the sector average. We therefore need to invest in skills, because this is the only way for everyone to benefit: workers, businesses, local communities and sectors. This will strengthen the competitiveness of the blue economy and the country.”
Piero Formenti, President of Confindustria Nautica, highlighted in his address that the Italian industry is the undisputed world leader in yacht construction. “But it cannot continue to do so without a modern infrastructure network and a tourism offering integrated with coastal areas,” he stated. “Existing port infrastructure needs to be upgraded, both to meet market requirements and to provide facilities for superyachts: today, only around 2% of Italian berths are intended for vessels over 24 metres. We also need to complete the infrastructure network in the South and simplify the inter-agency approval process. Once yachting is recognised as part of the country’s economic policy, a coordinated vision of all the measures needed to achieve these objectives is essential.”
The figures and solutions were then examined further in a round table moderated by Raoul de Forcade, a journalist with Il Sole 24 Ore, who brought industry experts and leaders to the stage: Fabrizio Palombo, President of Federagenti’s Yacht Section; Roberto Perocchio, President of Assomarinas; Fabio Planamente, Vice President of Confindustria Nautica; Pierpaolo Ribuffo and Ernesto Lanzillo, Deloitte Central Mediterranean Private Leader.
The discussion first highlighted the need to increase Italy’s ability to attract major international yacht flows. Around 60% of the world’s cruising yachts are in the Mediterranean, a share that represents a significant opportunity for growth for Italy.
Fabrizio Palombo of Federagenti stressed the need to develop more Italian ports into true home ports, through more efficient technical, logistical, administrative, customs and tax services and closer integration between ports and cities. “We must seek to attract more of the 60% of yachts cruising in the Mediterranean, developing our ports as home ports and offering better services to crews and vessels. Italy has everything: culture, the natural environment and gastronomy. We simply need to make better use of it.” Training was also recognised as central, both for seafarers and shore-based professionals, drawing on institutions such as the Italian Merchant Marine Academy and nautical colleges. Other priorities identified included reducing administrative burdens and developing greater synergies between the various parts of the supply chain.
Turning to infrastructure, Assomarinas President Roberto Perocchio noted that only 2% of Italian berths are currently intended for vessels over 24 metres, while highlighting the substantial investment under way in the marina network. Around 24,000 new berths are already under construction, while a further 50,000 are linked to projects under development. The initiatives cited included projects in Sanremo Portosole, Pietra Ligure, Cagliari, Olbia, Bari and Trieste. “We have already set marina development in motion: 24,000 new berths are under construction, and another 50,000 are linked to projects. We must now create the regulatory conditions that allow entrepreneurs to turn these projects into quality infrastructure and services.” For Assomarinas, priorities include updating Presidential Decree 509/1997, simplifying procedures for port redevelopment, managing dredging and addressing certain tax issues, including IMU property tax on port infrastructure and the cadastral classification of yachting facilities.
Businesses called for clearer and more stable rules. Fabio Planamente, Vice President of Confindustria Nautica, stressed the need to support businesses’ investment capacity with a more effective institutional framework: less bureaucracy and greater vision. “Italian entrepreneurs have the willingness and ability to invest, but they must be able to rely on clear rules and institutions capable of supporting this drive. We have almost 8,000 kilometres of coastline that are the envy of the world: we must make the most of this asset and continue to innovate without losing our know-how.” Planamente also referred to the changing relationship between younger generations and yachting, stressing the importance of making the sea more accessible through experiences, boat hire and charter, moving beyond the traditional concept of boat ownership.
Offering an institutional perspective, Admiral Pierpaolo Ribuffo, representing the Department for Maritime Policies, outlined the initiatives already launched: from the Maritime Industrial Strategy to the second edition of the Sea Plan and the law on enhancing the value of marine resources, which introduced measures for simplification and digitalisation. “The central point,” he explained, “is to strengthen collaboration between institutions and operators and overcome the fragmentation of responsibilities. We must continue along the course we have charted, with a renewed awareness of the value of the sea. For a nation such as ours, it is important to build a system in which administrations and operators can listen to and understand one another more readily.”
Among the outstanding issues highlighted were, in particular, the management of dredging and the need for more coherent coordination of maritime responsibilities.
The discussion of the industrial system was brought to a close by Deloitte representative, Ernesto Lanzillo, who highlighted the cross-sector nature of the yachting supply chain and the central role of small and medium-sized enterprises. According to the figures cited during the round table, every euro generated by yacht construction produces around €5 in added value across the supply chain, while every yacht construction worker supports a further seven jobs in related industries. “Yachting reflects the fabric of Italian industry: a supply chain made up of SMEs, craftspeople, skills and quality, spanning mechanical engineering, electronics, automation and luxury. The challenge is to innovate, join forces and prepare to seize new technological opportunities.”
Among the strategic opportunities identified was dual use, with the potential for businesses in the yachting supply chain to transfer skills and technologies from the civilian sector to defence and the underwater sector. It was noted that the underwater sector could grow from €22 billion to €44 billion within five years.
The round table therefore presented a picture in which growth in yachting offers an opportunity for the entire Italian economy but requires the right conditions to turn potential into lasting value: modern infrastructure, competitive ports, specialist services, training, administrative simplification and greater coordination between institutions and businesses. The shared message from the discussion was that the supply chain already possesses skills, know-how and a strong international position, but must continue to invest to consolidate its competitiveness and attract new demand and new industrial opportunities.
The conference’s closing remarks were delivered by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Edoardo Rixi, who stated: “We are seeing a positive trend in large yachting units, but we must protect the supply chain as a whole from bureaucracy and European stagnation. Italy’s future depends on the central role of the blue economy: we need to redevelop our coastline, unblock dredging and provide marinas with adequate services. To achieve this, we must make legislation more responsive and steer younger generations towards maritime professions, turning our industrial know-how and research into a driver of wealth for the country. We need new berthing facilities: some parts of our country are entirely lacking in quays, while others have berthing facilities but lack services. Today, this infrastructure cannot meet the needs of a country that wants to remain a leader in the yachting sector and needs to offer adequate services. Yachting is more than a seasonal sector: it is a strategic industry that generates value and highly skilled employment. The government stands alongside businesses and workers to strengthen our global leadership. There are opportunities we can make the most of and risks we can contain: this is the only way Italy can respond to a complex situation in both international geopolitics and Europe.”
