Latest marina figures presented at 2023 Adriatic Sea Forum
The latest edition of the Adriatic Sea Tourism Report, published by Riposte Turismo, was presented at the 2023 Adriatic Sea Forum in Croatia – a two-day event dedicated to the cruise, ferry and nautical markets in the Adriatic area. According to the report, investments of over €416m have been made or are scheduled for sea tourism infrastructures in the Adriatic from 2023 to 2025. The figures were presented in Dubrovnik by Francesco di Cesare, president of Risposte Turismo, during Day 1 of the forum.
The cruise and ferry sectors will be those set to benefit most from new investments in the three-year period under way, totalling around €210m. As regards the nautical sector, further investments of €206m have been mapped out by Risposte Turismo, at least €182m of which for the construction of new marinas and a further €24m for the expansion of existing facilities.
The new projects set for development include the Vlora Marina in Albania (483 berths, also for the superyacht segment, available from 2025 thanks to a total investment of approximately €45m) and the Marina of Porto Baros in Rijeka (230 berths ready in 2024 thanks to a total investment of approximately €50m by ACI-Gitone, a joint venture between ACI Marinas and the Lürssen shipyard). Numerous projects are also under way for the expansion of existing facilities, including Marina Polesana (138 new moorings for a total investment of €20m) and Marina Korkyra (39 new berths for an investment of approximately €1.5m). On the Italian front, meanwhile, around 100 new berths will be created: from the 40 expected by the end of 2023 in the tourist port of Jesolo (Venice) to the 50 that will be ready in 2024 in the tourist port of Rodi Garganico, in the province of Foggia, as well as 10 in the Marina of Brindisi.
The Adriatic Sea Tourism Report 2023 also takes an in-depth look at nautical tourism in the seven countries that look onto the Adriatic. According to the representative sample of 78 marinas interviewed, in 2022, over half recorded a higher value than in 2019 for berth hire services (51%), maintenance (48%) and sales of equipment (42%) offered to domestic, seasonal and daily customers in transit. As regards the origin of nautical tourists, the nautical facilities examined reported that most came from Germany (for 65.4% of the sample), Italy (55.1% of the sample) and Austria (41% of the sample).
Among the results of the survey on the marinas was an increase in rates charged to customers in 2023 (for berths and services), reported by 71% of the sample interviewed. Moving on to the areas for improvement, the Risposte Turismo survey highlighted a continuing lack of integration between the marinas and the tourism programmes of the host areas, demonstrated by the lack of excursions and guided tours in the area offered by the nautical facilities examined (present in just 21.1% of the sample). With regard to charter companies, according to the sample of 25 operators interviewed by Risposte Turismo, 72% of the fleet is composed of sailing boats. As regards employment levels, the facilities interviewed in the survey provide stable employment to 7.5 people, with a further 4 seasonal workers during the tourist season.
With regard to the geographical origin of customers, the main market is Germany, followed by Austria and Italy. For a three-day holiday on a sailing boat with a skipper, the Risposte Turismo survey showed that for the same cost (approximately €2,000), a 7m craft can be booked in August, while in May it is possible to book a boat of twice that length. Finally, with regard to the updated forecasts for 2023, the samples interviewed from both the marinas and the charter companies showed that operator confidence in a rise of nautical tourism in the Adriatic remains high, with 39% and 60% respectively expecting a more positive season, following on from the encouraging results of 2022.
“The numbers we are sharing with all the operators at this sixth edition of the Adriatic Sea Forum indicate an across-the-board recovery in maritime tourism in the Adriatic, a segment that will soon – by 2024, if not already in 2023 – be witnessing a return to the figures recorded before the pandemic,” said Francesco di Cesare, president of Risposte Turismo.
“Both public and private organisations are investing heavily in products and infrastructures, and the response from operators when asked about the area’s future are always positive. However, a strong conviction remains that better results can be achieved, and not only in terms of quantity. In our view, much remains to be done to give one of the most beautiful areas in the world the recognition it deserves, and to finally make it one of the most popular tourist destinations with international travellers. To achieve this, greater effort is required, not only or even principally in terms of infrastructures, but rather in terms of promotion and collaboration among all the stakeholders, and the ability to offer holiday proposals that are always up to date and in keeping with the new priorities and preferences of travellers.”
The sixth edition of the Adriatic Sea Forum began with opening speeches by Blaž Pez, Director of the Dubrovnik Port Authority, Mata Franković, Mayor of Dubrovnik, Joško Cebal, Deputy Prefect of Dubrovnik-Neretva and Josip Bilaver, State Secretary of the Ministry. sea, transport and infrastructure of Croatia. During its two-day duration, the forum hosted more than 15 meetings and discussions on tourism potential and challenges facing the Adriatic region. More than 50 international lecturers and more than 250 operators representing various professional categories involved in maritime tourism in the Adriatic participated.
Source: IBI News
