Italian Yachting Market Overview

There is no better annual barometer for the Italian pleasureboat business than Salone Nautico Internazionale di Genova — otherwise known as the Genoa International Boat Show. It brings the industry and its consumers together in sharp focus every October and in doing so shows the way to the year ahead.

Guessing the way ahead just now is no easy task, however. The uncertainty in
the world’s financial markets means just about everyone would admit to a little nervousness. And that is true just about everywhere. There is nothing particularly Italian about present jitters, as the dark clouds from the world’s money markets swirl around the globe. In fact, the only people not fearful of a major downturn are probably the Americans and the only reason they’re not worried about what will happen if there is a recession is because they’re already in one and worrying about how to survive.

As to the Italian market, all we can give you here is a little recent history, relate how good things have been — particularly for the majors such as Azimut-Benetti and the Ferretti Group, who it seems have still never had it so good — and relay some of the jitters regarding domestic demand and, for the Italian exporters, the impact of any international slump.
Note in terms of production Italy rates as the second largest in the world and when it comes to boats bigger than 24m (80ft).

It is the biggest producing nation by a very long way. It may not build the biggest very boats, but certainly builds more very big boats than any other country’s industry.
Yes, generally the Italian market has been doing extremely well and far better than the macro-economic picture would suggest. But market health does vary. Just like in so many other markets around the world, the demand seems to get stronger and more resilient the bigger the boats and the boating gets.

In terms of boating, Italy is also one of the biggies. It ranks as the world’s fourth-largest marine leisure consumer market.
Not surprisingly then that Genoa ranks as one of the world’s biggest shows as regards visitor gates, which are these days up around the 325,000 mark.
Moreover, since its new breakwater was added to the Fiera di Genova show complex to the east of the city and so many more pontoons were installed in an outer harbour area, the event must now surely rate as one of the biggest, if not the biggest, in-water boat show. The show’s co-organisers, Fiera di Genova and Italian industry body UCINA, claim their event attracts 1,650-plus exhibitors and getting on for 2,000 boats. Genoa’s ‘business done’ figures was always sky high too a cool €1 billion typically.