Marine tourism in Italy

Italy, with its 7,700 km of coastline and beautiful lakes, is a leading destination for marine tourism and recreational boating. The country also has a strong tradition in the nautical industry, whose production in 2021 reached EUR 3.6 billion, with a significant contribution from exports. Globally, Italian shipyards focus mainly on the production and sale of large boats.

In 2021, Italy was the second most important country in the recreational boating sector worldwide, with a market share of around 12%, mainly focused on the inboard segment.

Besides production, Italy also stands out for the number and variety of its port facilities. The most recent estimates number 537 marinas and harbours along Italy's 7,700 km of coastline. There are a total of 84,633 pleasure crafts registered with Maritime Offices and Civil Motor Vehicle Offices, of which 42,590 in northern Italy, 20,698 in central Italy and 21,345 in the south and on the Islands. Overall, the national capacity is 156,465 berths, of which 46.1% in the South and Islands.

In 2021, the Peripheral Maritime Offices and the Civil Motor Vehicles Offices (UMC) issued almost 71,000 licences, taking into account new issues, renewals and replacements. These figures reflect the growing interest in recreational boating in Italy.

In terms of boat size, there are 24,784 pleasure craft up to 10 metres, 21,099 up to 12 metres, 19,636 up to 18 metres and 3,520 up to 24 metres. In addition to these, there are 172 units over 24 metres. This variety of sizes reflects the diversity of the tourist and recreational boating demands in Italy.

The data thus paint a picture of a growing sector and a solid and diversified tourist demand. Thanks to Italy's regional specificities, with its different coastlines and landscapes, the marine tourism market offers countless opportunities.

In summary, Italy presents a promising landscape for recreational boating, thanks to its high-quality shipbuilding production, the richness and variety of its port facilities, and the growing tourist demand.

_{Sources: “Deloitte: The state of the art of the global yachting market”; “Unioncamere”; Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.}

Below you can learn more about the recreational boating sector in Italy thanks to the content and information made available by the Italian Regions.