Spain’s 13th Nautical Congress once again brought together more than 400 professionals, representatives from companies in the sector, related institutions, and government officials to discuss the immediate challenges facing the sector and the drivers of competitiveness for the coming year.
Sessions on the first day included an economic analysis of the current situation from Jordi Sevilla and a cultural perspective with historian María Fidalgo connecting history, maritime identity, and new ways of relating to the sea.
The new value of the shipbuilding industry beyond construction: services, innovation, and customer adaptation and to explore synergies with the nautical industry, was discussed in a panel of Marcos Freire, Javier Rasilla, and Antonio Domínguez, moderated by Carlos Sanlorenzo followed by a discussion on values in intergenerational business management, emphasising leadership in times of transformation.
Blue tourism
The day concluded with the panel Nautical Leisure in the Premium Travel Offer moderated by Teresa Herrera, featuring Rafael Montero, Manuel Raigón, Eduardo Blanco, and Lourdes Millán, who addressed how blue tourism and premium experiences are redefining the nautical value proposition.
The second day opened with a session on Converging Tides: A Shared Vision of the Port System, featuring Gustavo Santana, Ignacio Álvarez-Osorio, Alberto Santana, Ignacio J. del Río and Jordi Carrasco, which positioned the role of the port system within the sector’s competitiveness agenda.
This was followed by a panel discussion on The Transformation of Nautical and Sports Facilities with Eduardo Ruiz, Juan Miguel Fortea, and José Frasquet, moderated by Jordi Carrasco, discussing the modernisation of facilities and infrastructure in other tourism-related sectors such as golf and camping, which have focused on user experience, operational efficiency, and destination appeal.
Challenges facing the nautical sector
Another discussion focused on Spain/Portugal: Cooperating to Win, with Pedro Arsénio, Lourenço Saldanya, and Martinho Fortunato, moderated by José Luis Fayos, advocating for strengthening a coordinated Iberian response to common challenges facing the nautical sector in the Atlantic.
The discussion advanced shared protocols, monitoring, and alert systems to improve safety and provide certainty for sailors and facilities.
A highlight of the congress was a discussion on ANEN’s 20th Anniversary which reviewed the main legislative milestones that have shaped recreational boating in Spain over the last two decades, highlighting sectoral coordination from the industry association with the government has achieved effective dialogue to place the nautical sector on the regulatory agenda.
