The outlook for the Italian marine industry remains positive, particularly driven by the superyacht segment.
The insights are from the Italian Marine Industry Association’s latest report looking into the market trends for 2024 – 2025.
The report from Confindustria Nautica highlights Italy’s leadership for orders over 24 metres, with 572 yachts under construction out of a total of 1,138 worldwide.
For 34% of companies, order books in the superyacht segment as of December 2024 are either growing or stabilising compared to the same period in 2023.
The remaining 66% report moderate cases of contraction, with 33% experiencing a reduction no higher than 5% while a further 33% report a decrease between 5% and 10%.
Regarding craft up to 24 metres in length, 22% of respondents anticipate an increase in turnover for 2025, 45% expect stabilisation and 33% expect a reduction.
In the equipment and engines segment, 16% of companies expect to see an increase in turnover in 2025 compared to 2024, 63% expect a stable trend, and 21% expect a contraction.
Stabilisation in turnover
Companies operating in the charter sector are split evenly between those who report overall positive expectations for the 2025 season with a higher turnover compared to 2024, while 43% expect turnover to stabilise and 7% predict a slight contraction.
Overall, 79% of respondents stated that the average value of weeks sold in 2024 either increased or remained stable.
A survey conducted by Italy’s national marinas association Assomarinas with its members in September 2024 recorded a positive outlook for nautical tourism 2025, with forecasts that are more optimistic than those gathered the previous year.
Projections for 2025 indicate signs of growth across marinas, with increases of 1.5% in berth sales and 3.2% in transit berths.
Factors impacting the market include high interest rates and unsold stock.
In addition, the majority of respondents also considered political tensions and international conflicts among the most impactful factors on consumer confidence.
Exports driving growth
The report found that exports of Italian boatbuilding production are responsible for driving growth in recent years.
in September 2024, a yachting industry in figures recorded an all-time high for exports of yachting units produced in Italy, reaching the €4.5 billion.
However, the Confindustria Nautica says concern is emerging across Europe over current escalations on US tariffs and the possible consequences in terms of costs and supply for the yachting industry.
“The United States continue to be the most important market on the global stage for Italian yards, albeit with a downturn recorded in the last year, and Italian production involves types of yachts that tend to not overlap with those typically produced in the US,” said a spokesperson.
“At the same time, US exports to Italy have almost doubled over the course of the last 12 months, compared to the previous 12-month period.”
