Smart Marinas guide and 2022
industry statistics

The International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) Marinas Group (IMG) has produced a Smart Marinas Guide. Produced by IMG members to assist marinas in navigating digital transformation, it looks at the future of marinas, why the move to digital matters, why everyone is talking about it, and what marinas can start doing now to prepare.

Martinho Fortunato of IMG said: The Smart Marinas Programme was first introduced to IMG in October 2019 in light of a pressing need for the marina industry to respond to technological developments, such as digital transformation processes that enhance efficiency and seamless user experiences across the transportation and hospitality industries.”
“We realised that there is clearly considerable scope for ICOMIA to assume a global role in developing programmes on crucial marina-related issues, such as interconnection, data collection and sustainability.”
The document aims to kick off the process for future work needed in terms of regulation, policy making and development of best practices, outlining the vision and defining some basic terms.

ICOMIA has also released the latest edition of its Recreational Boating Industry Statistics, a much-valued reference document that offers a wealth of industry intelligence.
The report indicates that throughout 2022 boat sales were still elevated despite fiscal pressure from inflationary increases. Demand for new boats continued to outweigh supply.
Recruitment and retention of staff in all areas of the industry remained sluggish, with both large and small companies considering workforce challenges to be a significant concern.
A wider emergence of alternative boat propulsion technologies was reported, as was an increased shift towards charter, boat rental and boat sharing opportunities, particularly among younger boaters.
Highlights include:
• 2023 global data snapshot and a comprehensive market overview
• Detailed national reports from 25 countries
• Global summaries of key product segments
• Import/export data for the international boat trade
• Marine engine statistics from ICOMIA’s Marine Engine Committee
• International boat show statistics
• The Superyacht Group’s annual report
• Industry articles selected by IBI magazine
• Raw-data spreadsheets
The IMG Smart Marinas Guide can be downloaded free of charge, and the Statistics Report is priced at €880 (50% discount to ICOMIA members).
www.icomia.org