Palma International Boat Show to Strengthen Positioning of the Islands

The next edition of the Palma International Boat Show will have a forum to strengthen the positioning of the Balearic Islands as an international destination for refit & repair. The event will be possible thanks to an agreement signed between the IDI, the organiser of the Palma boat show, and the Balearic Marine Cluster.

The agreement, which has a budget of 97,000 euros, will include an international analysis to determine how the infrastructure of the Balearic Islands is viewed and perceived by the major players in the superyacht sector (captains, owners, management companies, etc.) from the point of view of repair, maintenance, berths and operations. The study will provide the basis for the implementation of a strategic plan in the coming years for the sector, taking into account the opinions and expectations of potential clients of the companies on the Islands.

With the information collected, it will also define the discussion topics of the forum to be held in the context of the Palma International Boat Show. The event, which will take place on the day before the opening of the boat show, will promote the Islands as a destination for refit & repair and seek to raise awareness among the international target audience of the industrial companies of the sector and the advantages of the Balearic Islands. The forum will also aim to increase the professional impact of the Palma International Boat Show.

The Balearic Marine Cluster is an organisation consisting of thirty industrial companies linked to nautical tourism and entities that participate in the sector’s training and R&D activities. The cluster’s aims include making the Balearic Islands more visible internationally as a nautical industry centre; promoting the growth and strengthening the competitive position of the sector; increasing turnover, profitability and business community quality; and coordinating the sector’s value chain to increase its efficiency and productivity in the Balearic Islands.

The Balearic Marine Cluster was created as part of the industrial cluster development initiatives of the 2018-2025 Industrial Plan and is promoted by the General Directorate of Industrial Policy, through the IDI. The action is funded by the European Regional Development Fund as part of the 2014-2020 ERDF Balearic Island Operational Programme.

The nautical sector is one of the productive sectors identified in the Industrial Plan as a priority, given its high specialisation, added value, growth and internationalisation potential, and highly industrial nature.

According to the conclusions of the nautical cluster’s strategic development and launch project in 2018, the recreational nautical sector in the Balearic Islands consists of 276 companies, boasts a turnover of 561 million euros, with a cumulative growth of 10.5% over the last four years, and employs 2,676 workers.

Analysis of the sector reveals that 51% of businesses specialise in the field of maintenance and repair of small, medium­sized and large boats. The rest of the value chain consists of activities associated with nautical tourism: marinas, charters, management and brokerage service agencies, commerce and more.

 

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