According to data published by ANEN (National Association of Nautical Companies)in 2024, in 2024, the following were enrolled 5,027 recreational vesselswhich represents a 15.9% decrease compared to 2023Does this mean that the market is in decline or are we simply seeing an adjustment after years of atypical growth?
Post-pandemic trend: boom and normalization
Since 2020, recreational boating experienced accelerated growth driven by:
✅ Pandemic, which led many new users to seek outdoor recreational alternatives.
✅ Increased interest in proximity tourism and private experiences.
✅ An increase in demand for smaller boats, accessible to new sailors.
This extraordinary growth between 2020 and 2022 led to record figures, with a significant increase in registrations and charter demand. However, in 2023 and 2024, the market has started to stabilize, which explains the drop in registrations. without this signifying a crisis.
What does the ANEN data tell us?
1️⃣ Small yachts segment in decline (-18.3%)
- Boats up to 6 meterswhich represent the 70.3% of the markethave been the most affected by the fall.
- This could be due to the fact that the bulk of new post-pandemic yachtsmen have already acquired boats in previous yearsThe company has been able to reduce the demand for purchases in this segment.
- It may also indicate a transition to rental models instead of ownership.
2️⃣ Growth in luxury yachts (+8.2%)
- The vessels over 16 meters are the only segment with growth.
- This confirms that the premium customer continues to bet on the nautical sectorThis suggests that investment in larger vessels remains stable.
- It also reflects that demand has not disappeared, but is concentrating in more exclusive segments..
3️⃣ Adjustment in the charter market (-15.3%)
- In recent years, rental companies have grown rapidly, expanding their fleet with new registrations.
- This drop may mean that the supply of charter boats is already sufficient for the current demand.
- However, charter remains a mainstay of the yachting marketwith jet skis (42%) and motor boats (35%) as protagonists.
Crisis or market adjustment?
If we analyze these data from the perspective of market cyclewhat is happening in 2024 looks like a natural correction after a period of exceptional growth.
It is not a crisis, but a return to more normal values after the post-pandemic explosion in demand.
The premium and rental segments continue to show strength, indicating that interest in yachting is still alive and well.
The decline in registrations suggests that the digitization and optimization of port management will be key to maintaining the sector's competitiveness.
How can ports adapt to this new reality?
The key for the coming years will be in:
✅ Improve the management of rental boatsoffering more personalized experiences.
✅ Betting on the digitization and process optimizationfacilitating access to port services.
✅ Adapt to new consumer trends, with tools such as. Portview and PandoraThe new system is designed to improve the relationship between ports and navigators.
In summary, we could say that the nautical market is maturing and adjusting to its new reality. The future of the sector will depend on how key players adapt to this transformation.
Source: ANEN - Nautical Market Balance 2024