Italian boating: turnover of 8.72 billion in 2025, the sector is growing despite the uncertainties

In 2025, the overall turnover of Italian boating recorded a new increase, reaching 8.72 billion, with an increase of 1.4 percent. But if on the one hand super yachts hold sway, on the other small pleasure boats suffer from international crises, tariffs and wars. Even if the prospects for the future, according to entrepreneurs in the sector, are clearly improving. This is the picture that emerges from Boating in figures, the statistical report produced by the Confindustria Nautica Research Office on the occasion of the Genoa Boat Show starting tomorrow.

"The middle class is the one who suffers from these insecurity scenarios. It is not a budget problem - explains Piero Formenti, president of Confindustria Nautica - but of uncertainty.

We are here in this Show precisely to unblock them, to convince them that the time has come to spend and to believe in the beauty of one's life again, which is one and must be lived".

53% of the yachts produced in the world are Italian. Shipbuilding exports represent 90% of production. 40 percent of the boats are sold in Europe, 17% in the USA, 10% in the Middle East. "The last two seasons - underlines Stefano pagani Isnardi, director of the research office of Confindustria nautica - have been seasons with less signs ahead. For 2026, and therefore with the autumn shows, we instead expect there to be a new desire to return on board new or at least re-engined boats, so we are quite confident that this can also happen with the contribution of our Boat Show".

What is needed, according to nautical entrepreneurs, "are regulatory simplifications - explains Marina Stella, general director of Confindustria Nautica - and not having competition in the European market. But also more space to allow shipyards to keep up with requests". The nautical sector can become attractive for young people but "there is a lack of a school for manual professions - concludes Marco Fortis, vice president of the Edison Foundation - to make our young people understand that working in this sector is beautiful and also well paid".