Mega yacht could be the trailblazer for the recovery of Italian tourism sector when the Covid-19 emergency will slow down. According to Federagenti, some features of mega yachts, like a limited number of passengers (not more than 12) with a reduced crew team, make these boats a good incentive for the reopening of some of the most appealing and charming destination of international tourism.
Yachts are autonomous and easy to command, and at the same time they summon big spenders.
The opinion of Federagenti
“Obviously the beginning of the season – highlights Giovanni Gasparini, President of Yacht section of Federazione Nazionale Agenti Marittimi – will be characterized by the highest caution, with mooring in roadstead or in harbour not too easy to reach. The first phase will involve the reactivation of technical, maintenance, supply and catering activities to reawaken the system. So, along the way the Covid-19 situation will decrease, mega yachts could support a global rapprochement also with smaller crafts, feeding a new sap to the entire industry and facilitating a recovery of summer season, even if belated”.
“We have to recall – says Federagenti – that in 2019 the global fleet of mega yacht exceeded the 5.500 units, with 416 new boats under construction (38% of Italian shipyard), and that these luxury crafts made over 9.000 visit in Italian harbours, with an average of 4 overnight stays, assuring the touristic industry an average occupation of 9 people for each meter lenght of a big recreational boat”.
In Gasparini’ opinion, it will be essential that regions such as Sardinia make an effort assuming an active role, in collaboration with the most important group that work in Mediterranean area, with several actions like guaranteeing restricted accesses to the touristic harbours, certified sanitization procedures for the docks, safe paths on the ground, for example in direction of shops and restaurants, with high level protection guarantees.
“The yacht’s world – concludes the Federagenti Yacht’s President – has some unique fetures that makes itself as a perfect standard bearer to revamp tourism. On one hand, it’s easy to verify the movements of these crafts; on the other hand in the collective immagination, also thanks to the high rate of VIP on board, these boat can send a reassuring message to the international community that will cease the quarantine time with some fears and stress, and for this reason will have the need to distract”.
