MADRID – The pandemic has led to increased sales of pleasure boats in Spain. Owning a boat offers privacy and also makes it easier to follow sanitation measures. Therefore, this has led more people to buy boats.
Up to July this year, 12% more boats were sold than in the same period of 2019. From January to July 2021, a total of 5,177 recreational boats were sold, compared to the 4,621 sold in 2019. Furthermore, the growth even shoots to 36% when compared to the same period in 2020. This is according to data from the National Association of Nautical Companies in Spain (ANEN).
Small boats most popular
The six provinces where the sales of pleasure boats have increased the most are;
- Balearic Islands (702, 38.8%)
- Barcelona (558, 60.8%)
- Alicante (404, 54.2%)
- Madrid (330)
- Girona (314)
- Malaga (276).
As for the size of the boat, the greatest demand was for the smallest (up to eight metres in length). This amounts to 87% of the total demand for pleasure craft.
Pleasure boat rentals
Another market that is growing exponentially is the pleasure boat rental market. Up until the end of July, there were 1,618 registrations. This represents 31% of the total and 22.6% more than in 2019.
“The outlook for the rest of the summer is good, despite the lack of supplies affecting international markets, especially in June and July. This shortage mainly affects sales of jet skis and certain segments of motorboats,” said Carlos Sanlorenzo, general secretary of ANEN, against the newspaper La Opinion de Málaga.
