The Balearic Nautical world says goodbye to a complex and uncertain 2023

Jaume Vaquer, president of the nautical employer’s organization of the islands, AENIB, analyzes the situation of the sector and makes the balance of the year.

Of what it is of the year, at the Balearic Islands there has been a registration of 1.059 recreational boats, nearly an identical number registered exactly a year ago, when it accounted for  1.056 units registered. The year-on-year increase, is located with a light 0,28%, according to the data of the  Asociación Nacional de Empresas Náuticas (ANEN), entity in which takes part Asociación de Empresas Náuticas of the Balearic Islands (AENIB). 

The president of the employer’s organization of the balearic nautical sector, Jaume Vaquer, analyzes in declarations to Passion for the Sea the situation of the sector in the Balearic Islands and makes the balance of the year which is nearly about to conclude.

“In 2022, we were already at a point with high prices due to the pandemic and the outbreak of the Ukrainian war of last year, but the year ended, in general, with good results with the companies of the sector. This 2023, the prices and the types of interest have continued to increase, and the burst of the war of Israel has added more uncertainty. In contrast to last year, the results will not be as good as the closure of last year 2023”, predicts.

At this point, Vaquer refers to the good figures of the tourism sector during this season, in which the number of visitors who have come to the Balearic Islands until October has been around 14 million. "In the Balearic Islands, although the tourist season has broken records, the spending capacity of our visitors has fallen considerably, which has had a major impact on the sector. Also, in a context of such uncertainty, our customers are waiting for news and prefer to contain spending, especially on leisure or recreational aspects and not essential, such as sailing. Just as in 2022, after the end of the pandemic, people were keen to enjoy life and return to normality, in 2023, prudence will prevail in the face of a panorama full of uncertainties", he analyzes. 

In any case, he qualifies, "it is true that all this does not affect the top end of the sector too much, so that in the large yachts sector, the drop in sales has not been so noticeable".

On the other hand, it refers to the fact that "the market is in a situation of overstocking by manufacturers and distributors. This is due to the fact that during the pandemic, there was a strong stock rupture due to the tensions to which the logistic chains were subjected. This, coupled with the strong surge in demand, forced companies in the sector to increase orders in order to satisfy their customers in the shortest possible time. Now, the situation has taken a 180-degree turn and we have a supply that far exceeds demand," he warns.  

Looking ahead to 2024, Vaquer predicts that all the trends observed this year will continue, and highlights as a priority challenge for AENIB to achieve recognition of the nautical industry as a strategic sector.