2020: A happy surprise for the boating industry
Introducing the virtual round table held at METSTrade 2020 on the state of the boating industry, Sara Anghel, President of the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA), presented some figures illustrating the disparity in the state of the global boating industry. While countries such as Croatia, with a 35% drop in turnover in its yachting sector, with chartering being hit hard by travel restrictions, or Italy, heavily impacted by the 1st wave of Covid-19s, whose sales fell by 13%, others have seen positive dynamics. North America had its best sales in 13 years. Frank Hugelmeyer, President of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) in the United States sums up the situation in one sentence. "Boating is one of the industries that has benefited the most from the crisis! All the manufacturers have 8 to 12 months of orders, with dealer inventories empty."
Consolidate and retain new boaters
All stakeholders also welcome the arrival on the water of new boaters and the boating rate of owners. "Some customers have earned a lot of money during the crisis. They looked at what they could do in their area and decided to buy a boat," says Lawrence Chow of the Hong Kong Boating Industry Association (HBIA). This is also true for the more modest people, given the sales of small boats in the United States. Andrea Frabetti, manager of the British shipyard Sunseeker, is delighted: "90% of owners have sailed on their boat in 2020 compared to 70 to 80% in general".
However, the challenge for the shipyards will be to maintain these positive aspects of the Covid-19 crisis. "Everyone seems to be doing well in boating this year, but there has been no competition. When the Disney amusement parks, cruise lines and tour operators return, they will be particularly aggressive," warns Frank Hugelmeyer. Keeping new boaters will therefore be a major challenge. He underlines: "A study in the United States shows that if someone starts an outdoor activity between 5 and 18 years old, he will practice it all his life. So that can follow us for at least ten years. The entry level and quality of the first boating experience is essential to bring in new boaters."
Articulate boat shows and digital
Faced with the cancellation of boat shows, digital has increased its weight in the marketing of boats. Nevertheless, professionals believe in the need for physical meetings. "Everyone has realised the importance of boat shows. In recent years, some people have been talking about whether they would rather save the cost of boat shows or organise private events. But we can see the need to maintain the attraction for customers. Many of our clients come from abroad and it has been complicated. Buying a yacht is an experience. Clients want to see the construction, touch it, talk to the architects..." regrets Andrea Frabetti.
"We'll see hybrid marketing, because you have to be aware that not everyone can be good at digital. There will be a consolidation of shows, with difficulties for those who don't have enough return on investment," says the president of the NMMA. The Hong Kong yachting representative added: "Boat shows will be smaller and more adaptable."
