The boating industry in Europe is a dynamic and competitive sector and a significant contributor to the European economy. The total industry is made up of boatbuilders, engine manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, trade and service providers and consists of approximately 32,000 companies, directly employing over 280,000 people.
The boating industry is mainly made up of small and medium-sized enterprises (97% of businesses are SMEs) and a small number of large companies (over 1 000 employees). On its own, the boatbuilding sector consists of 3,600 companies employing over 82,000 people. The production of recreational craft is very diverse and ranges from series to one-off boats, which are built-to-order.
The boating industry is also a highly internationalised sector. Traditionally, European companies have exported mainly to other countries within the EU and to the US. New markets are emerging, however, and European companies are increasingly exporting to Asia, South America and Russia.
With over 37,000 km of inland waterways and more than 70,000 km of coastline, Europe offers the perfect environment for the 48 million European citizens who regularly participate in recreational marine activities (36 million of whom are boaters), as well as countless numbers of tourists. Over 6 million boats are kept in European waters while 10,000 marinas provide over 1 million berths both inland and in coastal areas.
Source: ICOMIA Statistics Book - For sale on www.icomia.com
