According to a study from the United States Superyacht Association, it is estimated that the annual cost of a 55-metre yacht totals 2.9 million euros.
Two thirds of which directly impacts the economics of the city in which it is moored, after the salaries of the crew have been excluded.
Little wonder then why Barcelona is busy trying to attract yet more superyacht business
Set up some three years ago, The Barcelona Clúster Nàutic (the nautical cluster of Barcelona) is an association of institutions and companies set up to promote the marine industry.
The association represents a sector that is an economic driving force for the city of Barcelona.
It currently has 71 members and seeks to substantially add to that total.
Those members represent the 62% of the marine work force in the city said to number 8,300 who together with the balance of the city’s 305 companies whose business is related to the marine sector in Barcelona, generated a total of 836 million of direct, indirect and induced economic impact.
The income is generated by the ports and marinas of the Barcelona coastline and businesses dedicated to repair & refit, as Marina Barcelona 92 and Varador 2000, and a wide range of SMEs engaged either this area or other services to the captains and crews of superyachts.
With the expansion work of Marina Port Vell and the creation of Marina Vela, whose construction began last September 1st and is expected to be completed in 15 months, Barcelona will add about 160 new berths for superyachts.
They will be added to the berths for boats over 24 metres that already offer:
- Port Forum (31)
- Port Olimpic (19)
- Real Club Nautico de Barcelona (18)
- Mataró Marina (25)
- Vilanova Grand Marina (49)
“With only 5% of world traffic of these yachts the 300 berths are filled, which would represent a huge economic impact for the city. Only in the industrial sector, refit and repair, the cost could be more than 210 million euros a year, while the impact on ports would be about 70 million”, explains Barcelona Clúster Nàutic president, Toni Tió.
To attract this traffic to Barcelona, the cluster has worked in the legal environment, with significant improvements to VAT for non-EU yachts and the issue of visas in the Schengen area.