A new kind of traveller is cruising through Italy.
They spend 200 euros a day, don\u2019t mind the price list, and above all, they don\u2019t want to feel like \u201cone of the many.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the latest Isnart\u2013Unioncamere\u2013ENIT survey, international demand keeps growing \u2014 from 46% in 2010 to 56% in summer 2025.
But the real story isn\u2019t the numbers \u2014 it\u2019s the quality of spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of those 200 euros, 86 go to accommodation, while the rest \u2014 over 100 euros a day \u2014 goes into experiences, services, dining, and local activities.
And this is exactly where the nautical sector can (and must) play its part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the \u201chigh-spending\u201d traveller is ready to invest more than 100 euros a day in what they live<\/em>, not where they sleep<\/em>, Italian marinas and charter operators have a massive opportunity: According to the National Observatory on the Blue Economy (Ossermare) and reports from TTG Travel Experience, Altagamma and Giornale della Vela, nautical tourists spend even more \u2014 More than half of the budget goes to restaurants and bars, the rest to moorings, fuel, excursions, and local visits. Each large yacht generates 26 times the local spending of an average tourist. Charter bookings jumped +130% between 2022 and 2024, while average luxury spending grew +53%. For marinas, it means being able to justify premium pricing and service standards aligned with a target that spends \u20ac150\u2013400 per day \u2014 and values quality over quantity. For charter operators, it means stopping selling \u201cdays at sea\u201d and starting to sell sea experiences. Segment your offer. Collaborate with your territory. Communicate value, not price. For more insight into why marketing attention helps you work better (and earn more), read our guide on why communication matters in yachting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Isnart\u2019s president Loretta Credaro reminded, the average rating of the \u201cItaly experience\u201d rose to 8.9\/10. If the average tourist spends 200 euros per day, the nautical one spends twice that. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A new kind of traveller is cruising through Italy.They spend 200 euros a day, don\u2019t mind the price list, and above all, they don\u2019t want to feel like \u201cone of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1578,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[547,548,540,545,546,24],"class_list":["post-1580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-average-tourist-spending","tag-blue-economy","tag-economia-del-mare","tag-italian-marinas","tag-luxury-charters","tag-nautical-tourism"],"yoast_head":"\n
to turn spending into experience, not just transit.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Nautical Tourist: 200 Euros Is Just the Starting Point<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
150\u2013200 euros per day for boat owners or charter guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is higher than the national average, with a direct impact on coastal economies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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In 2022, the sector created \u20ac16.3 billion in local economic value, still growing in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
58% of nautical tourists are mid-to-high income, aged 31\u201350, coming mainly from Italy (61%), the EU (20%), and the USA (14%).<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat This Means for Marinas and Charter Operators<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
People who moor aren\u2019t buying a spot: they\u2019re buying time, care, quiet, and convenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Onboard catering, route sommeliers<\/em>, tailor-made itineraries, digital concierges: if half of tourist spending goes to dining and local experiences, the boat must become part of the destination, not just the means to reach it.<\/p>\n\n\n\nConcrete Actions to Attract High-Spenders<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Create service levels aligned with expectations: premium, experience, lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every marina can become a micro-hub<\/em> for tourism by building partnerships with restaurants, boutiques, and local producers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The difference between \u201c\u20ac180 mooring\u201d and \u201cberth with personalised welcome\u201d is all in the storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Excellent \u2014 but in yachting, the rating comes from those who decide where to dock\u2026 and where never to return.<\/p>\n\n\n\nConclusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The real question is: how much of those 400 euros end up in your marina?<\/p>\n\n\n\n