Balearics at the top of the Spanish boat sales in the Covid year

The pandemic has not pushed the Balearics off the leading position when it comes to boat registrations, despite being one of the worst affected autonomous communities by the health crisis and consequent economic downturn caused by the plunging tourism.

During 2020, a total of 1.020 pleasure craft were registered in the Balearic Islands, including jet skis. This translates to a decline of 10,99% compared to 2019, when 1.146 vessels were registered by the Balearic maritime authorities.

These figures, based on an annual report compiled and presented by the National Association of Nautical Companies (ANEN) and analyzed in detail by AENIB, are in line with the national average decline of 11,1%. The total number of vessels registered in Spain last year was 5.404.Thus 18,87% of all the vessel registrations in Spain during the past year took place in the Balearics, keeping the islands in the leading position in the national boat market.

Way behind come Barcelona (9,44%), Alicante (6,24%), Madrid (6,14%) and Malaga (6,05%).

As for registrations of charter yachts, there was a year-on-year decline of 20,84% in the Balearics, with 300 vessels registered compared to 379 in the previous year. This means the islands share is now about a quarter of this market (25,55%), as the total in Spain has declined by 24,8%, leaving the national total of charter vessel registrations at 1.174. In the second place comes Alicante (12,69%), and in third Barcelona (8,86%).

“The Balearic society has stepped up the ante in the nautical realm, as the big void left by the foreign clients has been to a large degree covered by the locals, both when it comes to purchase of vessels as well as charter”, according to the president of the Association of Nautical Companies in the Balearics, Jaume Vaquer.