First and foremost, the main marina customers are much different than what they were few years back. The sizes of boats have evolved a lot in recent years, with an increasing demand for both longer and wider yachts. Harbour authorities are facing increasing requests to moor superyachts and mega yachts, but don’t always have the adapted infrastructure.

More than just berthing facilities, the world of superyachts requires well thought and properly designed infrastructures. Our article about Superyacht marinas could help you get more information about the specifics of these facilities.

In some ways, catamarans also tend to modify the way harbours and marinas should be designed and built. Catamarans represent about 10 to 15% of the boats sold worldwide, with an even higher representativity within the charter business. As an instance, by the end of 2026, and according to catamaran sales reports, about 140 catamarans will be delivered in Asia without having infrastructures offering specifically designed berthing arrangement.

As such, there’s an urgent need for adaptive, flexible and high-performance marina designs; managers should almost be able to adjust their berthing offer in real time, according to the demand.

In parallel, the marina industry is also being challenged by demographics. On the one hand, there are ageing traditional boat owners who require extremely sophisticated services for their yacht and crew.

Then there’s the arrival on the boating market of millennials, whose needs and desires are different. They consume boating the same way they would consume products. They want a customisable and connected customer experience, high convenience and functionality, but less responsibility.

This has evolved into a growing market for boat rental, “captains clubs” and also sharing by maybe two to three owners, as opposed to the classic ownership model. We even see some Airbnb boating experiences, allowing guests to stay for several nights on board a yacht,

Currently marinas are not equipped for a flow of people comparable to hotels, and cohabitation with traditional boat owners looking for quietness isn’t always easy. Reorganizing your marina facility considering boat usage is going to be crucial to ensure smooth day to day operations.

Even more than the current trends for nature protection, millennials are also more conscious of the impact of their leisure activities, so demand more sustainable infrastructure. For future investors, building and managing greener marina cannot be mere greenwashing anymore: social media exposure makes us all accountable in our practices.

In addition to being essential to attract new customers, it is as well crucial to be well accepted by the local community.

As always, there’s a challenge finding a balance between economic development and environmental sustainability. Commitment from investor and manager in protecting the environment should be addressed in the CAPEX/OPEX projections within the financial model. Thinking otherwise may be damageable for the facility reputation on the long run.

MM&C is built around a team of experts in marina Design, Construction and Operation in order to have a 360-degree understanding of what makes your project a success. Feel free to be in touch: contact@marinamanagementconsulting.com.