This year's Palma Boat Show is proving to be a great success.

This year's Palma Boat Show is proving to be a great success. | Jaume Morey

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma30/04/2018 00:00
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An indication of the success of the Balearic nautical industry is the level of demand for moorings in Palma this summer and the corresponding supply. Speaking at the company's stand at the Palma Boat Show, Andy Halcón, director of Amarres Deportivos, said that there are waiting lists for publicly and privately managed moorings and that occupancy is full for the summer months.

He doesn't believe that it is necessary to increase the supply but to provide better distribution. One of the reasons for the scarcity is the size of boats. A few years ago the typical length was six metres; it is now ten metres. The higher levels of occupancy are occurring throughout the year, he noted, albeit that it is easier to find a mooring in winter.

Halcón, as with other businesses in the nautical sector, highly values the repair and maintenance services that are available in Palma. Waiting lists for Servicios Técnicos Portuarios (STP) and Astilleros de Mallorca point to the value placed on these services.

An increased number of visitors to the boat show provides a further example of the industry's significance. This year's show is the largest in its history, with 300 boats of all types on display. Once again, the Superyacht Show has been proving to be very popular. It has the finest collection of luxury yachts in Spain: eighty of them with lengths exceeding 24 metres.

There has been particular growth for yachts of between 25 and 30 metres. Such is this growth that Palma has become the leading destination for megayachts during the summer.

President Armengol, who visited the show on Friday, stressed the importance of the nautical industry. It is "absolutely strategic" in terms of Balearic economic growth and generating stable employment.

The boat show continues until Tuesday.