BVWW
Foto: Nenad Junek
After an overall successful year in 2018, the industry is full of optimism for boot Düsseldorf 2019 and the coming water sports season. According to the association's current economic survey, 84.6% of the companies report that business has remained good or better than in the previous year.
However, the year 2018 was not trouble-free. After a very successful boat Düsseldorf 2018, a cold spring, with ice until April spoiled the start of the new season. Usually, Easter marks the start of the season: The first charter trips take place and yachts are fetched from their winter camps after the usual service work is concluded. However, this was not the topic of discussion the past year. The result: The spring, which is otherwise so strong in sales, was particularly disappointing for the market segments Service & Maintenance, Equipment & Accessories as well as Charter.
At least, the subsequent "summer of the century" was a boon for business and correspondingly balanced the books in most market segments after the sales losses at the start of the season. With ideal weather conditions until October, the charter providers on the coast benefited most from the long season. But the dry summer, at least in the inland area, also had its disadvantages. Low water levels led to some harbors becoming unreachable and exits unusable.
Despite these impairments, the industry is seeing positive results for 2018 and is expecting total sales of around 2.1 billion euros (+2.9) on maritime goods and services by the end of the year.
On an international level, the maritime economy is benefiting from good economic conditions. For 2018, the EU Commission is expecting an increase in GDP of 2.1%. The forecast for the coming year is only slightly lower at +1.9%. German boat manufacturers are also benefiting from this.
In the first half of 2018, a total of 2,001 sailing and motor yachts with a total value of 150.3 million euros have been exported. This means that the sales of the very good previous year of 153.3 million euros could have been almost reached.
Boats and yachts remain in demand
Demand for boats and yachts remains at a high level. At the same time the growth impetus will come primarily from the Motor Boat segment. Europe-wide the ratio between powerboats and sailbats is about 80:20.
Germany lands here with a distribution of 60: 40 in favor of motorboats an exception though, that is leveling off.
Trend towards large yachts and small speedsters
The demand for large yachts over 12 m in length continues to rise in both market segments. Approximately 85% of sailboat dealers and 93% of motorboat dealers report good or higher sales compared to the previous year. In line with this Trend are Catamarans, which no longer solely are shipped to the Mediterranean or the Caribbean but also to the Baltic Sea. Demand for this type of boat, which offers ample living space and plenty of room to move around as well as a high level of comfort, is increasing. This is of particular interest to families. Further development in Germany, however, will depend on the infrastructure in ports, which have so far seldom been adjusted to yachts with large widths.
In contrast to sailing boats, smaller boats under 7.5 m in length remain real pleasure boats. Especially when they are driven by an outboard engine. This provides more space in the cockpit and saves fuel and maintenance costs. Another advantage is the great flexibility that these boats provide. They can be quickly transported on a trailer from the weekend area to the holiday area,
they do not require a fixed berth and they are, depending on the equipment, also suitable for water skiing or fishing. As the boats are comparatively light, they get up to speed quickly even with a 15 HP engine which can be driven without a driver's license.
However, some dealers of smaller motorboats are worried about the 25% penalty duty on boats imposed by the EU Commission as a countermeasure to the Trump administration initiated tariff increases imposed on steel and aluminum. Many sport boats still come from the United States, even though various US boat manufacturers have already been producing within the EU for years.
New requirements for boat manufacturers
In general, it can be said that the demands of customers for comfort and maneuvering abilities of boats continue to rise. Bow and stern thrusters as well as joystick controls etc. facilitate maneuvering in confined spaces and are more and more in demand. At the same time, it should be comfortable on board.
Being able to sleep well, in sufficiently large and comfortable berths, modern sanitary facilities, corresponding heating, cooling, cooking and lighting technology, as well as entertainment equipment are almost a matter of course. This is what boat manufacturers increasingly have to adjust. The times in which you have to rely on boat building and rudimentary equipment only, are ending.
The same applies to digitalization on board. All data and Information generated on board should be centrally accessible, also via a corresponding Interface through your own laptop. State of the art, as owners know it from the automotive sector, is increasingly expected on yachts - various USB interfaces included. This opens up new possibilities for boat manufacturers.
Special equipment is, similar to other vehicles, an important sales and profit driver.
Customers are also attaching increasing importance to design issues. This applies both to the interior as well as to boat design. It should have a nice visual appearance, which is especially important in the motorboat sector. In the past, the following applied without restriction: "Form follows Function". These times also seem passé. Great design is, as other lifestyle products, moving more and more frequently into the center.
Charter market grows thanks to good foreign business
Rental companies of sailing yachts and motor yachts speak predominantly about business results at the level of the very good previous year. Sales growth in 2018 was only realized because of strong demand in international business.
Croatia and Greece, in particular, once again recorded significant growth. Also
Turkey is once again enjoying greater popularity.
For pre-bookings in the area of the Baltic Sea and inland charters, the customers orient themselves mainly based on the weather conditions of the previous year. In Germany, the summer of 2017 was more than modest. Correspondingly low were the pre-bookings for the 2018 season, so that even a perfect summer will not lead to sales increases, even though rental companies on the Baltic Sea were benefiting from it. After all, for a successful 2019 season, this year's summer will be the best prerequisite.
In general, the trend towards shorter boating holidays continues. The two- or three-week boating holidays are becoming rarer and rarer. Instead, guests prefer to book a short holiday more often instead of putting everything on one card for their annual holiday, as in earlier times.
In the inland area, on Germany's rivers, canals and lakes, the season brought 2018 businesses to the good level of the previous year. Here, too, the pre-bookings were less exuberant due to the bad summer of 2017. But the particularly long season was able to compensate for this. The extreme low water levels, which in some regions had led to the fact that certain moorings could no longer be reached caused concerns in the inland charter companies. The charter companies are expecting that, due to climate change, they may be confronted with such problems more often.
The rental companies of canoes and kayaks also gave positive feedback. About 96% of the suppliers speak here of equally good or better business in comparison to the previous year. Outdoor sports are naturally particularly dependent on weather conditions. Especially on weekends. The perfect weather conditions that have prevailed in most regions since mid-April ensured very good capacity utilization.
Equipment and accessories just at previous year's level
As already mentioned at the beginning, the equipment & accessories segments had to suffer from a particularly ice-cold climate until mid-April. This is how the otherwise good Easter business completely failed. During the following months, the situation improved, without, however, fully offsetting the revenue losses from the spring. Nevertheless, the equipment suppliers evaluate the expired fiscal year predominantly good. This was undoubtedly due in part to the good used boat business, which, experience has shown, always leads to significant investments for the owner into modern equipment of the boats. However, the balance is less positive among suppliers of functional clothing. The very warm summer did not necessarily leave the desire for new, weatherproof clothes.
Diving on the upwind
In the past years, the positive development of the diving sector has not been supported by the difficult political conditions in Egypt and the associated questions of security. Egypt is by far the most important country in the Diving sector. Thousands of holidaymakers get to know the fascinating world under water for the first time there, complete a diving course and come back enthusiastically from their vacation. This generates urgently needed growth and inspires the diving industry.
After the political situation in Egypt has calmed down, the tourism industry can regain ground. This benefits the diving industry. After a difficult start to the 2018 season, sales remained at the previous year's level and one looks optimistically to the coming season.
Apprenticeship figures increase
Water sports are very much in vogue. This is confirmed by the annual increase in the number of apprenticeships in beach sports as well as in traditional boating. Surfing in its various forms, catamaran and dinghy sails, but above all stand-up sails. Paddling (SUP) is attracting more and more people from the beach to the water. This is confirmed by the annual survey of the Verband Deutscher Wassersportschulen (VDWS). 80% of the companies evaluate the 2018 season better than the previous year's season; 75% reported a very satisfying course of the season. This positive résumé is supported by the Verband Deutscher Sportbootschulen (Association of German Sport Boat Schools, VDS). The very good summer has increased the desire for water sports.
Also in the traditional boat area, interest is steadily increasing. In 2008
62,000 persons had taken their official inland or sea driving license for sport boats, the annual figure is already around 90,000.
Qualified personnel urgently needed
The personnel situation in the industry remains tense. In particular, service and refit companies are working at their capacity limits. The result is that orders cannot be executed in part or can only be executed with a time delay.
This is a pleasant situation neither for the customers nor for the companies.
Above all, trained administrative staff are urgently needed, but especially in technical fields. An examination of the association suggests, that currently around 15% of jobs cannot be filled by adequate employees.
The association has therefore decided to launch a nationwide PR campaign to better promote the water sports industry as an employer in the public eye. This should support companies in the industry in their personnel search. With advertising measures in social networks, on online platforms and through TV commercials, the campaign should kick off on the occasion of boot Düsseldorf 2019. Interested parties can learn more in hall 14 booth A 44 around the boat industry and current job offers and job opportunities.
Optimistic view into the future
After six consecutive years of growth, the companies remain optimistic. 88.1% of the companies believe that 2019 will be a year of equally good or better business compared to the previous year. In view of the still robust economic situation, this assessment is understandable. At 5%, the unemployment rate is currently at a very low level, the inflation rate is low and economic research institutes expect the gross domestic product to grow by 1.6% in 2018, and by 1.5% the next year.
However, it should also not be forgotten that the wise men of the economy were significantly more optimistic a few months ago. The turbulent global economic situation, the ever-increasing shortage of skilled workers and ever-increasing protectionism are hardly go unnoticed without influencing macroeconomic development. Above all, the development of the trade dispute with the United States, the consequences of Brexit and the financial risks in the Euro-Zone hardly allow for reliable forecasts.
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