Balearic Islands consolidate as a biggest charter destination in Spain

Almost a third of all leisure yachts registered on the Balearic Islands, such as motorboats or sailboats, have a charter licence, i.e. they are intended for commercial purposes. This was announced by the regional water sports association in Palma.

The charter market on the islands has also grown this year by 28.30 percent to 603 registered boats. This number corresponds to almost one third of the total number of charter boats registered in Spain. The Balearic Islands thus continue to lead the country in the registration of charter boats. This is despite the fact that the total number of new boats registered on the islands in 2022 fell slightly (6.47 per cent) compared to the same period last year, but far less than Spain as a whole, which saw a 16 per cent drop.

“We expect a sharper decline in registrations at the end of the year in the smaller boat segments and in jet skis, as these markets are the most affected by the global logistics crisis and international economic uncertainty,” explained Carlos Sanlorenzo, secretary general of the Associació d’Empreses Nàutiques de les Illes Baleares (ANEN). Nevertheless, the archipelago continues to expand its leading position in Spain in terms of new registrations of leisure boats and yachts.

The Balearic Islands currently account for a total of 18.72 per cent of registrations nationwide, compared to 16.81 per cent a year ago. The province of Barcelona is the second most important market for leisure boats after the islands, with an increase in new registrations of 10.2 per cent this year, followed by the province of Girona with seven per cent.

Already at the beginning of the year, the Association of Shipping Companies of the Balearic Islands (AENIB) had assessed the data of the nautical sector positively and remarked that everything indicated that the shipping industry would be able to survive the side effects of the war in Ukraine largely unscathed. The Balearic Islands – especially Mallorca and Ibiza – have seen the establishment of numerous charter companies for ships and boats in recent years