Boating community congregates to map out opportunities

Inaugural African Boating Conference

SOUTH AFRICA: The inaugural African Boating Conference held this week in Cape Town drew the enthusiastic participation of more than 200 delegates representing a sizeable portion of the region’s boating community eager to share ideas and foster economic growth within the boating sector on the continent.

Convened by conference founder and director, Veda Pretorius of Superyacht Cape Town, the event aimed to help galvanise collaboration within the local and regional boating sector as well as provide an opportunity to learn from blueprints for bolstering boating in markets such as the United States of America as well as Australia and Europe.

A full programme delivered on a promise to address challenges such as infrastructure, training, bureaucracy, marketing and geopolitical constraints.

Panel discussions delved into topics in more detail with experts from across the globe eager to share their own experiences and provide key insights on how to learn from their mistakes as well as from international successes.

Proactive growth strategies needed

Kevin Williams, Vice President, North American Marketing, NMMA Discover Boating proved that a case can be made for proactively cultivating inclusivity in the boating sector. He told delegates to make it easier for the next generation to get involved in the lifestyle by taking boats into new communities and being more creative about how boating is presented.

Showcasing aspects of their creative strategies that include targeted and themed events, Williams highlighted how the organisation is tackling the challenge to adapt their appeal to a younger audience and ensure that the sector continues to evolve.

These are lessons worth noting as boat shows dwindle in popularity locally. Local suppliers and boatbuilders are also adapting though and Melvin Victor, Marine General Manager at Yamaha South Africa reported on some significant successes of their own.

Joining one of the panel discussions, he described how Yamaha hosted boating days that had successfully drawn in thousands of people interested to learn more. These initiatives serve to make the lifestyle more accessible.

Also on the panel, Suzanne Levy of Boating World shared similar initiatives aimed at targeting people with no prior experience on board boats to enjoy experiences like watching the Grand Prix or other events on one of their premier vessels.

“We specifically invite people who have never owned a boat or who have never even been on board one,” she said, highlighting their intention to use these events to promote new interest in what the boating lifestyle can offer.

Arturo Gutierrez, General Manager, Freedom Boat Club introduced the concept of how the structure of boat clubs can effectively provide an opportunity for people to access an international network of boats that are available to members without the need for ownership.

Promoting the region

Much of the discussion over the course of the two days included the need to promote the region as a viable destination for boating as well as to the superyacht sector.

This requires an understanding of the very specific needs associated with those visiting the country on foreign vessels as well as for those in the region who wish to adopt boating as one of their lifestyle activities. The need for infrastructure, refit yards and skills are all vital to ensure that these needs can be met.

It is clear that the natural beauty and biodiversity of the region are obvious attractions that need to be promoted and strategically marketed to attract more interest.

Lessons from numerous Australian speakers highlighted the need for a collaborative approach that addresses the pain points of the potential market. Hosting a panel aimed at mapping a superyacht route around southern Africa, Hillary Buckman of Ocean Media noted how Australia and New Zealand had actively engaged with superyacht captains ahead of establishing the two countries as viable destinations.

Having information available to visitors that helps them navigate any bureaucracy and showcases the maritime services that exist is a vital tool in this process of establishing any region as a feasible option.

And, although top-tier marinas are desirable, some believe that the attractiveness of many of the locations around Africa and its islands lies in their remoteness and that, in some instances, over development may detract from this as a unique offering.

PHOTO: A packed room of delegates congregated at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa to discuss a way forward to boost boating on the African continent at the inaugural African Boating Conference. (© Maritime Review Africa)

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