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2022 March April Marina World

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REGIONAL UPDATE: THE

REGIONAL UPDATE: THE BALKANS Promising developments in southern Europe by Vladislav Vorotnikov For years, political instability and the low incomes of the local population have hindered marina industry development in the eastern parts of former Yugoslavia, but there is growing evidence that in the coming years the entire Balkan region could acquire new status on the European yachting map. Almost all countries in the region have rolled out marina development projects on the Black and Adriatic seas during the past year. So far, the eastern countries – Bulgaria and Romania – are primarily focused on small boats. For example, the Bulgarian stateowned Port Infrastructure Company plans to spend BGN 11 million (US.3 million) on two new marinas and a service area in Varna and Burgas – the main Bulgarian tourist destinations on the Black Sea. Under the tender details published in April 2021, the new marinas will match the most modern international service standards, having the necessary coastal and floating engineering infrastructure with electricity, plumbing and fire protection systems. “The new ports should be able to accommodate up to 150 different yachts. Most mooring places are reserved for boats with a length of 3 to 9m [10 to 30ft], while 12 mooring places are allocated for yachts from 20 to 25m [66 to 82ft],” the Port Infrastructure Company said in a statement, adding that both marinas are slated to begin operation in early 2022. The company also explained that the rationale behind building new marinas was associated with “excellent prerequisites for the development of yachting, sea sports and attractions, as well as passenger terminals for large passenger and cruise ships.” Marina Dinevi in Sveti Vlas is the only marina to have been built from scratch for decades in Bulgaria. Small boats dominate. “There is also a growing interest in individual sea tourism with small vessels moving on individual routes and programmes [in Bulgaria],” the company said in an explanatory note, adding that the yachting industry in the country should benefit from these infrastructure projects. Bulgaria clearly lacks new marinas. Until recently, Marina Dinevi in Sveti Vlas was the only marina built from scratch in the country during the past few decades. Most of the marinas currently in operation on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, specifically in Balchik, Nessebar and Sozopol, are the former piers of privatised fishing companies, with pontoons and communications established above them. Things are similar in neighbouring Romania, where the marina industry development leaves a lot to be desired. Mangalia Marina, built between 2006 and 2008 with the help of a €4 million grant from the European Union, is considered the main choice for foreign boat owners visiting the country. Its total capacity is 146 mooring places, and it is known for running the BMW Black Sea International Regatta, together with Varna Marina of Bulgaria and the Odessa International Yacht Club of the Ukraine. Few yachts, strict regulations The reason for the lack of infrastructure development in both Bulgaria and Romania is quite obvious – the lack Lustica Bay Marina in Montenegro is a new marina village with excellent access to Adriatic sailing waters. 32 www.marinaworld.com – March/April 2022

REGIONAL UPDATE: THE BALKANS Built between 2006 and 2008 with the help of an EU grant, Mangalia Marina is the main choice for visitors to Romania. of yachts in the region. Locals lack money to buy private boats and other Europeans have so far been reluctant to travel to this part of the continent. “There must be a critical mass of yachts in the port in order for the investment to pay off,” Lachezar Bratoev, chairman of the Bulgarian Yacht Ports Association, which operates one of Varna’s marinas, told local press. The lack of yachts not only prevents the development of new marinas but also hinders the expansion of existing marinas. For example, in the early 2000s Balchik Marina announced plans to expand its berths from just under 100 to 500 but, so far, these plans have not been implemented. The laws regulating yachting in Bulgaria and Romania are another issue to be addressed. Local boat owners describe them as extremely bureaucratic, cumbersome, and primarily senseless. For instance, every time boat owners go out on a yacht, they have to tell the Border Police, mentioning their final destination among other things. Providing inaccurate information could entail fines, and in some cases even more severe liability. These requirements are justified by the fact that both countries have external European borders, but they make the lives of boat owners far more complicated than in neighbouring European countries. Aside from this, incoming and outgoing border controls in Bulgaria can be passed in just four places – Varna, Burgas, Balchik and Tsarevo, which makes the marina industry development in other parts of the country almost impossible. To some extent, however, the industry is growing, thanks to the development of yachting vacation tourism where locals rent yachts. As explained by Christian Simon, manager of Sailing Holidays Romania, one of the companies engaged in this business in Romania, the popularity of this type of tourism has been steadily growing for several years, thanks to the proximity of large markets, such as Greece, Turkey and Italy. The Balkan countries are also playing an increasingly important role in the regional yachting industry, with Croatia and Montenegro already having fairly extensive marina industries, and thus indirectly supporting other countries in the region, according to Simon. Supermarinas for Adriatic coast On the Adriatic side, the marina industry is doing much better, especially in Croatia, where the country has a thriving marina industry and also continues to actively look for ways to lure further megaboats or superyachts. This pushes local investors to pump money into large-scale marinas able to accommodate luxury yachts. In May 2021, ACI-Gitone Ltd was granted the 30-year-concession to build and use a special-purpose-port – the nautical tourism port of Porto Baros in Rijeka. ACI-Gitone’s plan is to invest 363.7 million kunas (US.7 million) in this project to build a marina for superyachts with around 500 mooring places. “This investment makes me happy as we know that with such a marina capable of hosting megayachts comes a series of additional services. Rijeka and its surroundings must take advantage of such opportunity,” Oleg Butković, Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, said in a statement. The new marina project, however, is opposed by local environmentalists, who claim that billionaires from all over Europe mooring their superyachts in Rijeka would not be beneficial for the local citizens. As explained by local politician Nebojsa Zelic, the project envisages “that in the end local residents would be denied access to the sea.” The Rijeka marina is not the only new project in the Croatian yachting infrastructure industry. Last year D-Marin welcomed Marina Tribunj as the fourth destination in its Croatia cluster. As mentioned in an official statement released by the company, this marina has 220 wet and 50 dry berths, as well as a full-service boatyard. This latest addition will add to D-Marin’s existing 1,760 berths in Croatia. The marina also features a fuel station, technical boat services, a marina restaurant and accommodation facilities. Marina Tribunj has a total of six berths for superyachts up to a maximum length of 35m (115ft). Over the past few years, new luxury marinas have also opened in Montenegro to complement the international renown of Porto Montenegro. The country is gradually becoming a popular destination for European superyachts. The newcomers are Lustica Bay on the Lustica peninsula, which opened in 2018, and Porto Novi in Kumbor at Boka Kotorska Bay, which launched in 2019. Lustica Bay is described as a marina town offering waterfront residences, hotels, berths, golf and other lifestyle facilities. “Marina Lustica Bay is a modern port and an ideal gateway to the Adriatic www.marinaworld.com – March/April 2022 33

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