The Boating Industry Association (BIA) released its state of the industry data report revealing national turnover at $9.55 billion for 2021-22. The data was collected in collaboration with the Marina Industries Association and the Australian International Marine Export Group.
BIA Vice President Adam Smith launched the report on day one of the Sydney International Boat Show in Darling Harbour.
“Our industry has seen growth in total revenue over the past year of 8.1 (per cent to $9.55 billion, in NSW revenue is up almost 10 per cent over that period. Across the last five years, that growth has been 15 per cent, with the challenges of COVID included ” Smith said.
“There are now 26,000 people directly employed in the boating industry nationally with many thousands more in contractors supporting more than 2000 businesses. Seventy-five per cent are in small, family businesses, employing local workers and supporting local communities.”
The boating industry includes boat builders, retailers, marinas and boat storage operators, tourism and training providers, representing a wide range of local and global brands and providing services to a growing boating community.
“Boating is a great escape and over the past two years demand for all things boating accelerated with boating licences and registrations up across the nation, ” Smith added
“Little wonder with more than 85 per cent of the population living within 50km of the coast that almost 1 in 5 households in a State like NSW can have a boat or watercraft.
People of all ages, gender and ability can participate in boating across paddle, sail and power for leisure and sport.”
Australia has more than 2.5 million people with a licence to drive a powerboat and close to 1 million registered vessels and a countless number of non-motorised craft (such as small paddle and sail craft) which do not require registration or licensing.
The data report card shows:
- 1 in 10 Australians have a boat licence
- 925,000 registered boats
- 90,000+ personal watercraft registered
- 18,500+ new registrations over the year
- 85% of boats are under 6m
- 75% of the fleet is less than 10 years old
- 62% of boats are aluminium
- 33% of boats are fibreglass
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Click here to view the BIA boating industry data report card
