Not even the pandemic has been able to halt the growth of Marina di Loano, which despite the many difficulties encountered in all areas of the Italian tourism sector managed in 2020 to maintain the upward trend that has characterised recent years.
The first nine months of the year saw an increase of 4% over 2019 in leisure boaters choosing Marina di Loano. There was also a significant increase in general traffic.
As well as being one of the most important marinas in the Mediterranean in terms of leisure boating, Marina di Loano is a highly desirable destination for lovers of the sea thanks to Marina Beach, the 16-thousand square metre seaside resort with 200 metres of shoreline open to anyone looking for relaxation, fun and an original day at the sea.
Thanks to its size and structure, Marina Beach was able to guarantee all its guests full respect for all social distancing regulations without having to give up a single one of its sun loungers. All of this, together with the excellence that has always characterised its services, allowed the Marina di Loano beach resort to experience a record summer, with a number of presences never before seen in previous bathing seasons.
As evidence of the excellence of its infrastructure and services, in 2020 Marina di Loano was awarded its ninth Blue Flag, the prestigious form of certification that the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education, founded in 1981) assigns to marinas that respond to strict criteria regarding respect for and management of all environment-related themes.
This latest Blue Flag is in addition to the other important forms of recognition gained over recent years by Marina di Loano, reflecting the excellent quality of the infrastructure and its services; ISO 14.001 and OHSAS 18.001 certification (with TUV Rheinland), MaRINA Excellence 24 Plus certification, and the “5 Wheels” and “50 Gold” from RINA. The international accreditation body has officially certified the safety and the quality of the tourist and accommodation services offered by Marina di Loano. Furthermore, with regards to the individual aspects of the MaRINA Excellence 24 Plus assessment, Marina di Loano is the first in Italy to obtain RINA “Green” certification for environmental sustainability.
However, Marina di Loano is not resting on its laurels, and in fact evaluation is under way for actions and investments aimed at further improving the range of guests services on offer.
The CEO of Marina di Loano, Gianluca Mazza, commented: “The effects of the health emergency have also been felt in the boating sector, completely overturning the organisation and activities in ports both in Italy and overseas. Marina di Loano has remained open and has continued to guarantee its usual services, assisting and overseeing all its guests, even during the lockdown. Our infinite thanks therefore goes to our staff, who despite the difficulties faced have continued to work with their customary and impeccable commitment The reopening of national borders on 3 June and the protocols passed by international institutions risked compromising our season. Instead, this summer, Marina di Loano has managed to see even better results that in 2019, a year characterised by two-figure growth in traffic. In the summer period we not only managed to match occupancy levels from the previous year, but even create new forms of income”.
“The more than positive figures were not only seen for the primary boating sector, but also with the complementary asset of Marina Beach. As well as excellent quality services, guests at our beach resort particularly appreciated the way in which distancing measures were respected. All of this is a source of satisfaction and pride”, concluded Gianluca Mazza.
This year Marina di Loano will once again be present at the Genoa Boat Show (due to take place from 1 to 6 October) together with Marina di Genova, Marina Porto Antico, Marina Molo Vecchio and Porto Lotti, the five Liguria tourist structures of excellence united in the “Liguria for Yachting” group. The Liguria network, which offers berthing for 2,400 boats, will be putting on an excellent show in Genoa, representing a unique territory and area of sea and offering the international market high-profile hospitality based on elevated quality standards.
“Events such as the Genoa Boat Show represent essential appointments for organisations such as Marina di Loano - explained Uberto Paoletti, the director of Marina di Loano. We have been a part of “Liguria for Yachting” for three years now, a network that brings together ports in Liguria in order to further valorise the tourist services offered by the area. Boating, more than any other activity, allows anti-COVID regulations to be respected. It is therefore necessary to apply shared strategies in order to allow the sector to grow further. Taking part in events such as the Genoa Boat Show, one of the most important on an international level, allows us above all to present the quality of services available for the super-yacht sector, a particularly interesting segment of the market characterised by an elevated level of presence in the Mediterranean throughout the year and therefore one that is undoubtedly strategic”.