The 63rd Genoa International Boat Show, an absolute world-class event that is a flagship of Made in Italy, opens with record numbers not only in terms of exhibitor and visitor attendance but also and especially in economic terms. In fact, the Italian shipbuilding industry is going gangbusters with production and market results that from month to month are continuously setting new all-time highs.

Significant is what has happened in the past months of May and June, when Italian exports of recreational and sport boats, according to Istat, hit two new consecutive records, with exports in May at 593 million euros and in June at 603 million euros, making the latter the highest monthly level ever.

Our shipyards have orders for multiple seasons, can no longer keep up with customer demand and are almost "begging" the market to slow down a bit, so to speak. The fact is that the whole world wants yachts made in Italy. We are the absolute international leaders in an industry that we have been able to conquer with a 360-degree mix of design, furnishings, quality of materials, innovation and technologies that only Italian industry can offer.

In 2023, Italy was the world's leading exporter of motor yachts both in the 7.5 to 24-meter category, with $1.3 billion, and in boats longer than 24 meters, with $1.8 billion. Overall, Italy's export of recreational and sport boats of all types, including sails, powerboats and inflatable boats, was by far the largest in the world in 2022, amounting to $3.6 billion, with a positive foreign trade balance of as much as $3.1 billion.

While the European economy is in recession, the export momentum of our shipbuilding industry shows no sign of stopping. Among the main made-in-Italy products, yachts and other recreational and sports boats are among those that have grown the most in terms of exports since the beginning of the new century: compared to 2000 in 2022, the value of our foreign sales is three times higher. Considering only our flagship sector, inboard motor yachts, among the main destination markets for Italian exports in 2022 we find the United States in first place, with $746 million, followed by the United Kingdom, with $419 million. Our third largest market is the Cayman Islands, with $375 million, followed by France, with $264 million, and Malta, with $181 million.