Sicily has more mooring berths than ever and, at the same time, fewer companies in its nautical tourism supply chain. At first glance this looks like a contradiction, but it is the most useful clue for understanding what is happening on the island’s sea and why the issue matters beyond it.
Two curves moving at different speeds
According to the report prepared by Assonautica Palermo together with the Observatory on Tourism in European Islands (Otie), presented during the ninth edition of Seacily in Castellammare del Golfo, the number of companies in Sicily’s supply chain fell from 1,779 in 2022 to 1,671 in 2025. In the first quarter of 2026 it rose again to 1,712. In the same period, the number of berths reached 17,914, the highest figure ever recorded in the region.
The explanation lies in the structure of the business fabric. Most are microenterprises: more than 76% report annual production of no more than 100,000 euros. As a result, the decline hits medium-sized companies, while the smallest ones hold on.
Where the sector grows and where it shrinks
Refit, meaning the maintenance and repair of boats, is the only segment that grew without interruption between 2022 and 2025, rising from 449 to 512 companies. The others fluctuate or decline. Palermo, Messina and Catania together account for close to half of all companies.
Employment shows the same trend. According to the report, the sector had 6,239 workers in 2025, compared with 6,341 a year earlier. Boat handling and maintenance accounts for 2,224 of them, about 36% of the total, followed by manufacturing and subcontracting with 1,708, boatbuilding with 982, and nautical tourism with 970.
The berth record has fine print
More berths do not mean the whole port system has improved evenly. Tourist ports fell from 4,585 to 3,847 spaces between 2022 and 2025, although they recovered 798 in the last year. The growth came from elsewhere: light mooring points, often seasonal, added more than 1,300 units.
Services have improved in docking, water, electricity, security, tourist information and parking. The most significant figure, however, is the gap with the rest of Italy. The national average is 21.6 berths per kilometer of coastline. The North offers about 70, the Centre 31, and the Mezzogiorno (South) 14. Between 2023 and 2025, the South and the islands added 3,618 berths, but the gap remains wide.
Why the blue economy matters
According to the report, the island’s blue economy businesses represent 6.8% of the regional total, behind only Liguria and Sardinia. Palermo, with 7,666 companies in this sector, ranks sixth among Italian provinces, and Catania has 5,511. Nationally, the blue economy employs 253,599 companies, or 4.3% of the productive system.
At Seacily, according to La Tr3, the island was discussed as a reference center in the Mediterranean. That ambition clashes with the data: berths are growing, but the business fabric is shrinking and employment is slightly down. The central question is whether nautical tourism can turn that potential into stable activity for coastal communities.
Key Takeaways
- Sicily reached 17,914 berths, its highest figure, but has fewer nautical companies than in 2022.
- Most companies are microenterprises, and the decline affects mainly medium-sized ones.
- Refit is the only segment that grew without interruption between 2022 and 2025.
- The gap with northern and central Italy in berth density remains large.
Santé Press Contribution
Santé Press analysis: The Sicilian case shows that having more infrastructure does not guarantee more economic activity. Berths are a physical asset; companies and jobs depend on the sector sustaining its activity throughout the year. If growth is concentrated in light, seasonal mooring points, the benefit may stay within the tourist season and fail to reach coastal communities on a stable basis.
What to watch:
- Whether the 2026 recovery in company numbers holds in the next Otie reports.
- How much of the new berth capacity translates into local employment and maintenance services.
News Sources
- NAUTICA REPORT: Turismo nautico Sicilia: 1.712 imprese, posti barca record
- La Tr3: INTERVISTE- Seacily 2026: Tamajo e Russo a Castellammare per il rilancio della Blue Economy siciliana
- MessinaToday: Blue economy, nel Messinese oltre 5mila imprese