Marina Dock Age, September/October 2000

The World of Marinas
by Ron Stone

AMERICAN MARINA OPERATORS AND THEIR COUNTERPARTS ABROAD NEED
TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION

The world is shrinking due to the globalization of the economy and, thanks to the Internet, the rapidly accelerating interdependence of countries for market information. This is very apparent in the world of marinas.

Marina operators the world over have become attuned to the fact that they have much more in common with one another than they have differences in native language and customs. Growing information exchanges, through international conferencing and use of the Internet, have unearthed a universality of problems and problem-solving.  

For example, environmental restrictions that pose obstacles to marina development and expansion are by no means unique to the United States. In many countries, marina projects are continually challenged by costly, time-consuming permitting requirements for wetlands preservation, fish and wildlife habitat protection, and clean waters.

Also in other countries, it is fairly commonplace for marina developers to encounter intense competition from hotels, resorts, condominiums, and restaurants for precious waterfront property, often sadly losing out to the highest bidder. Where there is no comprehensive multiple-water-use management planning, there seems to be little regard for the fact that recreational boating cannot exist without well-planned and convenient access to water.  

Another problem of global proportions is the resistance by private residential property owners to the construction of public or private sector marinas and boat ramps on public lakes and rivers. They erroneously assume that their title to land Iying adjacent to the water vests them with ownership of the water, or at least entitles them to first priority in its use. Never mind the public trust doctrine enshrined around the world that the state holds public waters in trust for the benefit of all her citizens, including transient boaters.

EXCHANGING INFORMATION WORLDWIDE

Marina operators worldwide truly need a strong unified voice to champion their interests. They also need universally accepted scientific data to prove that marinas are not a threat to the environment but, quite the contrary, are being consciously designed, built, and operated with a view to harmony with the environment.

Marina operators worldwide need solid economic data to substantiate that their facilities are an asset to the community in the creation of jobs, improvement of the tax base, waterfront regeneration, and business district revitalization. These are direct results of the ripple effect that boaters, and even non-boaters attracted to a marina, create by shopping at nearby retail stores and dining out.

That’s where the Boating Facilities Committee of the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) enters the picture. Popularly referred to as the IBFC, this group of experts is the service arm for recreational boating facilities affairs of the organization representing marine equipment manufacturers in 24 countries. The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is a charter member of ICOMIA. The Marina Operators Association of America (MOAA) and the International Marina Institute (IMI) are also affiliated and sit on the IBFC.

The committee is composed of marina consultants, publishers, educators, and component equipment manufacturers from Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, the Far East, and Oceania. Membership is open to anybody with bona fide credentials, i.e., the knowledge and experience for dealing with the complex questions of boating facilities, and the ability to actively participate in committee meetings held three times a year in various locations around the world. Whether a country has a recreational marine manufacturing base isn’t an issue, for the reason that there are many countries, particularly in developing boating market countries, that have strong marina and nautical tourism interests but no boat and associated equipment manufacturers. Over the years, the committee has prospered under the chairmanship of a Dutch and then an Italian spokesperson for marinas. Today, an American leads the group. Continue »