VENICE – The North Adriatic Sea Port Authority (AdSPMAS) is accelerating in the yachting sector and is launching a tender for a new maritime state concession aimed at developing megayacht traffic in Venice.
The tender, published today, concerns the use of water areas and strategic infrastructure between Riva San Biagio, Punta della Dogana and the state-owned “Ex Adriatica” pier at the Zattere.
The operation is part of the Port Authority’s strategy to consolidate Venice’s role in the international high-end boating market, a segment that in recent years has become increasingly important for the port economy and for the lagoon’s specialised tourism-related activities. One need only think of the Boat Show, presented today, and of the collaboration with the Municipality to identify development opportunities related to megayachts.
The concession will last ten years and provides for an annual fee of 558,934 euros. Bids must be submitted within sixty days of the publication of the procedure.
The area concerned includes the Briccole Park at Punta della Dogana, with a water area of around 9,250 square metres in the Giudecca Canal, the San Biagio quay area along the San Marco Canal — with more than 96 linear metres available — and the “Ex Adriatica” pier at the Zattere, extending for 112 metres along the northern bank of the Giudecca Canal.
The award will take place through a comparative procedure and the assessment will be entrusted to a technical committee, which will analyse the proposals on the basis of industrial, infrastructural and employment-related criteria.
Particular weight will be given to the candidates’ ability to increase yachting traffic volumes throughout the year, thus encouraging the deseasonalisation of calls, and to guarantee high-standard services dedicated to megayachts, including shore-side power supply, water supply, connectivity and transfer services. Other rewarding elements include investment programmes in infrastructure and innovative technologies, with attention to energy sustainability, environmental efficiency, port safety and security. The international promotion of the port of Venice through marketing activities dedicated to the luxury yachting segment will also be central.
The tender also enhances any partnerships with universities, research centres and operators in the boating supply chain, considered functional to the development of innovation and specialised training. On the employment front, hiring plans, the professional profiles involved and the ability to generate new skilled jobs throughout the concession period will be assessed.
«The yachting sector represents a concrete opportunity for economic and employment development for Venice, capable of generating high and very high value-added activities, from shipbuilding to storage and maintenance, through to specialised services linked to quality boating. Experiences such as the Venice Boat Show demonstrate the potential of this sector and the city’s ability to attract international operators and investments. Venice has ample room for growth in this area and the tender we are publishing today aims precisely to enhance strategic infrastructure and strengthen the port offer dedicated to megayachts from a sustainable and innovative perspective. We hope this procedure will attract strong interest from operators in the sector. This path also includes the recent agreement signed with the Municipality of Venice and the Authority for the Lagoon to enhance the areas of the northern Arsenale and the Marani pier; an initiative that confirms the shared intention to strengthen Venice’s role as an international hub for high-end boating and related production activities», commented the president of the Port Authority, Matteo Gasparato.
