Official Closing of the 6th National Nautical Clubs Symposium
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Official Closing of the 6th National Nautical Clubs Symposium
Marta Villaverde, Minister of the Sea of the Xunta de Galicia
The Minister of the Sea of the Xunta de Galicia closed the 6th National Nautical Clubs Symposium with a speech that made clear Galicia’s commitment to the nautical sector and the blue economy. After two intense days of debate in Sanxenxo, the time came for farewell with a clear message: Galicia is now the home of all nautical clubs.
Galicia’s weight in Spanish boating
The numbers speak for themselves. Galicia has 128 ports, of which 122 are owned by the autonomous community. This makes the region the second in Spain with the largest number of port facilities, with the challenge (and opportunity) that this represents in terms of management.
Of those 122 ports, Ports of Galicia directly manages 42 of the 73 marinas that offer 10,700 berths. Spaces where tradition, modernity and Galicia’s historical link with the sea coexist.
Investment and infrastructure modernization
The Xunta’s commitment to nautical tourism materializes on multiple fronts:
- Specific allocations for nautical-recreational facilities for two consecutive years
- Improvement of port infrastructure to meet growing demand
- Regulatory modification at the end of 2024 to simplify extensions and expand concession periods
An important change: concessions with strategic relevance can extend their period from 50 to 75 years (with minimum investments of €500,000), and the rest can be extended up to 50% more while respecting the 50-year cap. All this strengthens legal certainty and provides guarantees for investment.
Single Port: the Galician vision
Villaverde spoke about the concept of “Galicia-Single Port”, a strategic vision that seeks to:
- Improve coordination of the Galician port system
- Increase external competitiveness
- Give them exclusive value under the “Galicia Calidade” seal
The Blue Economy Strategy (2024-2027)
The minister highlighted that investing in the blue economy means:
- Creating quality jobs in emerging sectors
- Promoting sustainable tourism that respects marine ecosystems
- Betting on technological innovation in shipbuilding and sustainable propulsion
- Promoting specialized nautical training in maritime safety, maintenance and marine renewable energies
Galicia’s Blue Economy Strategy, approved in 2024, charts the course with concrete measures:
- Modernization of port infrastructure
- Expansion of concessions and number of berths
- Port-city integration projects
- Decarbonization with new propulsion technologies
- Use of clean energy in infrastructure
- Efficient resource management
Pending challenges
Not all is good news. Villaverde acknowledged that the transition to a sustainable economic model faces serious challenges:
- Lack of European funding
- Need for greater public awareness
But the vision is optimistic: these challenges will become opportunities for research, innovation and sustainable economic growth. However, with one essential condition: collaboration between administration and sector.
The commitment to the future
The closing message was clear: the Xunta de Galicia will support and work towards the development of all activity associated with the sea economy in general and nautical tourism in particular.
Because Galicia has in boating, along with other sectors related to sea activity, all the potential to become a benchmark in the blue economy.
And under the sail of this strategy, as Villaverde said, is where we will find the Galician nautical sector sailing in the coming years.
With thanks to CEACNA for the organization, to the Galician Nautical Association for making it possible for the symposium to be held in Sanxenxo, and with the promise of “Galicia Calidade” and “Galicia Sabe a Mar” products to bid farewell to this gathering as it deserves, the 6th National Nautical Clubs Symposium was officially closed.
Galicia is now the home of nautical clubs. And the next stop… we’ll see.