Impact Analysis of Marinas on Nautical Tourism in Andalusia

Abstract

Marinas are the key infrastructures for satisfying the complex and growing demand for nautical tourism. The significant number of auxiliary industries derived from the operation of the port itself are integrated within the sectors belonging to the Blue Economy. The aim of this article is to determine what marinas provide in Andalusia (Spain) and how they affect the development of the municipalities where they are located. The methodology used relies on a panel of experts who provide in-depth information about the sector by means of the Pestel and Swot diagnosis. The results obtained underline the importance of the marinas in Andalusia for the tourism sector, which are an international point of reference but which are currently exposed to a series of threats derived from the competition of ports in other Spanish regions (Levante, Catalonia, Balearic Islands, etc.), and other countries (Morocco, Croatia, etc.). In conclusion, the ports of Andalusia are well-consolidated and form a fundamental part of the economic development of the area through nautical tourism.

1. Introduction

The evolution of nautical tourism and its impact is a subject of special interest for Europe and for those countries that have found in the Blue Economy an ally in their economic development.

Andalusia has the most important port system in Spain, transporting 25% of the country’s total goods. Moreover, important fishing activity is carried out in some thirty facilities, and in the field of recreational boating there are almost 20,000 berths. The port system also contributes to sustainable mobility through both metropolitan and international passenger transport lines [1].

Tourism values water resources [2], which is why their conservation is essential for human and environmental well-being. It is therefore important to assess the water quality of marinas in order to prioritise environmental planning actions [3].

Nautical tourism comprises all leisure activities that can be carried out in contact with water: sailing, motorboating, windsurfing, scuba diving, etc., [4,5,6,7].

Its concept remains a complex issue due to the multifunctional nature of sea-related activities and nautical tourism [8].

Nautical activities are generating ever increasing interest, breaking with the past when the practice of sailing was associated exclusively with high purchasing power and arriving to the more complex current situation [9].

Ports continue to be fundamental for the present and future of coastal areas due to the economic activities developed and their growth potential, presenting great assets for the economic sectors that form the Blue Economy, such as the transport of goods, tourism, and fishing, among others.

Although most of these activities have been carried out in the past, the blue growth strategy has provided a common framework for channelling and consolidating them towards continuous improvement of the sector.

Building on the growing dynamism of the main sectors that form the Blue Economy, the aim of this article is to carry out a study of marinas given their importance for nautical tourism in Andalusia and Spain.

Marinas support the development of the local economy by encouraging entrepreneurship [10]. For this purpose, the impact of a marina was taken into account and a diagnosis was carried out by means of a PESTEL and a SWOT analysis and through Delphi methodology.

The main contribution of this study is to show the relevance of nautical tourism in Andalusia using the marinas as a reference; there is an important number of marinas, one of the highest in Spain and Europe, with ports such as Almerimar, Benalmadena, Sotogrande, and Puerto Sherry, among others.

The field of study that this research aims to cover relates to the global vision in which the marinas in Andalusia find themselves. It is a starting point for researchers, managers, and experts in order to define the most appropriate strategy to take advantage of the opportunities of the region.

2. Geographical Setting

From the geographical perspective, Andalusia enjoys a privileged location and climate [11] with 910 km of coastline, long beaches and numerous nautical facilities and moorings.

Furthermore, it should be borne in mind that the following features define the profile of a nautical tourism user [11]: higher than average purchasing power (albeit not a luxury tourist); spends money in the destination and the surrounding area and demands diverse tourist offers that respect the environment and the landscape.

For all these reasons it can be seen that this is a sector with great potential for development, mainly in the field of tourism associated with the Spanish coastline, driving economic transformation with the capacity to attract and retain both national and international investment [12].

In the field of nautical tourism it is evident that the increase in nautical sports, together with significant infrastructures, have contributed to the economic, social, and environmental impact on coastal municipalities [13].

In the case of Andalusia, the coastal municipalities involved are:

• Almeria: (13): Adra. Almería, Berja (Balanegra) Carboneras, Cuevas de Almanzora, El Ejido, Enix, Garrucha, Mojacar, Níjar, Pulpí, Roquetas de Mar, and Vera.
• Granada (9): Albuñol, Almuñecar, Gualchos, Lujar, Motril, Polopos, Rubite, Salobreña, and Sorvilan.
• Malaga (15): Algarrobo, Benalmadena, Casares, Estepona, Fuengirola, Malaga, Manilva, Marbella, Mijas, Nerja, Rincon de la Victoria, Torremolinos, Torrox, and Velez Malaga.
• Cadiz (18): Algeciras, Barbate, Cadiz, Chiclana de la Frontera, Chipiona, Conil de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria, Jerez de la Frontera, La Linea de la Concepción, Los Barrios, Puerto Real, Rota, San Fernando, San Roque, San Luca de Barramera, Tarifa, Trebujena, and Vejer de Frontera.
• Huelva (17): Aljaraque, Almonte, Ayamonte, Cartaya, El Granado, Gibraleon, Hinojos, Huelva, Isla Cristina, Lepe, Lucena del Puerto, Moguer, Palos de la Frontera, Punta Umbria, San Juan del Puerto, San Silvestre de Guzman, and San Lucena de Guadiana.

The availability of a marina provides the municipality with a tourist differential which it must take advantage of in a context of extreme national and international competition.

According to

Table 1. Spanish nautical facilities by type and region.

REGION	DOCK	INLAND PORT	MARITIME PORT	TOTAL
Andalusia	2792	5902	11,734	20,428
Asturias	0	1043	1669	2712
Balearic Islands	10,098	2791	9583	22,472
Canary Islands	1281	0	7553	8834
Cantabria	1403	2075	215	3693
Catalonia	6881	7313	16,434	30,628
Ceuta	0	0	300	300
Galicia	3129	3562	5885	12,576
Melilla	493	0	0	493
Murcia	1514	310	4957	6781
Basque Country	2095	2877	1195	6167
Valencia	8952	2185	8504	19,641
TOTAL	38,638	28,058	68,029	134,725

Source: Spanish Federation of Associations of Marinas and Tourist Harbours.

, on a national level there is a clear predominance of marinas, followed by harbours and, to a lesser extent, inland ports. In the case of Andalusia, there is a greater presence of marinas than inland ports, being the second community with the most facilities, since the first place is held by the Community of Catalonia. In overall terms, Catalonia ranks the highest, followed by the Balearic Islands, Andalusia, Valencia, and Galicia.

Referring to the general services offered in all Andalusian ports (

Table 2. Services of the Andalusian ports APPA 2020.

Service	Number of Marinas
Commercial	16
Fishing	28
Recreational	43
Port office	14
Information	3
24 h customer service	16
Weather station	14
Parking	15
Fuel	10
Showers	16
Changing rooms	16
Ice	11
Restaurant	11
Bar	9
Drinking water	16
Electricity	16
Fire service	16
Sewage/ bilge water	15
Recycling point	15
Mechanical workshop	11
Waste oil collection	16
Waste collection	15
Dry dock	12
Dinghy ramp	10
Waiting dock	5
Fishing port	10
Commercial dock	5
Travel lift	2
Credit card	5
Commercial business	7
Laundry	9
Crane	4
Dry marina	0
Sailing school	2
Storerooms	4
Motor caravans	5
Lifting gantry	5
Fishing pier	1
Ship owners’ premises	2
Buyers’ premises and sightseeing tours	1
Fish market	0

Source: APPA, 2020.

), it can be seen that recreation is the most dominant, followed by fishing and commercial; a value shared by services refers to basic services such as: 24 h customer service, showers, changing rooms, drinking water, electricity, firefighting services, and collection of used oils.

Andalusia has thirty-three marinas with different forms of management. Most of these are dependent on the Junta de Andalucía through the Agencia Pública de Puertos de Andalucía (Andalusian Public Ports Agency). These are constructions that were built more than 50 years ago, whose concessions are about to expire, and which require reconversion towards sustainability in order to be competitive with other newly built ports (more efficient and modern).

The occupancy capacity of the marinas in Andalusia is at its highest from April to September (Figure 1), coinciding with the summer period, as shown in the following figure referring to the period 2014/2020 for the directly managed ports.

There are a number of reference marinas such as Almerimar (Almería), Benalmadena (Málaga), Sotogrande (Cádiz), and Ayamonte (Huelva), among others. Marinas in Andalusia have characteristics depending on their location, offering a differentiated added value from port to port.

3. Methodology

3.1. Initial Considerations

Four methodologies were used to carry out this work. The input-output analysis to determine the impact of the ports, a SWOT and a PESTEL analysis, followed by a Delphi analysis to contrast the former two with the opinion of experts.

3.2. Input-Output Analysis

For the purposes of the input-output analysis, and specifically in its analysis of the impacts of the activities carried out within a port and how they affect the economy, a distinction is made between direct effects (generated by the global economic activity of the companies operating in the Port), indirect effects (produced as a result of the activity generated by the commercial relations due to the purchase of supplies or other inputs from suppliers), and induced effects (those obtained as a consequence of the consumption of goods and services made with the disposable income obtained by the workers who operate directly or indirectly in the port activity). The result is to obtain multipliers for Gross Value Added, Production, and Employment).

The problem with the use of input-output tables is that these are not up to date. In the case of Andalusia, the data are from 2016. It is therefore necessary to contrast it with the input-output table for Spain and specifically with various works carried out by the National Association of Marine Industries such as the Report on the Economic Impact of the Recreational Boating Sector for the years 2007 and 2016.

3.3. PESTEL

To develop the diagnostic phase, it is important to use a familiar and experienced framework designed to analyse and monitor the macro-situation (external situation) factors that impact on an organisation. More importantly, it is important to ensure that such a framework is easily adjustable to the objectives of simultaneously developing a replicable and coherent methodological and internal analysis, but also allows the classification of the identified characteristics, as well as the distinction between those that are manageable and those that are not. The selected framework is PESTEL [14,15,16,17,18,19].

This methodology is responsible for indicating the conditions of the macro-environment in which the marina is located. The matrix to be filled in includes six different elements: Political, defined by aspects concerning the current or potential government, international relations, or governmental stability; Economic, which includes micro- and macroeconomic indicators such as production level, interest rate, or employment level; Social, which takes into account factors such as trends and fashions, demographics, culture, religion, or purchasing power; Technological, defined by aspects such as the state of technology, access to technology, or potential for innovation; Ecological, which analyses the state of the environment or the capacity to achieve sustainability; and Legal, which includes aspects relating to the legislative situation corresponding to the sector under study.

Finally, the greatest strength of the case study experience is that it records the behaviour of those involved in the specific case. The information obtained in this study can be obtained from a multiplicity of qualitative and quantitative sources. This method is suitable for facts that seek to answer how and why, allowing the analysis of facts from multiple perspectives, which opens avenues for further research on each specific phenomenon.

This demonstrates that it is a methodology that is being increasingly used as it can detect new phenomena, their explanation, and create the elaboration of new theories.

3.4. SWOT

This is a methodology for analysing and diagnosing an organisation from a systemic perspective, that is, considering the organisation as an integral part of a system. In this sense, it analyses both internal variables (weaknesses and strengths) and external variables (opportunities, threats, etc.).

Its objective is to help an institution, organisation, or company to find its critical strategic factors to use them, once identified, to support organisational changes: consolidating “strengths”, minimising “weaknesses”, taking advantage of “opportunities”, and mitigating “threats”.

This methodology can be used in countless thematic areas [20,21,22,23,24].

3.5. Delphi

The presentation of the Delphi technique is based on a definition provided by Linstone and Turoff [25] which states: “Delphi can be characterised as a method for structuring the group communication process so that it is effective in enabling a group of individuals, as a whole, to deal with complex problems”.

This procedure uses a group of experts for analysis who are kept in isolation in order to minimise the effect of social pressure and other aspects of small group behaviour. The experts can be internal or external specialists. There is no rigid structure for applying the Delphi method, but it is usual to follow a certain sequence. It is based on the Brainstorming technique. That is, a collection of ideas and strategies considered by different people on a given topic.

The implementation of this methodology begins with the elaboration of a list of the possible agents participating in the process by the members of the working team. After making the selection, those members are sent a report which is discussed later in a seminar to identify all the different approaches of each of the selected persons.

There are a significant number of articles that have used this methodology [26,27,28]. For this research, the panel of experts is formed of marina decision-making personnel (managers, marina managers, and marina technical staff).

4. Results

4.1. Impact Analysis

Table 3. Gross Value Added, Effective production, and Employment generated by marinas.

Recreational Marine Variables	Initial Value of the Sector
	2005	2009	2016
Gross Value Added (EUR million)	1057	1079	971
Effective production (EUR million)	4664	4763	3674
Employment (no. employed)	15,000	16,000	20,000
Recreational marine variables	Total effect
	2005	2009	2016
Gross Value Added (EUR million)	5536	5690	4822
Effective production (EUR million)	16,697	17,192	11,951
Employment (no. employed)	114,000	107,434	82,000
Recreational marine variables	Multiplier
	2005	2009	2016
Gross Value Added (EUR million)	5.24	5.27	4.97
Effective production (EUR million)	3.58	3.61	3.25
Employment (no. employed)	7.60	6.71	4.30

Source: National Marine Industries Association.

shows that recreational boating has an impact of 4.97 in relation to the Value Added Generated, 3.25 in Production, and 4.10 in Employment generation. When comparing the three years of study, it can be seen that the multipliers diminished.

4.2. Pestel Analysis

4.2.1. Political and Legal Situation

The Spanish Constitution of 1978 grants the State, in Article 149.1.20, exclusive competence over the Merchant Navy and the flagging of ships, lighting of coasts and maritime signals, ports of general interest, meteorological service, and aircraft registration.

Within the State Administration, these competences are exercised by the Ministry of the Environment through the Directorate General of the Merchant Navy.

Notwithstanding the above, as far as recreational boating is concerned, the regions may assume certain competences not reserved exclusively to the State, insofar as Article 148.1.19. (a) of the constitutional text confers this possibility on them regarding the promotion of sport and the appropriate use of leisure. In practice, this power has been translated into a series of specific agreements on the transfer of competences, in matters such as authorisation for the opening of nautical education schools, the holding and control of exams for access to nautical sports qualifications, the issuing of the corresponding qualifications, as well as the holding and control of exams for access to qualifications to captain recreational vessels.

In port matters, the Regional Government of Andalusia, by virtue of Article 13.11 of the Statute of Autonomy for Andalusia, cites: the region of Andalusia has jurisdiction over marinas, ports of refuge and, in general, ports that do not carry out commercial activities declared to be of general State interest.

Therefore, the Statute of Autonomy for Andalusia recognises the exclusive competence of the region in ports that do not have the legal qualification of general State interest, and specifically in marinas, ports of refuge and, in general, those that do not develop commercial activities. The Royal Decree 3137/1983 of 25 August 1983 marked the beginning of the effective transfer of State functions and services in port matters to the region of Andalusia, which was completed with successive transfers to form the current Andalusian Autonomous Port System.

To date, these powers have been transferred to the following regions: Andalusia, Cantabria, Catalonia, Ceuta, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Melilla, Murcia, Galicia, the Basque Country, and the Principality of Asturias.

The management of a marina, considered as a public service, falls within the scope of public sector contracts and, therefore, its own regulations apply to it. Administrative concessions are based on a set of requirements listed below: economic sustainability, port interconnectivity, management and accountability, the new governance model, and environmental sustainability. There are different types of management of recreational boating facilities and they vary according to the region and port authorities (Figure 2).

According to article 3 of Law 21/2007 of 18 December 2007, on the legal and economic regime of the ports of Andalusia, fishing areas and those destined for nautical sporting uses which, being attached to ports of general interest, must be segregated from the service area because they have independent port infrastructures, differentiated land and sea areas, and do not divide or interrupt the service area of the port in such a way as to affect its operation, are considered ports of the Autonomous Community of Andalusia.

Figure 3 shows the regional port system, differentiating between three ways of managing the port structure:

• Direct management: it is the public administration itself which exercises the power of ownership. In turn, this can be performed centrally through the administrative bodies and decentralised through an autonomous body with its own legal personality;
• Indirect management: the administration grants the rights derived from the ownership to a third party by means of a contract, which in turn can be concluded by means of a concession through which the administration in charge of the public service transfers its management to a private individual for a specific period of time in order to continue to have absolute control of the nautical sport activity;
• Ports of General State Interest.

4.2.2. Economic Situation

Marinas, as well as acting as support infrastructures for the practice of nautical activities have great potential to support the local tourist sector. Marinas usually have complementary services such as fuel supply, dry dock, mechanical repair services, nautical companies, nautical clubs, shops, and sailing schools. From these services other services are generated, such as catering, accommodation services, or the purchase or rental of holiday homes which is generated by nautical sports tourism. The report entitled the Current Situation of Nautical Tourism in Andalusia, conducted by the Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Andalusia (CEA) and the Andalusian Government and drafted by the Association of Marinas and Tourist Marinas of Andalusia, which includes a total of 16 marinas and yacht clubs highlights the income of more than EUR 285 million generated by nautical tourism in Andalusia, a sector in which 358 companies operate generating 1100 jobs in terms of personnel who carry out daily activities in these facilities [29].

These figures are in line with those obtained in the Gross Value Added, Production, and Employment multipliers.

What is certain is that there is a direct relationship between the economic cycle and nautical tourism and marinas. In times of economic crisis, there is an important decrease in the use of nautical tourism and in the number of boats in a marina. A significant number of boats are even abandoned [30].

4.2.3. Social Aspects

In general, marinas have a very close relationship with society and in most cases, they are a meeting place. Nautical tourism is booming, and an increasing number of people are practising it. The culture of outdoor activities is very popular, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

4.2.4. Technological Situation

The technological factor is an aspect to be taken into account with regard to the sustainability of the sector, since in many cases these are traditional companies related to the logistics port sector, the auxiliary industry, and the services that arise around these spaces.

4.2.5. Ecological Situation

From an environmental point of view, recreational infrastructures as well as nautical activities may present certain problems for the land and maritime environment [8]; hence the need to better understand the role of marinas in coastal risk dynamics [31].

In Andalusia there are natural spaces protected mainly by two laws: at the State level, Law 42/2007 of 13 December 2007 on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity; and at the level of the autonomous community, Law 2/1989 of 18 July 1989, which approves the Inventory of Protected Natural Spaces of Andalusia and establishes measures for their protection. It should be noted that both laws establish protected areas, the management instruments, and their protection regime.

The Network of Andalusian Protected Natural Spaces (NAPNS) [32] regulated by Decree 95/2003 of 8 April, configures all the areas located in the territory of the region of Andalusia, including natural sites, nature reserves, protected landscapes, and protected marine areas included in Law 42/2007, as shown in Figure 4.

4.3. SWOT Analysis

The following

Table 4. SWOT Matrix.

STRENGTHS	WEAKNESSES
The Andalusian coast and coastline boasts an exceptional climate for enjoying nautical activities including sailing and enjoys easy connections between ports; Two environments for sailing, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, natural parks, and a peaceful atmosphere; Competitive prices in Andalusian ports and for basic services: public safety, health, and legal protection; Strategic point for the implementation of new sectors and business activities in the port and surrounding areas; Numerous ports with differing land and sea offers adapted to the different needs of tourists. Connections between the port and air transport with greater frequency and extension of routes.	The lack of greater corporate social responsibility in the sector; Obsolescence of port infrastructures; Lack of communication and understanding between the port management bodies and the public administration.
OPPORTUNITIES	THREATS
Events such as tourism fairs, nautical and non-nautical events should be promoted more, nationally, and internationally, by both public and private entities; The heritage, historical, and cultural value that makes the destination more attractive and generates greater added value to the tourist sector; Development of actions to overcome the seasonal nature of tourism; Establish alliances with auxiliary companies in nautical tourism, collaborative economies; Increase boat traffic and reactivate the ports’ commercial areas; The use of ICTs and communication tools for the digitalisation of the sector; Attract tourists with higher average expenditure, generating more wealth in the surrounding area; Involve the city in the life of marinas, nautical tourism, and vice versa; Establish collaborative lines of work between the public and private sectors to promote Andalusian nautical tourism and integrate it into unique tourist packages; Creation or promotion of a brand for the segment with a differential value; Offer a highly professionalised service; The promotion of the Blue Economy through the Blue Growth Strategy (EU); The progressive incorporation of the principles of the circular economy in companies; Entrepreneurial opportunities in the context of the SDGs.	The sports infrastructures are not considered tourist infrastructures and depend on the regional ministry of development; There are many parties involved and an excess of bureaucracy in everything related to nautical activities; The high seasonality of the tourist sector and the lack of promotion by the administrations and the sector itself; The high tax rates applied to marinas; It is an atomised sector with a lack of associations; Sector eminently related to the economic cycle; Consequences of Brexit as British tourists are among those who use marinas the most; The presence of emerging destinations at lower prices with greater attractiveness for sailing; Events derived from pandemics.

Source: Own elaboration.

presents the SWOT analysis of the marinas of Andalusia as a tool to study the situation of the marinas from an internal and external perspective in a matrix.

5. Discussion

Although marinas are considered an infrastructure that generates wealth and employment in the areas where they are located [33], new constructions and extensions are not very habitable, mainly due to environmental regulations [34] and land-use planning.

Another issue to consider is the remodelling of existing marinas, as has been the case of Port Vell (Barcelona) through the branding dynamics of the city, bringing with it important economic benefits [35].

At present, and despite the problem of the termination of concessions, the price/quality ratio in the ports of Andalusia can be considered to be high. Moreover, there is also another variable, which is that of security, which differentiates it from ports in other countries, such as those in Morocco. The areas able to compete the most are the nearby Spanish regions (Murcia and Valencia) and the Portuguese regions of the Algarve. Moreover, there is one country that is offering a very interesting range of services which is Croatia. In this case, according to a recent study on Croatian marinas, they are undergoing a revolution in reservation management processes, safety, and quality of service, but the environmental issue remains a pending task [36].

Furthermore, the ports can be considered sustainable in economic, social, cultural, and environmental aspects mainly because the tourism companies that emerge in this context have the attributes of a combination of CSR and sustainable development [37,38]. In line with this idea, the concept of strategic governance must also be considered in the nautical sector, specifically in marina managers [39].

Another important aspect that relates to the profile of the nautical sector, is that it is a very fragmented sector with small entrepreneurs and it is necessary to promote associations that bring together all the public and private agents in the sector [40]. This fact may represent a clear competitive disadvantage compared with other destinations with larger companies and where the market is more concentrated [41].

The seasonal nature, especially concerning the months between October and March, can be alleviated by increasing the number of dry marinas and converting part of the port surface area into spaces for motorhomes. This is already being carried out in some ports (e.g., Almerimar) and is proving to be very popular. It is also important to promote events such as regattas or conventions which attract many yachtsmen and different stakeholders after events [42].

Economic crises are directly linked to the occupation of marinas, especially in relation to the significant number of payment defaults made on moorings. Measures should be sought to make these problems easier to solve. Similarly, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that, during confinement, boats could not be used and for the people living on them there was a further problem as the marina facilities were closed [43]. It should be borne in mind that an increasing number of people are buying boats as an alternative to flats, and this is likely to continue to increase due to the significant rise in house prices.

6. Conclusions

Marinas and their related activities are a dynamic element of nautical tourism. In this respect, the Autonomous Community of Andalusia can be hailed as a national and international benchmark. It has a large number of marinas among the seventy-two coastal municipalities.

The nautical sports activity is associated with a demand that has a greater spending capacity and is capable of boosting the sustainable local development of consolidated coastal destinations.

Public–private collaboration is the key to the success of marinas, especially in current times when many of the administrative concessions are coming to an end. This is why economic sustainability, port interconnectivity, management and accountability, a new governance model, and environmental sustainability are necessary.

Nautical tourism should take advantage of the existence of these marinas in order to aspire to a greater and more diversified development. Among other activities we can mention: yachting, nautical charter, scuba diving, windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayaking, jet skiing, flyboarding, wakeboarding, large sailboats, dinghy sailing, water skiing, stages in sports events, or rowing, for example.

The great challenges facing the nautical sector involve the implementation of circular approaches at all levels and disengaging from the traditional linear economic model, requiring a progressive and urgent transformation to take advantage of the rise of the blue economy.

In future research, it would be interesting to address the issue of sustainability of marinas and the economic activities developed in this area from the point of view of the objectives of sustainable development in order to achieve sustainable growth.