Pescare Show 2026: ASSONAT

Assonat – National Association of Tourist Marinas and Ports was established in 1982 as a non-profit organization with the aim of safeguarding the interests of companies involved in the construction or management of Italian tourist marinas and related activities.
Its headquarters are in Rome, Piazza G. G. Belli 2.

Today, the Association’s membership list—constantly growing—includes dozens of renowned Italian tourist marinas along all the coasts of the peninsula.
Assonat is part of Confcommercio – Imprese per l’Italia and Confturismo, contributing to the discussion of proposals and the resolution of issues concerning the recreational boating and tourism sectors in particular.
Its activities are primarily focused on addressing issues of national interest.

In particular, the Association aims to:
a) examine and resolve technical, tax-related, legal, administrative, and organizational issues of common interest to its members;
b) organize study conferences to examine issues of shared interest, with the support of experts appointed by the Board of Directors;
c) cooperate with other bodies, associations, and government authorities to resolve issues that directly or indirectly affect marina activities;
d) provide consultancy services—through experts appointed by the Board of Directors—for the interpretation and application of laws, regulations, and standards concerning the sector;
e) promote and implement, directly or indirectly, any initiative deemed useful to increase the influx of national and foreign recreational vessels into tourist marinas;
f) enter into collective contracts and agreements of an economic and/or regulatory nature concerning subordinate employment in member companies or activities referred to in point (a).

To provide concrete responses to the most significant issues—such as corporate law, maritime law, tax law, labor law, and criminal law—the Association relies on a group of well-established professionals in the legal, administrative, and tax fields.
Assonat has developed a series of agreements with other entities and companies to broaden the range of services offered, identifying with its “technical partners” the processes needed to meet mutual needs, enhancing relationship management and contacts among the various stakeholders in the supply chain through active and constructive participation in a shared growth path.

Assonat plays an active role in promoting “nautical tourism” and the “blue economy” by participating in major sector events at both national and international levels, and by taking part in conferences, seminars, and round tables as a representative organization of tourist port infrastructure and related activities. It also participates in events hosted by its member marinas.
Initiatives aimed at promoting the Italian tourist port offering generate significant promotional and dissemination activities, with the objective of enabling marinas to engage directly with operators from the technical and decision-making areas of refitting, such as captains of large vessels, brokers, yacht management companies, surveyors, international registry technicians, and representatives of yacht owners—a highly qualified and professional audience with strong decision-making and purchasing power.

The Association is committed to supporting the importance of the nautical supply chain, of which Italian tourist ports are a key territorial stakeholder, contributing to the development of the Blue Economy and enhancing the beauty of Italy—from culture and the historical and architectural heritage of the Mediterranean to local products, food and wine, and artistic craftsmanship.

In this context, in June 2025, in the presence of Minister Nello Musumeci and the Commander General of the Italian Coast Guard, Nicola Carlone, the first Strategic Plan for Italian Tourist Ports was presented. The plan was developed by Assonat in collaboration with SACE.

For the first time, the sector is the protagonist of a national strategic plan which, starting from a scenario analysis and an assessment of the adequacy of berths and infrastructure, identifies three development directions for Italian tourist ports: expansion, competitiveness, and sustainability—strengthening the attractiveness of Italian ports at both national and international levels.
Within the tourism ecosystem, marinas represent a true “Tourist Destination,” offering the “traveler–boater” a wide range of services, from hospitality to opportunities for discovering the surrounding territory.

The initiative “Italy from the Sea,” sponsored by Assonat, positions Italy as the port of the Mediterranean and unites Italian tourist ports with a dual objective: to represent internationally the attractive power of the unique features of local territories and to encourage improvements in service systems.
The future development of the dedicated portal will enable the sharing of services and related activities and the interception of Italian and foreign boating flows, facilitating transient mooring, berth occupancy, houseboats, and the use and booking of nautical charters through an online booking system.

Knowledge, culture, and the protection of the sea represent a major opportunity to send a strong message of environmental awareness and to underline the importance of an economic model based on sustainability, encouraging eco-friendly behavior and contributing to the spread of environmental education.

In the environmental field, Assonat is committed to promoting:

• the “Blue Flag” program of the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education), which identifies marinas and tourist ports that meet specific environmental, tourism, organizational, and structural criteria. In the section dedicated to marinas and tourist ports, it is possible to download the documentation required to apply for the award;

• the national Marevivo campaign “Plastic Free and Beyond,” which aims to promote best practices adopted by tourist port facilities along a virtuous path of environmental sustainability. In the dedicated section, it is possible to download the guide explaining how to obtain up to three sea stars, the application form to join the project, and available materials that can be customized with the marina’s logo;

• the “Blue Marina Awards,” which aim to support and enhance the qualitative growth path undertaken by facilities dedicated to recreational boating (tourist ports, marinas, landing places), highlighting aspects such as innovative services, safety, and sustainability, offered to national and international boating communities in full respect of the environment.