Summary of our market study
In 2020, boat rental sales in France totaled 236.5 million euros, with riverboat rentals accounting for 54% of the market.
The French boating sector has been growing, with an increasing trend towards renting boats rather than buying them, driven in part by the accessibility and affordability provided by online rental platforms and management agencies.
The European market is estimated at between €1.8 and €2 billion.
France, a major player in the sector, is Europe's third-largest pleasure boat manufacturer, with sales of €4.7 billion in 2021, driven by 5,668 companies and 41,361 employees.
The rental sector is diversified, offering a variety of services such as unlicensed rental, eco-cruises and flexible rental periods.
The regulatory environment, including Division 240 regulations for maritime navigation and taxation of collaborative platforms, has adapted to modern practices such as bareboat charter.
The main market players include large European entities and traditional boat manufacturers, as well as numerous small businesses. The market is highly fragmented, contributing to a highly fragmented market segment.
The booming yacht charter market in France
In France, a country renowned for its important role in the nautical sector, demand for boat rentals is growing considerably.
In a market dominated by boat purchases, rental alternatives have developed enormously.
Boats are mainly used at sea, but charters are also used on the country's vast network of lakes and rivers.
The offer includes rental by professionals to private individuals, management-rental through specialized agencies, and private rental through booming online platforms.
The annual growth rate is estimated at around 5% for the next decade.
The market is relatively concentrated, with a few European players dominating the scene.
Geographically, activity is concentrated in specific regions such as Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA) and Corsica, which are also home to a significant proportion of the country's marinas.
The pleasure boat and motor yacht building sector employs between 40,000 and 45,000 people in over 5,000 companies, and will generate sales of around 4.5 to 5 billion euros by 2021.
Riverboat rentals account for a larger share of the market?
Over 80% of boaters perceive pleasureboat hire to be expensive, but almost 50% of French people recognize that it is now less expensive.
Rental companies cater to a wide audience, with millions of people taking part in water sports and regular boating activities.
Key players in the European boat rental sector
- Sunsail, Le Boat and Footloose operate under the TUI Marine umbrella.
- Dream Yacht Charter, another major player
- Kiriakoulis, exerts a significant influence in Mediterranean waters.
- Newcomer Nautal is an online booking platform.
to understand this market
Detailed content of our market study
Inforamtion
- Number of pages : ~ 40 pages
- Format : Digital and PDF versions
- Last update :
Summary and extracts
1 Market overview
1.1 Presentation and definition of the market
France is a major world player in the nautical sector and in particular one of the largest manufacturers of pleasure boats, sailboats and motorboats After a sharp decline in the nautical sector due to the economic crisis of 2008, the recovery is underway, with a craze for boat rentals rather than for sale The vast majority of charters take place at sea, but some charters also take place on lakes and rivers.
The rental business is based on three different business models
- The rental from professionals to individuals
- the management-rental via specialized agencies
- the private hire via online platforms
The global rental market has been growing relatively fast in recent years, with an estimated CAGR of 5% over the period 2020-2030 The market is relatively concentrated around large-scale European players . Similarly, boating and yachting activities are logically concentrated in a few specific geographical areas such as the PACA region and Corsica
The the yacht charter market is growing nicely and boating is becoming more democratic this trend is gradually gaining ground, even if water sports activities still seem inaccessible to a large part of the French population. The actors of the sector try to encourage this tendency, through marketing campaigns communicating on the financial accessibility of this leisure or by proposing new services like the organization of seminars or team-building activities, at sea.
Above all, the he traditional pleasure boating offer is being modernised and is attracting new players, facilitating access to boating for as many people as possible, through the development of online rental platforms allowing the rental of boats between individuals for a relatively short period However, the latter still face competition from traditional players, the rental management agencies
1.2 Yacht charter, a growing global market
Turnover of the global yacht charter market World, ****-****, in billions of dollars CAGR: *% Source: ****
In ****, the global yacht charter market is estimated to be worth USD **.** billion. Over the period ****-*****, the CAGR (***) is estimated at *%. This increase in the market can be explained in part by a change in ...
1.3 France, a major global player
Boating, a fast growing activity
France is the third largest European manufacturer of pleasure boats, behind Germany and the United Kingdom. France is the fourth largest producer of motor yachts.
The nautical sector employs **,*** people in *,*** companies, generated a turnover of *.* billion euros in ****. This turnover is largely made up of ...
1.4 The effects of Covid-19 on the boat rental market
The impact of covid on the freight boat rental market
The graph below highlights the evolution of the turnover index of the NAF code **.**Z "Rental and leasing of water transport equipment" - over two different time periods: the first from February **** to February ****, which is the period when there were ...
2 Analysis of the demand
2.1 The popularity of renting
Renting facilitates access to boating
Boating is an activity that is often considered to be not very accessible, especially because of the potential costs involved.
**% of French people agree or agree somewhat with the statement "boating is too expensive". Renting can therefore be a solution to allow French people to ...
2.2 The target clientele for rental companies
A large potential customer base
Concerning the core target, ** million people will be practicing a water sport in France in ****, and * million others will be regular boaters
According to a survey operated by the charter company Yacht Syst, **.*% of boat rental customers are groups of friends, **.*% are families, **% are couples and ...
2.3 River tourism, a popular sector: strong demand from foreign customers
Driven by "slow tourism" (***), river tourism has seen a strong demand in recent years, according to Thierry Guimbaud, Director General of VNF. [***]
Indeed, more and more travelers aspire to a greener tourism, more respectful of the environment. According to a study conducted by Booking **% of tourists are willing to make a ...
2.4 The importance of the climate hazard
Boating activity remains subject to the weather. For example, hurricanes Irma and Maria that hit the Caribbean in September **** destroyed *** to *** boats according to the estimates of the local charter companies .
The tourist season is especially disrupted in Saint Martin and Tortola where charter companies have suffered a dry loss corresponding ...
3 Market structure
3.1 A market dominated by a few large European-owned companies
According to the report of the Ecorys consulting firm, the Mediterranean area concentrates **% of the world boat rental market.
Almost **% of the turnover generated in the European market is achieved by a few "giants" of the sector such as Sunsail, Le Boat and Footloose (***) as well as Dream Yacht Charter and ...
3.2 Different business models for boat rental
Different types of rental
The three main modes of boat rental are:
The rental from professional to private, in which the professional owns the boat and rents it; Management-rental, in which the owner of a boat delegates its management and rental to a professional, on the same principle as a rental ...
3.3 A geographically concentrated market
The yachting and pleasure boat market is clearly localised in France. The coastal areas concentrate **% of the French market (***), with the PACA, Corsica, Brittany and Pays de la Loire regions alone accounting for **% of marinas.
In ****, the PACA and Corsica regions together totalled *** ports and **,*** rings or **% of France's marina ...
3.4 The role of the rental management agencies
Rental management agencies (***), agencies whose services are referenced on the internet are increasing their market share
The site HeyCaptain for example, is aimed exclusively at professionals, offering to list and publicize available offers to customers (***). Agencies also have access to better booking management tools, designed specifically for their business. According to ...
3.5 The rise of digital rental platforms
In the context of the rise of the sharing economy around ****, some companies have launched themselves into the role of online intermediary for boat rentals between individuals These online platforms that list classified ads act as a "trusted third party" to carry out the transaction, in exchange for a commission by ...
4 Analysis of the offer
4.1 Types of boats rented
According to the report of the rental company Nautal, the most rented boats are sailing boats, this is mainly due to the fact that this type of boat has a better profitability of the "price per cabin" for a week of rental (***). Motorboats come in third place in the type of ...
4.2 Diversity of rental types offered
The influence of eco-tourism
Boating and yachting are benefiting from the craze for off-the-beaten-track activities with less ecological impact. The Paris Tourism Fair in March ****, for example, relied on ecological issues for its central theme. We can observe the emergence eco-cruises, more respectful of the environment, often with an ecological theme ...
4.3 Rental rates
Classic rentals, by the day or by the week
According to Click In Marseille, it is necessary to count on average between *** and *** € to rent a sailboat for a day and between *** and **** € for a catamaran, obviously the prices vary according to the period chosen and the type of boat chosen. ...
4.4 Vers un renouvellement du parc nautique
En septembre ****, le Parlement européen a élargi au secteur du nautisme la réglementation du SEQE-EU. Le SEQE-EU est le système d'échange de quota d'émission de CO* de l'Union européenne. Ce système a pour objectif de quantifier et de proposer une forme de taxation des ...
5 Regulation
5.1 Framework for the rental of boats
Rental conditions
The site Service Public.fr proposes a list of formalities to be observed to guard against hazards and bad surprises. Indeed, although it is not compulsory, it is recommended to draw up a rental contract between the owner and the renter, specifying the deposit, the rental price, the cancellation ...
5.2 Regulations in case of rental with Skipper
The different rental contracts
With the proliferation of collaborative rental platforms, the Maritime Affairs authorities have stepped up their checks at sea. It is therefore important to know the legal framework relating to each boat rental with skipper. The charter contract determines who has commercial and nautical control of the vessel. ...
5.3 Boat license regulations
The boating license is mandatory to drive a boat pleasure craft at sea or inland waters (***)
On rivers and canals, the operation of sailing boats equipped with a motor of more than *.* kilowatts is subject to the possession of a licence valid for inland waters and corresponding to the length of ...
6 Positioning of the actors
6.1 Segmentation
- Travelopia, Sunsail, Le Boat, The Moorings
- Moorings France (Moorings Group)
- Filovent
- Dream Yacht Charter (Beneteau Groupe)
- Bénéteau Rent (Groupe Beneteau)
- Lagoon Catamaran (Construction Navale Bordeaux)
- Globe Sailor
- Quo Vadis Plaisance
- Les Canalous
- Le Boat (Travelopia)
- Nautal
- SamBoat.fr
- Locaboat Holidays - Nicols Yacht
- Click & Boat
- Nauticoncept
- Boataround
- Voile et Vent
- Wiziboat
- Océans Evasion (Click & Boat)
- GlobeSailor
- Nicols Yacht
- Catlante Catamarans
List of charts presented in this market study
- Market sales in the marine sector
- Breakdown of boating sales by activity
- Registration of pleasure boats in maritime waters
- New boat sales
- Boat rental market sales
All our studies are available online in PDF format
Take a look at an example of our research on another market!
Latest news
Companies quoted in this study
This study contains a complete overview of the companies in the market, with the latest figures and news for each company. :
Choosing this study means :
Access to more than 35 hours of work
Our studies are the result of over 35 hours of research and analysis. Using our studies allows you to devote more time and added value to your projects.
Benefit from 6 years' experience and over 1,500 industry reports already produced
Our expertise enables us to produce comprehensive studies in all sectors, including niche and emerging markets.
Our know-how and methodology enable us to produce reports that offer unique value for money.
Access to several thousand articles and paid-for data
Businesscoot has access to all the paid economic press as well as exclusive databases to carry out its market research (over 30,000 articles and private sources).
To enhance our research, our analysts also use web indicators (semrush, trends, etc.) to identify market trends and company strategies. (Consult our paying sources)
Guaranteed support after your purchase
A team dedicated to after-sales service, to guarantee you a high level of satisfaction. +44 238 097 0676
A digital format designed for our users
Not only do you have access to a PDF, but also to a digital version designed for our customers. This version gives you access to sources, data in Excel format and graphics. The content of the study can therefore be easily retrieved and adapted for your specific needs.
Our offers :
the boat rental market | France
- What are the figures on the size and growth of the market?
- What is driving the growth of the market and its evolution?
- What is the positioning of companies in the value chain?
- Data from several dozen databases
Pack 5 études (-15%) France
- 5 études au prix de 75,6€HT par étude à choisir parmi nos 800 titres sur le catalogue France pendant 12 mois
- Conservez -15% sur les études supplémentaires achetées
- Choisissez le remboursement des crédits non consommés au terme des 12 mois (durée du pack)
Consultez les conditions du pack et de remboursement des crédits non consommés.