AENIB condemns the exclusion of recreational yachting from the discounted fuel

The Association of Nautical Companies in the Balearic Islands (AENIB) is against the decision of the Government of Spain to exclude the recreational craft from the fuel discount.

This decision is included in Royal Decree-Law 11/2022, of June 25, adopting and extending certain measures to respond to the economic and social consequences of the war in Ukraine and to address situations of social and economic vulnerability. The law was recently approved by the Council of Ministers and has just entered into force.

With this measure, the Government harms the development of both domestic and international nautical tourism in the height of the season, when the largest volume of nautical operations take place, seriously affecting the productivity and generation of employment in the sector.

According to Jaume Vaquer, the president of AENIB, there are no logical explanations for this decision "beyond being a simple tax collection, this decision is not advantageous for anyone and will not come free because it directly affects the decision of consumption in the height of the season of not only the returning customers, but also potential new clients, both an essential part of the business chain in the sector. In this case the negative effects potentially generated by this measure have not been properly assessed".

It is worth remembering that during the pandemic, blue tourism (maritime and coastal tourism) became a safe option for travelers. It demonstrated a resilience in crisis situations and positioned itself as a safe and sustainable leisure alternative, very beneficial for the economic recovery.

In addition, this decision is significant because the nautical market in Spain is made up of more than 80% of boats below 8 meters of length, small boats used by middle class families to enjoy their vacations, on par with booking a hotel or renting an apartment to relax near the sea.

For Carlos Sanlorenzo, secretary general of ANEN, "this is a political measure that punishes and stigmatizes the blue tourism. It responds to a short-sighted vision, because what the State will collect with the elimination of the diesel bonus for recreational boats, it will lose in the form of lower income than would be achieved if it supported a sector that has demonstrated its ability to promote sustainable blue tourism and the quality of the brand ´Spain´. From ANEN we will work to urge the Government to reverse this measure, we hope that the responsible administrations make a deeper analysis of the situation and agree to withdraw this decision and thus support an economic sector that has grown by approximately 17% during the pandemic, despite the adversity, “he adds.