Marina Marketing as a Worthwhile Investment by Amos Raviv My store begins in a small Mediterranean country called Israel, which boasts 180 kilometers of straight sandy beaches, avid beachgoers. and also a small group of recreational sailors, who enjoyed setting sail but had nowhere to moor their boats. During the country's 45 years of existence, no one - neither government officials nor municipal authorities nor entrepreneurs - realized the enormous potential in establishing marinas. But judging from the popularity of boating in neighboring countries, coupled with the increase in leisure time, it was clear -- to people with vision - that recreational boating would grow immensely if more facilities were provided. Only recently die awareness of marina marketing as a good investment has been recognized in Israel. During the last five years, 13 government-planned marinas have been marketed, and the number of moorings in Israel has grown from 800 in 1993 to '_.500 in 1995. By die year 2010, there will be a total of 10,000 moorings. Of the 13 planned marinas, two have been completed, two are under construction. and the others are at different points in the planning stages. As a result of this marina-development frenzy, antiquated ports, such as Jaffa and Acco. had no choice but to jump on the bandwagon and expand their ports and services. Pre-Requisites for Building a Marina Marina marketing in Israel is conducted as follows: The private investors dry the sea and build the marina for the municipality. In exchange, the investors receive the land behind the marina, on which they can build a tourist attraction, condominiums, office buildings, and so on, depending on the agreement with the city. The success of marina marketing as a worthwhile investment depends on three essential ingredients: 1. A venture capitalist - who is convinced of the financial potential: 2. A mayor who understands the social cultural. and economic ramifications of a marina; 3. Various government offices that support the existence of a new, maritime, tourism project. Given the right mixture of these three elements, combined with proper construction and safety measures in building the marina, everyone involved will benefit the venture capitalist, the municipality, and the community. and especially, the boat owners.
Advertising and Promotion When the marina becomes is up and running, its corporate identity should be advertised: Shops at the marina should sell merchandise with the marina s logo: nautical maps of the area, which include information on the marina, can be distributed to visiting yachties: a weather station can announce weather forecasts. T - he marina can offer special services that will give it a lot of publicity: A "travel agency" can offer itinerary for vacation cruises, complete with books, maps. and travel information. A computerized information service can be available in which information about the marina and its tourist attractions can be accessed via modem. And. of course, each marina can host a different annual competition. Implementing any of these ideas will help promote the marina both locally and internationally. The Ecological Aspect The new, modern marina has got to be environmentally conscious. We enjoy nature, and must take care to preserve it for the generations to come. The marina can implement a pump-out system, so that dirty water is emptied into containers and not into the sea. This is "friendlier" to the water and to the boats as well. There must be an organized way of disposing of gasoline and other wastes. The New, Modern Marina as a Worthwhile Investment The marina can no longer provide anchoring spots only. In order to succeed and provide a fast return on investment today's marina must be run intelligently. built on the basis of cooperation and customer service. It must satisfy the boat owners who use it providing good service at competitive prices. It must and also benefit the community as a whole. It must be a social, community center. The mayor of tie city, whose aid is required in erecting the marina, wants the citizens to enjoy the new attraction and wants to draw tourism to the city. And the developer wants a rearm on investment as soon as possible. For its economic strength, the marina should feature restaurants. hotels, shopping, tourism, etc. By universalizing the industry as a whole, we can work together to create an organized network of marinas, which will result in more enjoyable marinas that are also
more profitable. What is a Marina? The decisive factor in proper marina marketing. which, of course. determines the profitability of the endeavor, is understanding the definition of a marina. What is a marina? Is it a place to moor boats, or is it a social, community center that overlooks anchored seafaring vessels? Whose interests should be considered when building a marina: the interests of the boat owners who moor at the marina? those of the business people who have businesses at the marina? or perhaps we should consider the interests of visitors and other users of the marina? And. of course. there are the developers themselves. Sometimes there is a conflict of interest between these different groups. These questions and others led me to the conclusion that, in order for a marina to survive, we must rethink our concept of a marina. Specifically, to succeed as a worthwhile investment the marina must satisfy the needs of all parties. It should provide people with places of entertainment vacation spots, and business - with local and international appeal --in addition to just moorings. Setting the Standard In my vision of the marina of the future, each marina will have a rating according to the services provided. There will be a universal standard (ISO 9000). and each marina will receive a rating of one to five anchors (much as there are one- to five-star hotels). The decision of ratings should be made by a committee, and I invite other professionals who are interested in participating in this exciting project to join me in this effort. As a rough example, the ratings might be as follows: 1-anchor marina: Moorings only 2-anchor marina: Moorings and minimal maintenance. ' 3-anchor manna: Moorings, boatyard. maintenance, several services, restaurant yachting club 4-anchor marina: Moorings. boatyard. tourism. maintenance, several services, yachting club 5-anchor marina: All boating services and facilities plus vacationing. tourism, hotels. community events, nationally recognized yachting club
Before we can assign ratings. we must first decide on different services and facilities that can be provided at a marina to attract users and investors and to make tine marina more enjoyable for all concerned. Marina Services, Features, and Community Activities Here are some of the features and services that I thought of that the modem marina could provide: Safe moorings Good service Skilled management Dry dock Shipyard Maintenance and security Yachting club Good restaurants Ample parking Repair of marina equipment Gasoline for boats Chandlery For the marina users' convenience. all the provisions that they might need should be available at the marina at a central location. And in order to provide monopolies and ensure good service, each service should be provided by at least two competitors. A contract between the marina management and the boat owners should specify the terms of the agreement and the services to be provided. Calendar of social events and activities for the entire community. This will attract a broader segment of the local population and will add revenues to the businesses at the marina. Establishment of a yacht-owners' committee to cooperate with marina management to host competitions and cultural, social events_ (The marina would be a center for leisure and socializing.) Cooperation with other marinas iii the vicinity Family events for boat owners (social and water activities) Rubber-dinghy service for boaters, to provide food, fuel, water. security, etc.. A "shopping mall" for boating accessories, to offer boat owners a large selection of many manufacturers for all their boating needs, at attractive prices. Today's consumer wants to
receive good service and low prices, and we must satisfy these requirements in order to survive. Classes for adults and children in sailing, water sports. swimming water safety, etc. Lecture series on marina-related topics, such as marine ecology, upcoming international sailing competitions, etc. Other ideas, of course, are welcome. We would have to categorize each feature in order of importance and desirability, in order to determine which features are required for each rating level (that is, in the categories of one to five anchors). Sales Promotion and Public Relations in the Modern, Profitable Marina The Marina's Unique Identity In order to create a financially successful marina. the designers of the project should invest a lot of thought in the planning stages. Early on, the designers should select one aspect of the marina that will set it apart from other marinas in the area. This unique aspect of time marina -- whether it is a gourmet restaurant or a natural phenomenon (e.g. a beautiful lagoon, cliff, etc.) or emphasis on water sports (diving, windsurfing& sailing, and swimming lessons) or a large retail center -- will be a key element in the marketing strategy. There should be a marina logo, flag, and brochure, perhaps based on the marina's unique element. Design of the Marina The architectural design and layout of the place are very important. A market survey should be conducted among yacht owners. and their wants and needs should be taken into account when designing the marina. A yachting club should be established for the boat owners. providing members with boating and social events. boating services, discounts at marina stores, locker rooms. and an organized body that can interface, and thus enhance cooperation. with marina management. The marina should also be accessible and aesthetically pleasing to the local residents, so that they, too. will want to visit the marina and take advantage of what it has to offer. I I
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