European Boating Industry (EBI) represents the recreational boating and nautical tourism industry in Europe, which encompasses the following subsectors:
- boatbuilders (building motorboats, sailing boats, yachts, personal watercraft, and other recreational boats)
- engine manufacturers
- equipment manufacturing
- refit and maintenance companies
- boat dealers and importers
- marinas and yacht harbours
- boat charter and rental companies
- water sports rental companies
- other related companies
European waters count at least 6 million boats, 36 million regular boaters and over 10,000 inland and coastal marinas. The European recreational boating industry is made up of 32,000 companies (predominantly SMEs) which directly employ over 280,000 people. The sector is a key contributor to tourism and to local economies in coastal and island regions, and Europe is an important exporter of recreational boating products.
EBI is made up of the national associations representing the recreational boating industry in Europe, in addition to several individual organisations as sustaining members. More information about membership options can be found here.
EBI Strategy 2026-2028
In January 2026, EBI adopted a new strategy for the period until 2028 to better represent the boating industry in a fast-changing environment characterised by a push towards sustainability, changing consumer trends, digitalisation and global market challenges.
The updated mission statement representing this shift is:
Advancing a sustainable boating and nautical tourism industry Made In Europe.
Policy Areas
EBI works on a set of key strategic areas for the future of the boating industry, under the following three clusters:
You can find more about what we stand for in our position papers here.