A device dedicated to Covid 19 at the Federation of Nautical Industries
The health crisis and the restrictions imposed on people and businesses will have an impact on the entire economy, including the nautical industry, especially as we prepare for the 2020 season. "Many questions are coming in, often legitimate ones from our members. We have already conducted several meetings with certain trades to assess the situation. On the other hand, we broadcast the official messages through our different news feeds and means of communication and we have created a specific email address: covid-19@fin.fr accessible to the entire industry, members or not, to raise questions" explains Fabien Métayer, general delegate of the Federation of Nautical Industries.
Boat rental and nautical services already heavily impacted
Professionals have already reported difficulties in the field of boat rental, with a catastrophic drop in bookings, as for the entire tourism sector. Practical questions also arise. "How do you deal with a crew returning from a cruise, when the marinas are supposed to be closed," asked one overseas charterer It is advisable to be responsible and to approach the authorities, as the prefectures can take more restrictive local measures than those agreed upon at the national level" illustrates Fabien Métayer. "Regarding reservations, the notion of force majeure has not yet been announced outside of public orders. We will have to wait for clarification from Bercy."
It should be noted that the majority of harbors are currently closed, as boating is not an "essential activity.
Boat production at a standstill
As far as the production of pleasure boats is concerned, activity has not been formally stopped as of March 17, 2020. However, some major shipyards have announced the shutdown of their manufacturing plants, such as Fountaine-Pajot, Dufour and Catana. The Bénéteau group was expected to make a statement later today. "For the shipyards that are continuing, it is a matter of respecting the organizational instructions to maintain the distance between employees, the wearing of masks..." said Mr. Métayer.
Regarding the export, it can continue to this day, the closure of the borders of the Schengen area is limited to people.
If production conditions are affected, it is still too early to measure the possible impact on orders and possible cancellations by boat buyers facing economic difficulties.
