Riding on the French desire to escape, the nautical sector in Occitanie “has bright days ahead of it”

Of the two regions, which, he adds, "have industries far ahead of those in the Occitanie region". And yet, with a coastline of some 200 kilometers, spread over four departments, the region nevertheless has "enormous development potential”.

A global turnover of 372 million

Indeed, the region's blue economy is one of the most dynamic sectors of the regional economy. Boating, in all its forms, already presents a great business card: nearly 1,200 companies, employing nearly 3,000 people, for a global turnover of 372 million euros in 2022.

"L’Occitanie has the particularity of having on its territory a very large panel of actors, underlines Jean-Paul Chapeleau. We have identified 45 different professions, from boat sellers to mechanics, including brokers and even production and construction.

Canet-en-Roussillon, spearhead

Regional boating relies on two particularly attractive centers. One in Canet-en-Roussillon, in the Pyrénées-Orientales, the other in La Grande-Motte, in Hérault. In 1997, the Catalan port, until then more focused on fishing, took on a new dimension with the arrival of Catana, the world's second largest catamaran manufacturer. This location then gives it an industrial nautical activity which will continue to develop from then on.

La Grande-Motte also has its flagship company. And even two: Outremer and Gunboat, both united under the banner of the Grand Large Yachting group. The group takes over from the pioneer in the field: Gérard Danson, young architect from the Conati shipyard, joins forces with Daniel Cailloux, technician, to launch the construction of a 40-foot catamaran. They had founded the Atelier Outremer.

The success of Grand Large Yachting

After the death of Daniel Cailloux in 2005, the torch was taken over by Grand Large Yachting, managed by Xavier Desmarest and Stéphan Constance. The dynamic instilled by the two partners lifts La Grande-Motte into a new dimension. The acquisition, in 2015, of the American luxury catamaran manufacturer Gunboat, ended up establishing the Hérault resort in the big leagues.

The organization of the International Multihull Show, the 15th edition of which is currently being held, gives even more prestige to the city and, beyond that, to the entire regional boating industry. "There is, in our region, a form of specialization in multihulls, observes Aurélien Ponsin, CEO of Catana. This state is beneficial insofar as it is the most dynamic market segment. The bet made on the region was the right one.

"The pandemic has boosted the market"

The industry is riding the coattails of the French’s growing craze for escape. "The Covid-19 pandemic has boosted the market, continues Aurélien Ponsin. It exploded in the two to three years that followed and our shipyards had difficulty meeting demand. Catana thus doubled its turnover during the pandemic.

Signature of the first sector contract between the Region, the State and the Federation of Nautical Industries

The Occitanie Region, the State and the Federation of Nautical Industries (FIN) signed, Friday 5é nbsp;April, as part of the La Grande-Motte International Multihull Show, the first sector contract "Nautical industries and services". A contract, the first of its kind in France, runs for the period 2024-2027. The objective is to structure the nautical sector in the region, by coordinating the skills and activities of all of its stakeholders, whatever the ;rsquo;they be. And not just along the Languedoc coast. "Let's not forget that there is great river wealth in this region, & the image of the Canal du Midi. The nautical sector is not just activities oriented towards the sea", insists Jean-Paul Chapeleau, pr& resident of the FIN. For Didier Codorniou, vice-president of the Region in charge of of the Mediterranean, it is a question here of to "bring together all the seaside resorts and pool their skills". He makes particular reference to a "concern" major, the difficulties of companies to obtain possibilities for extensions due to the shortage of land, in particular. The contract also aims to: reinforce the attractiveness of nautical professions, particularly among young people, as well as "the rise in skills of employees of the sector are also part of the priority areas identified by the partners.

The price of success means that today the big nautical companies are facing a big challenge: obtaining the land necessary to continue to develop. Especially since small projects, like Windelo, in Canet-en-Roussillon, have emerged. A hell of a challenge, because, as the boss of Catana confides, "leisure has a bright future ahead of it". And regional companies with it.

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