Boating and tourism, at BTM Italy focus on the blue economy

BTM Italy announces a new section dedicated to nautical tourism: a bridge between boating and tourism for the blue economy.
For the first time, the next edition of BTM Italy (February 25-26-27, 2026) will host a section entirely dedicated to recreational boating. The announcement was made today in Brindisi, during the panel “The shortage of berths: a brake on the development of nautical tourism,” within the SNIM – Salone Nautico di Puglia 2025.
The announcement was made by Nevio D'Arpa, CEO & Founder of BTM Italy, who emphasized the importance of creating a stable space for dialogue between boating and tourism operators. The goal is to enhance local skills, generate new synergies, and promote an innovative and sustainable vision of the blue economy.
“Tourist port infrastructure is not just infrastructure: it is vision, it is network, it is storytelling”, said D'Arpa during his speech.
The panel highlighted one of the main critical issues in the sector: the shortage of berths, a crucial topic for the development of the Italian blue economy. The debate involved institutions, operators, and stakeholders, committed to outlining strategies to overcome structural limits and give new momentum to tourist ports.
BTM's choice to dedicate a section to nautical tourism represents a concrete response to these challenges, with the ambition to build, step by step, a more inclusive, competitive marine ecosystem capable of integrating economic development, environmental protection, and territorial identity.
“In the coming weeks – concluded D'Arpa – further details will be released, but the message from Brindisi is already clear: the future of the blue economy lies in collaboration and innovation.”