The Portuguese nautical sector association ACAP APICAN convened in the historic setting of the Real Edifício de Mafra, the first-ever Nautical Congress. The event brought together stakeholders from government, industry, associations and academia, with the objective of charting the future of the recreational boating and marine-leisure sector in Portugal. The programme covered topics such as administrative simplification, marina and port infrastructure, innovation and sustainability.

Speakers included the Secretary of State for Fisheries and the Sea, Salvador Malheiro and a number of key industry voices. EBI was also invited to the Congress and its Secretary-General Philip Easthill provided an overview on the key European perspectives. He summarised the position of Europe's boating industry as a global export leader and critical constituent of the EU's blue economy and tourism ecosystem. For the years ahead it is crucial to focus on new markets, growing nautical tourism and building competitiveness. In Portugal and across Europe, the focus must be on facilitating, accelerating and support investment in infrastructure and administrative simplification. Industry and policy-makers have the opportunity to now come together to deliver the huge potential of recreational boating and nautical tourism in Portugal through joint strategic planning.

Overall, some key Themes and highlights came out of the discussions.

• Simplification of the regulatory framework: A strong thread through the debates focused on how to streamline licensing, registration and administrative processes to support growth in the sector.
• Infrastructure and regional development: Discussions emphasised how marinas, ports, and coastal facilities can act as catalysts for local tourism and economic activity, and how Portugal’s geography and coastline offer real potential.
• Innovation and sustainability: The event shone a spotlight on emerging trends – from digitalisation and new business models to the need for the sector to embrace the blue economy.
• Industry readiness and data: One of the sessions featured data research by EY-Parthenon on the potential development of the recreational boating sector in Portugal.

This congress appears to mark a step‐change for Portugal’s recreational boating industry and EBI would like to congratulate its member ACAP-APICAN for a successful first Congress.