Yacht charter: Italia, Spain and Greece the leading destinations
75% of Italians prefer to stay in the peninsula; 7% of travellers will head for Spain and 6% will go to Greece
Italians chartering yachts in 2026 are mainly heading towards Italia, Spain and Greece. This is what emerges from data collected by Samboat, a world reference in the chartering of boats, with and without skipper, to private individuals. Italian customers who have included a yachting experience in their itinerary this summer will head, for 75% of bookings, to Italia, 7% to Spain and 6% to the Greek coast.
On the podium of preferences, certifies the Bordeaux-based company, is the stretch of sea near the Cinque Terre, with La Spezia. This is followed by the Sicilian coasts, with rentals in the Trapani and Palermo areas as well as Furnari. As for destinations abroad, which are entirely European, Palma de Mallorca stands out, followed, again in Italia, by Naples, Salerno and Sorrento, and finally, again in Europe, Ibiza and the Greek island of Lefkada.
The Hirer's Sketch
The Italia traveller who does not shy away from carving out a few days - maybe even just one - on a boat, Samboat notes, has an average age of 43 and sails in groups of four or five people. Considering the most popular boat types, the passion of Italian customers is divided between motor boats (38%), rigid inflatable boats (30%) and sailing boats (20%); seven out of 10 bookings, moreover, are without a skipper. The duration of the trip ranges from a one-day boat break, in the case of motor boats, to a week-long stay on board, for those who choose sailing.
The foreign travellers who have chartered a boat to explore the Italian coasts for the summer of 2026 are mainly French (18%), German (17%) and British (9%), around 50 years old, who want to experience the sea independently (85% of bookings refer to bareboat charters). The preferred destinations are Olbia, Palermo, La Spezia and Sorrento.
Preferred boats and budget
Looking at the most popular boat models, a majority of motor boats (48%) and rigid inflatable boats (45%) emerge, indicating a predisposition to indulge in boat trips to places to be discovered in a day. When considering budget, boat hire varies according to the type of stay. For example, a day at sea aboard a dinghy costs around 400 euros, the equivalent of a day's rental of electric bicycles for a family.
