While a number of industries in Malta were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the superyacht industry continued to experience year-on-year growth in registrations, with a total of 1,030 superyachts registered in Malta. This has also been felt by Marina di Valletta, which has seen a post-pandemic recovery and marked increase in size and number of yachts choosing the marina, General Manager Niki Travers Tauss explained to WhosWho.mt.

“June was a very encouraging month for Malta with regards to superyachts,” Mr Travers Tauss said.

“At Marina di Valletta, there were an increased number of yachts in transit, and so far, July augurs well,” he continued.

However, Mr Travers Trauss noted that this growth is not only being experienced by Marina di Valletta, as it “seems to also be the case in other marinas,” with some notable arrivals on a larger scale, such as that of “Blue superyacht to the Valletta Cruise Port, which is confirming that Malta is, and will continue to be a valid destination for superyachts”. Blue is a 160-metre superyacht, built by German shipbuilding company Lürssen, which is now the fifth-largest superyacht in the world after its launch just a few months ago.

Niki Travers Tauss

The news comes after the highly successful Malta Superyacht Symposium organised by the Malta Chamber and the Malta Maritime Law Association earlier this month, aimed at highlighting the superyacht industry’s achievements over the years.

Mr Travers Tauss said that “around 180 people attended”, including a number of key figures in the industry, such as representatives from Italy’s naval certification body RINA, leading shipyards Benetti and San Lorenzo, crew and captains network ACREW, as well as those from the local market such as agents, brokers, repair yards, and Government entities. Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia and Shadow Minister Ivan Castillo were also at the event.

The symposium’s primary objectives were to formulate a future strategy for the country's yachting industry, building on Malta’s position as a leading yachting jurisdiction, as well as presenting a formal report to the authorities with practical recommendations emerging from the different panel discussions. Additionally, “everything that was noted in the symposium will be listed in a yachting policy paper, the first of its kind for Malta’s maritime industry,” something that could be done annually to maintain and monitor year-on-year progress.

During the symposium there were a number of keynote speakers, including Mr Travers Tauss, who focused on “Malta as a superyacht destination together with the issues being faced within brokerage".

The symposium ended with a clear commitment from all parties to continue the focused discussion towards impactful change within the industry.

Apart from his role at Marina di Valletta, Mr Travers Tauss runs a family yachting company with its subsidiaries Esprit Yachting and Strand Marine representing the Azimut Benetti Group, Nautor's Swan, and other leading brands. He also leads yacht finance platform AB Finance and the recently launched Samizu Restaurant. He has been engaged in the yachting sphere for over 20 years in total.

With over 275 berths now under its control, Marina di Valletta was established in 2016 after an investment of €8.5 million by a consortium formed between Marina di Varazze S.r.l, the marina development division of Azimut Benetti Group. The consortium also includes the group's representatives in Malta, Esprit Yachting together with Arrigo Group Ltd, Joinwell, and Tal-Magħtab Construction.