The Boating Industry Association (BIA) has announced the rollout of a survey designed to improve understanding of the social and economic benefits of recreational boating across Australia.
BIA CEO Andrew Scott said the survey was part of a wider project to develop a more complete picture of the impact and value of boating.
“The BIA reported industry national turnover last year of $10.12 billion with more than 35,000 people employed across the nation in mostly family businesses, employing local workers and supporting local communities,” Scott said.
“Research shows around 1 in 5 Australians participate in some form of recreational boating activity on at least an annual basis but there are gaps in our understanding of peoples’ boating habits.”
“While basic information is known about the number of registered vessels and the number of people who hold a boat or Personal Watercraft (PWC) licence, there is very limited knowledge about how often people go boating, where they go, who goes with them and what they like to do while enjoying time on the water.
“Even less information is known about the boating habits of the hundreds of thousands of Australians who head out on the water in the range of different forms of paddle and sail craft that don’t need to be registered and don’t need a licence to operate.”
BIA believes building a more complete picture of the social and economic benefits of boating will help policy makers and investors make better informed decisions about an activity that matters to many Australians, and is proven to deliver mental and physical health benefits.
As the peak industry body in Australia with over 650 member organisations covering all State and Territories, the BIA is a strong advocate for all forms of boating.
“We have long-standing relationships across all levels of government and have recently commenced development of the first ever National Recreational Boating Statement which is designed to increase awareness of the full range of boating activities in Australia and of the social and economic benefits associated with these activities,” said Scott.
The Statement will also highlight the key issues that governments and industry need to be working together on over the next 5 years to support continued growth in boating participation.
How can you help?
The BIA has designed a short survey to help gain a better understanding of the boating habits of Australians and to demonstrate the types of insights that can be gained through improved data collection and research. The survey can be accessed at National Recreational Boating Survey and should only take around 5 minutes to complete. No identifiable information will be collected.
Take the surveyFor more information on BIA visit: bia.org.au
