Report by France 3Corse ViaStella on the port of Saint-Florent.
The 2018 season appears to be thriving in the island’s marinas. Whilst visitor numbers are on the rise in Ajaccio and Bonifacio is fully booked, in Saint-Florent – Corsica’s largest marina – overnight stays have increased by around 6% compared with last year.
By P.S.
Published on 27/08/2018 at 19:11 Updated on 27/08/2018 at 19:15
It’s the end of August and visitor numbers are starting to drop at Corsica’s largest port. But there’s no question of letting up: the roughly 22 seasonal employees are still hard at work.
«This afternoon, we'll be managing all the boats arriving. We'll arrange to find a spot for those who haven't booked in advance, moor them, and everything that goes with it,» explains Sébastien, a marina attendant.
«Everything that goes with it,» meaning the small services made available to boaters. And to continue to attract a varied clientele, the port of Saint-Florent relies on its local welcome.
France's premier marina
«It's very familial, even though we're in Corsica, you'd think there would be a lot of people, a lot of tourists, but you find a village with its soul,» says Brigitte, a French tourist.
A village soul but significant infrastructure: with 960 berths available, the Saint-Florent marina is the first in Corsica. Tourists are, moreover, coming in ever-increasing numbers each year.
«As of today, we have logged 13,000 overnight stays, which is relatively significant, explains David Donnini, director of the port of Saint-Florent. We are showing an increase compared to last year. We also saw an increase in large vessels from July onwards, which was higher than last year. And in August, visitor numbers were the same as last year.»
Next step: attract very large units, boats over 48 metres long.
To provide this service, a significant investment will be necessary: a mooring bollard costs almost €200,000.
Saint-Florent: Increased visitor numbers at Corsica's largest marina
Speakers – Sébastien, pilot // Federico, Italian tourist // Brigitte, French tourist // David Donnini, Director of the Port of Saint-Florent // Team – Kael Serreri, Cassandre Dumain