- British Marine’s research helps to promote the valuable role the industry plays in the UK economy, generating direct revenues of £3.97 billion and contributing over £1.5 billion in gross value added directly to the UK economy.
- However, these figures do not include the indirect economic effects and wider tourism expenditures enabled by marine industry business activity. If these additional effects are taken into account, it is estimated the UK marine industry helps to generate over £9 billion in sales and over £5 billion in gross value added.
- The industry is supported by over 38,000 jobs directly employed by marine businesses, covering a huge variety of roles and industry sectors. This includes approximately 515 apprentices, training in manufacturing and engineering trades, as well as other business and managerial apprenticeship frameworks.
- With the indirect economic effects of the marine supply chain and wider tourism expenditures from boating activities, the workforce supported by marine industry business activity is estimated to be as large as 200,000.
- This varied and dynamic industry has a thriving manufacturing and export sector, celebrated with awards for excellence in design and innovation, and which contributed approximately £1.6 billion to the UK economy through exports in 2018/19.
- Our latest research reveals that in 2019 £1 billion was generated from new and used boat exports alone, with over 10,000 new boats produced, for both domestic and international markets. In 2019 the UK’s largest overseas markets for boat exports included the European Union, Non-EC European countries and North America.
- The strength of the UK’s manufacturing and supply chain is buoyed by a booming boating tourism sector. Over 3.9 million UK adults (7.3% of the UK adult population) participated in a boating or watersport activity in 2018, totalling 24.7 million boating experiences, with over 1 million boats /watersports craft owned by UK households.