Por Redaccion 
The Minister of Development, Territorial Articulation, and Housing, Rocío Díaz, inaugurated the XII Congress of the National Association of Nautical Companies (ANEN) together with the president of the Provincial Council of Malaga, Francisco Salado, which, for the first time in its history, is being held in Andalusia. Rocío Díaz took advantage of this opportunity to highlight the «enormous potential of Andalusia» to the nautical sector, with a coastline of almost a thousand kilometers and more than 23,000 berths, of which more than 17,500 are owned by the Junta. «Andalusia is a competitive region with a privileged location that has a lot to offer the nautical sector,» she said.
Díaz defended the ports as «a hallmark of our cities» and «an absolute attraction from a social, tourist, cultural, and leisure point of view.» Given their importance in the economic development of Andalusia, the Junta has invested in them to «reach a level of excellence,» citing the 150 million euros allocated since 2019 for «improving facilities, digitizing services, and making our ports more sustainable.»
«Andalusia needs to make the most of the potential of its ports, as they are a great incentive for job creation,» added the Minister of Development, noting the investment of 41 million euros to integrate ports into their cities. She also emphasized the work being done to make them more sustainable and environmentally friendly, stressing that «competitiveness and sustainability must go hand in hand.»
The ANEN congress, taking place on March 13 and 14 at the Edgar Neville Auditorium in Malaga, has over 500 attendees. At the convention, now in its twelfth edition, companies, professionals, related institutions, representatives of the administration, and entrepreneurs in the nautical industry will gather to analyze the national nautical market and present sector innovations for the year.
The National Association of Nautical Companies, the industry’s association in Spain that brings together over 90% of the industrial and business fabric, has collaborated this year with the Ministry of Development, Territorial Articulation, and Housing through the Public Ports Agency of Andalusia (APPA) for the organization of its congress. Over these two days, nautical professionals will conduct a current analysis of the market, study sector-related legislation, nautical tourism, and nautical-sports facilities, and present trends in training, digitization, sustainability, while exchanging experiences and opinions on the present and immediate future of recreational nautical activities, involving companies, regional nautical associations, and other sectorial groups.
In addition to the Minister of Development, Ignacio Álvarez-Ossorio, the General Director of the Public Ports Agency of Andalusia, will attend the congress representing the Ministry. He will participate on March 14 in the panel on the commitment to sustainability in nautical-sports facilities, along with Onofre Sánchez, Ports Director of APPA, and Rafael Montero, Commercial Director of APPA.