Houseboats, Glamping and New Hospitality Models in Marinas and Coastal Tourism
Why Liguria Is Emerging as a Blue Economy Destination for Experiential Tourism
In recent years, experiential tourism has become one of the main growth drivers in the global travel industry. Travellers are increasingly looking for authentic experiences that create a direct connection with local identity, nature, and communities. This shift is changing not only how people travel, but also how destinations are designed, marketed, and experienced.
Today, tourism is no longer only about offering a place to stay. It is increasingly about creating memorable and immersive experiences linked to landscapes, local culture, and coastal lifestyles. In this context, Liguria stands out as one of the most promising areas in the Mediterranean for the development of new forms of hospitality, thanks to its combination of sea, nature, marinas, and historic coastal villages.
Marinas as Places of Experience, Not Only Infrastructure
Marinas are undergoing an important transformation. Once seen mainly as infrastructure dedicated to recreational boating, they are increasingly becoming multifunctional destinations capable of integrating hospitality, services, events, and new tourism experiences. This evolution is particularly visible in some areas of the Ligurian coast, where marina operators are developing projects that expand the tourism offer and attract visitors beyond the traditional boating audience.
Among the most interesting developments are new forms of accommodation located directly inside marina environments, bringing visitors closer to the sea and turning the marina itself into an essential part of the travel experience. This is where marina hospitality becomes a strategic asset for coastal tourism and for the wider Blue Economy.
Houseboats in Marinas: Sleeping on the Water in Liguria
A concrete example comes from the tourist port of Andora, where floating houseboats have recently been introduced as part of the hospitality offer. These are real accommodation units on the water, allowing visitors to experience the marina and the sea from a completely different perspective.
Sleeping in a houseboat means:
waking up with the sea beneath your room
observing marina life from within
experiencing the port as an integral part of the journey
enjoying direct contact with the marine environment
This type of accommodation represents one of the new frontiers of experiential nautical tourism, a segment that is becoming increasingly relevant in European coastal destinations. In strategic terms, houseboats also show how marinas can diversify their offer, extend their audience, and become more integrated into the tourism economy of coastal territories.
Glamping in Liguria and Immersive Nature-Based Hospitality
Alongside innovation in marinas, Liguria is also becoming fertile ground for the development of glamping, a hospitality model that combines immersion in nature with the comfort and quality of high-end accommodation. The growth of glamping responds directly to the expectations of contemporary travellers, who are looking for immersive yet curated and emotionally distinctive experiences.
Several initiatives in Liguria are already interpreting this model successfully, demonstrating how well the region lends itself to forms of accommodation that enhance the landscape and the emotional dimension of the stay. Among these experiences is Counting Stars, an exclusive glamping experience facing the Portofino Park, immersed in nature and designed for overnight stays under the stars with sea views. The official BMA article explicitly includes Counting Stars among the examples of this new hospitality trend in Liguria.
Liguria as a Laboratory for the Future of Coastal Tourism
The combination of innovative marinas, new hospitality formats, and unique landscapes makes Liguria a true laboratory for the future of tourism. Houseboats in marinas, glamping immersed in nature, and other experiential hospitality projects all show that coastal tourism is evolving toward models that are:
more sustainable
more connected to local identity
more experience-driven
more integrated with the Blue Economy
This matters strategically because the future competitiveness of coastal destinations will increasingly depend on their ability to combine infrastructure, hospitality, environmental value, and memorable visitor experiences in one coherent ecosystem. Liguria offers a strong case study of that transition.
Blue Marina Awards, Sustainable Marinas and Tourism Innovation
In this scenario, initiatives such as the Blue Marina Awards help highlight and communicate the good practices that are transforming marinas into places of innovation, sustainability, and new hospitality models. The original article also connects this evolution to BMA’s broader framework for measuring and promoting sustainability, including tools such as the BMA Event Sustainability Index (BESI).
From an SEO and positioning standpoint, this is an important connection: marinas are no longer just technical infrastructure for boating. They are becoming platforms for sustainable coastal tourism, visitor experience innovation, and Blue Economy value creation.
Why This Topic Matters for the Blue Economy
Experiential tourism in Liguria is not only a tourism trend. It is part of a broader transformation involving marina development, coastal destination management, sustainable hospitality, and the evolution of the Blue Economy.
When marinas integrate hospitality, quality services, environmental sensitivity, and innovative tourism products such as houseboats and glamping, they strengthen their role as territorial hubs. They create new economic opportunities, support destination branding, and generate value that extends beyond boating alone.
For this reason, Liguria is becoming increasingly relevant not only as a travel destination, but also as a strategic reference point for the future of marina-based tourism in the Mediterranean.