Highlights at boot Duesseldorf 2009

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The ten theme parks at boot were yet again a big hit among visitors. Leading the field were the Sailing Center, the Classic Show, Big Blue Holiday World and the Diving Show. The activities center in Hall 1 – which brought together Beach World and the Sailing Center under one roof – struck a chord with young watersports enthusiasts.

Water tourism section

When it comes to holidays, there is no tightening of purse strings. boot-Duesseldorf is a first-class, one-stop shop for travel. According to surveys, 54 percent of boot visitors were planning a watersports holiday, while 42 percent were looking for their next destination at boot. Charter companies and exhibitors in the water tourism section reported that business was good. Bookings streamed in and fleet capacities in Germany and abroad have filled up nicely. A particularly popular choice was unwinding on a houseboat – this doesn't require a boating licence to travel Europe's inland waterways. Sailors’ top picks are the Baltic and Mediterranean but overseas spots are also registering a lot of interest.

Boats and yachts

Boats and yachts remained top of visitors' agendas. A good two out of three came to gather information in this segment. Other areas of focus for visitors were boat equipment, engines and technical accessories (60 percent), water tourism offers, boat and yacht charters and, of course, diving.

World's biggest consumer fair for diving

An evergreen favourite is the Diving Show boot-Duesseldorf in Hall 3. Every fifth visitor stopped in at the world's biggest consumer fair for diving and diving tourism under the boot umbrella. Manufacturers of scuba equipment and agencies for diving tourism were particularly pleased with the fair's run.

Potential buyers of large yachts

Trade in large yachts was not as brisk as in previous years, some leading yards and dealers still reported good sales and plenty of interest from potential buyers based abroad. Albert Drettmann, head of Bremen-based yachting agency Drettmann, asserted that once again this year, boot is the most important event for his company – no ifs or buts. The company sealed good deals and forged promising new contacts that augur well for strong post-fair business. As regards equipment and accessories, the move to greater comfort and security continues. Demand in this segment closely mirrored last year's level. Demand for both motor and sailing boats in the middle price bracket of EUR 80,000 to EUR 200,000 was, however, sluggish.

Resume

Again in 2009, boot-Duesseldorf left virtually nothing to be desired. According to initial surveys, well over 90 percent of visitors reported that their expectations were met.

boot 2010 will open its doors from 23 to 31 January.

Source: www.boot.de