Viareggio ready to welcome Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

Viareggio, November 8th

Tuesday, November 12 – The city of Viareggio welcomed Governor Ron DeSantis, on an official visit during his business trip to Italy, which will take him across the country from north to south. DeSantis, who will stay a total of a few days, was welcomed by Mayor Giorgio del Ghingaro and Prefect Giusy Scaduto, and then visited some of the best in the Viareggio nautical sector, meeting business representatives and expressing a strong interest in opening new commercial channels between Tuscan companies and the Florida territory, as well as strengthening existing ones. In fact, Florida represents the main market in the United States for the sale of engines and nautical accessories, with an increase of 21.8% of new boats sold in 2023 compared to the previous year (NMMA data) and imports from Italy for a value of 691.5 million dollars.
NAVIGO, the leading innovation and services center for the nautical industry, worked to organize the short but significant visit to the Viareggio district, including the initiative among the activities on which NAVIGO has been active for 20 years, specifically in the internationalization paths, which constantly support companies through networking and collaboration with key players in the global maritime sector. Among others, the IYES (Italian Yachting Excellence Suppliers) group, formed by 5 Italian companies that are NAVIGO members, which has been pursuing an internationalization path for two years to offer its services in Florida.
“We are pleased and honored to have supported the arrival of the Governor of Florida in our district,” said Pietro Angelini, director of NAVIGO. “This visit underscores the strategic importance of strengthening relations between our countries, especially in the nautical sector, where Florida represents a market of great interest for Tuscan companies. The goal is to maximize business and relationship opportunities for Tuscan companies, whether they are already present in the United States or intend to expand into that market. The meeting with Governor DeSantis and representatives of Florida ports represents an extraordinary opportunity to strengthen relations between our territories, linked by the common vision of sustainable growth in the maritime sector. This collaboration allows us to bring together two excellent entities and to build development opportunities for companies in the sector together.”
Roberto Lottini, founder of Genesis Yachts and owner of the Cantiere Viareggio, who collaborated in the organization, expressed satisfaction: “As a Viareggio native who has worked in Florida for more than 25 years, I am happy to see Governor DeSantis in our city. We have done everything possible to ensure that this was one of the stops on his international mission. A visit that represents the real and rare opportunity to show how Viareggio is a center of excellence for nautical production on a global level.” During the visit, NAVIGO organized a series of parallel strategic meetings between representatives of the ports of Florida and those of the Marinas of Tuscany, the consortium of twelve Tuscan ports of excellence that represents one of the most dynamic realities of the Italian nautical industry. The meeting was attended by Florida ports, including Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport), Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, PortMiami and SeaPort Manatee, and a delegation of the Marinas of Tuscany, represented during the meeting by delegates from Viareggio Porto 2020, Marina di Pisa, Marina Arcipelago Toscano, Porto Azzurro and ESAOM.
In parallel, “business tracks” were also held, targeted moments that involved Florida companies and shipyards in the Viareggio nautical district to explore the potential for collaboration and mutual investment in the sector of product refit and technology applied to the nautical sector.
NAVIGO continues to promote initiatives that enhance Tuscan companies and marinas in the international context, helping to strengthen the role of Tuscany as a hub of excellence in recreational boating.