Opinion by Philipp Bonkatz, General Manager, La Marca Marine – July 2026
Bali has never lacked destination appeal. The harder question is whether it can build the infrastructure, regulatory framework, and operating ecosystem required to become a dependable regional yachting hub.
That question sits behind the INSA Yacht Festival 2026, scheduled for August 7–9 at Benoa Marina, and the wider development of the Bali Maritime Tourism Hub at Benoa Port. The festival’s published program includes discussions on waste management in modern marinas and the commercial development of luxury yachting experiences—two subjects that capture the wider challenge facing the industry.[1]
Indonesia’s state-owned port operator Pelindo describes an international Marina District capable of accommodating up to 180 yachts, including vessels up to 90 meters, alongside entertainment, lifestyle, and public-space components.[2] A recent ANTARA report instead cited capacity for up to 188 yachts and a planned completion date in 2028.[3]
The two figures should not be artificially reconciled. They indicate that the project remains phased and that its final scope and timing are still being defined.
The more useful test is not the announced berth count. It is what ultimately becomes operational, reliable, and commercially sustainable.
A marina is now an ecosystem, not a row of berths
A modern marina increasingly performs at least five interconnected roles.
1. Marine infrastructure
This includes secure berthing, electricity, water, fuel, sewage and waste handling, security, navigation support, emergency arrangements, and—where international traffic is involved—workable customs and immigration procedures.
Without these fundamentals, lifestyle amenities are largely cosmetic.
2. Technical and operational base
Owners and operators need access to maintenance, repairs, haul-out facilities, spare parts, technical contractors, secure storage, provisioning, and crew support.
A marina that cannot help keep vessels operating risks becoming little more than a parking lot with a view.
3. Hospitality and lifestyle destination
Dining, accommodation, wellness, events, retail, charter access, and waterfront experiences can make a marina relevant to a wider audience—not only yacht owners.
This is particularly important where the resident boating population may not be large enough to support an expensive waterfront asset by itself.
4. Regional gateway
A marina can connect ownership, management, logistics, and technical services with a wider cruising network.
In Southeast Asia, that could mean linking Singapore’s established professional capabilities with destinations across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
5. Environmental and community steward
Marinas operate directly between land and water. Their long-term value therefore depends on clean water, effective waste management, resilient infrastructure, biodiversity protection, and public acceptance.
Frameworks such as Blue Flag now assess marinas across water quality, pollution control, biodiversity, climate action, environmental education, safety, and accessibility—not only energy use.[4]
Not every marina needs to perform all five roles to the same extent. Its model must reflect and fit its location, users, vessel mix, local regulations, and surrounding tourism infrastructure.
But the direction of the industry is clear: a marina is increasingly an operating ecosystem rather than a collection of berths.
Can berthing revenue alone carry a marina?
In mature markets – sometimes.
Scarce waterfront capacity, large installed boat fleets, high occupancy, and long customer relationships can generate dependable recurring revenue.
A 2025 US marina-industry survey reported median occupancy of approximately 92%, with many operators increasing slip and service rates. However, the same survey found significant pressure from insurance, payroll, maintenance, renovation, and capital-expenditure costs.[5] High occupancy does not automatically make a marina an easy or low-risk business.
Southeast Asia has different market dynamics:
- A smaller resident recreational fleet
- Fragmented cross-border cruising procedures
- Uneven technical-service capability
- Demand tied closely to tourism and destination appeal, seasonalities
- Significant upfront infrastructure costs
- Greater dependence on visitors who may not own yachts
That argues for diversified income from membership, technical services, food and beverage, events, charters, retail, hospitality, and waterfront experiences – layered on top of dependable marine operations, not used as a substitute for them.
What diversification looks like in practice
A Singapore example is useful without being treated as a universal formula.
SUTL Enterprise, operator of ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove, reported FY2025 revenue of S$39.9 million and profit attributable to owners of S$8.4 million. Membership-related and management fees contributed S$10 million.[6]
Membership and management fees therefore represented roughly one quarter of reported revenue. This does not reveal the marina’s complete berth-versus-non-berth revenue mix, but it demonstrates that meaningful recurring income can be generated beyond direct berthing activity.
SUTL has also announced a proposed S$40 million acquisition of Marina at Keppel Bay. Its stated plans include upgraded berthing infrastructure, clubhouse improvements, retail space, wellness and lifestyle concepts, and additional dining and membership revenue channels.[7]
The transaction should still be described as proposed. As of July 23, 2026, it remained subject to a Phase 2 review by Singapore’s competition authority, and the transaction’s long-stop date had been extended to January 4, 2027.[8]
The relevant lesson is not that every marina should copy ONE°15. It is that marine infrastructure, services, membership, hospitality, and waterfront use can reinforce one another when the model is properly managed.
Sustainability has to be substantive, not decorative
Solar panels, recycling bins, and chargers may be useful, but they do not constitute a complete marina sustainability strategy.
Serious marina sustainability includes:
- Water-quality monitoring
- Sewage and pump-out arrangements
- Oil, chemical and hazardous-waste controls
- Recycling and plastic reduction
- Responsible anchoring and antifouling practices
- Biodiversity protection
- Energy and water efficiency
- Storm and climate resilience
- Emergency preparedness
- Environmental education
- Safe and accessible facilities
The Association of Marina Industries’ Clean & Resilient Marina program similarly combines regulatory compliance, environmental operating practices, staff training, and resilience planning.[9]
ICOMIA makes the commercial connection directly: recreational boating depends on clean water, thriving biodiversity, and resilient coastlines. Protecting them is therefore both an environmental responsibility and a business requirement.[10]
Marinas will also become important enablers of electric and hybrid propulsion, shore power, managed charging, and potentially alternative marine fuels. But investment should follow actual vessel demand, grid capacity, environmental risk, and measurable operating benefit – not every new technology trend equally.
The Singapore–Bali relationship is complementary, not competitive
Singapore brings regional logistics, ownership and management services, technical suppliers, professional expertise, international connectivity, and regulatory maturity.
Bali brings global tourism recognition, strong destination appeal, and gateway access to the Indonesian archipelago.
The broader idea of marinas operating as regional gateways rather than isolated berthing facilities is already part of Singapore’s industry discussion.[11] SUTL’s own published plans refer to a growing marina network across Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
A more connected Southeast Asian marina network could benefit the entire market:
- Owners gain more credible destinations.
- Charter operators gain stronger itineraries.
- Resorts gain access to higher-value marine tourism.
- Marina operators gain reciprocal traffic and partnerships.
- Singapore-based suppliers gain a wider regional market.
- Yachts actually get used more frequently instead of sitting idle.
The opportunity is not simply to build more individual marina projects. It is to create a dependable regional cruising ecosystem.
What to watch after INSA 2026
The festival’s success won’t determine whether Bali becomes a serious hub. The real signals will be: which phases actually go operational, real berth capacity and vessel-size limits, customs and charter procedures for foreign-flagged vessels, fuel/power/waste infrastructure and whether the announced lifestyle components generate dependable year-round activity rather than one-off events.
Bali already has the destination advantage. Its marina ambitions should now be assessed through operating capability rather than promotional visibility.
La Marca Marine’s perspective
For La Marca Marine, the future marina must also work operationally for the people and businesses using it.
Water experiences, electric equipment, floating attractions, and guest amenities create value only when operators can store, charge, deploy, supervise, clean, service, and maintain them consistently.
The strongest marina concepts will connect attractive waterfront experiences with disciplined day-to-day operations. The discussion should therefore not be limited to whether Southeast Asia needs more marinas.
It should ask:
What should define a successful Southeast Asian marina ten years from now: berth occupancy, financial return, yacht traffic, destination appeal, environmental performance—or the ability to combine all five?
And equally:
Which marina services are genuinely essential, and which are attractive additions that do not materially strengthen the operation?
La Marca Marine welcomes perspectives from marina operators, owners, developers, yacht managers, regulators, tourism stakeholders, and professional marine-service providers across the region.
La Marca Marine is not attending, sponsoring, or representing the INSA Yacht Festival 2026. This article is based on publicly available event, industry, government, regulatory, and corporate information.
Sources and references
1. INSA Yacht Festival, INSA Yacht Festival 2026 – Official Event Information, accessed July 31, 2026. Insa Yacht Festival 2026
2. Pelindo, BMTH Development and International Marina District, July 21, 2026. Pelindo
3. ANTARA News, Indonesia Aims to Attract High-End Tourists Through Bali Marina Project, July 21, 2026. ANTARA News
4. Blue Flag, Criteria for Sustainable Coastal Management, accessed July 31, 2026. blueflag.global
5. Marina Dock Age, 2025 Annual Survey: Industry Reports Increasing Expenses Impacting Revenue, January 22, 2026. Marina Dock Age
6. SUTL Enterprise, Annual Report 2025, April 2026. Sutl Enterprise
7. ONE°15 Marina, SUTL Enterprise to Acquire Marina at Keppel Bay for S$40 Million, December 30, 2025. ONE°15 Marina
8. SUTL Enterprise/SGX, Phase 2 Review and Extension of Long-Stop Date, July 23, 2026. SGX Links
9. Association of Marina Industries, Clean & Resilient Marina Program, accessed July 31, 2026. Marina Association
10. ICOMIA, Boating Sustainability Hub, accessed July 31, 2026. Marine Industry Council
11. The Straits Times, Singapore Marinas Must Evolve Beyond Berthing to Offer Eco and Lifestyle Concepts, March 20, 2026. straitstimes.com