DiscoverBoating.com Attracts Next Generation Boaters

In the last two years of extraordinary consumer demand for boating and outdoor recreation, Discover Boating, powered by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), saw its site traffic surge, reaching more than 5 million unique visitors for the first time in the brand’s history. And, while the industry is seeing a normalizing of new boat sales through Q1 2022 and those sales remaining above pre-pandemic levels, DiscoverBoating.com is seeing similar trends.

For the calendar year to date (Jan-May 2022), overall site traffic dipped 24% yet is 75% above pre-pandemic levels for the same period (Jan-May 2019). This includes an uptick in visits from younger, more diverse audiences—the next generation of boaters.

Over the last three years, DiscoverBoating.com has attracted more younger visitors to explore boating—visitors in the 18-24 year age group have increased 150% in 2022 (January-May) compared to the same period in pre-pandemic 2019. In that same timeframe, women made up a larger share of traffic in 2022, with an increase of 42% compared to 2019.

“It’s encouraging that we’re seeing sustained growth among younger visitors as it’s a signal we’re resonating with that ever-important next generation audience and that our site traffic is continuing its momentum as we compare against where we were tracking pre-pandemic,” said Ellen Bradley, chief brand officer and senior vice president of marketing and communications at NMMA. “As the world begins to normalize post-pandemic and people seek activities they were mostly unable to pursue, such as sporting events, concerts, and travel, we’re seeing that normalizing reflected in both new boat sales and traffic to DiscoverBoating.com. This is an indicator that we can’t let up on attracting new customers and doing all we can to maintain momentum through our awareness marketing and engagement through our See You Out Here campaign.”

The most visited articles on DiscoverBoating.com to date in 2022 reflect site visitors who are new to boating and exploring how to get started, including the Boat Loan Calculator and Boat Finder.