Covid and the war in Ukraine changed the world. It also effects the entire water sports industry: yachting, marinas, surfing and other water-based recreational activities. Before Covid, countries with a strong nautical history, such as the Netherlands and the UK, experienced drops in the number of boats.

As part of its national effort to conduct a market and capacity analysis for its waterways, the Netherlands governmental agency “Rijkswaterstaat” (National Water Board) has engaged WA Yachting Consultants to produce a projection for the growth of recreational water sports in 2030, 2040 and 2050.

Amsterdam's canal cruises are very popular year round. Approximately 3 million tourists take Amsterdam's 237 registered canal cruises annually. Amsterdam is considering converting all of its canal cruises to electric.