Professional Diploma in Tourist Sailing Experiences
This professional diploma prepares you to design and manage memorable nautical itineraries that combine safety, comfort and added value. You will learn to select boats, create innovative routes, manage safety on board and deliver high-quality tourism services that exceed your clients' expectations, giving you the tools to stand out in the competitive world of nautical tourism.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Professional Diploma in Tourist Sailing Experiences?
This professional diploma covers everything needed to create and run tourist experiences on the water, from day trips to crewed and bareboat charters. You will study nautical geography and the design of coastal, island and river itineraries, demand and client profiles, weather for recreational sailing and navigation in protected areas; the types of boats used in tourism, their layout, systems, maneuvers with passengers and seasonal maintenance; hospitality on board, themed excursions, food and beverage service, water activities and VIP service; the legal framework, charter contracts, insurance and port formalities; safety management, passenger briefings, emergencies and first aid at sea; nautical marketing, pricing, booking engines and partnerships; and costs, budgets, KPIs and the financial feasibility of a nautical tourism business.
What sets this professional diploma apart: a complete view of the product, joining route design, the boat, the guest experience and the business behind it; a strong safety thread, from the ISM Code and lifesaving equipment to passenger briefings and panic management; practical attention to charter contracts, insurance and port formalities; marketing and finance tools specific to nautical tourism, such as seasonal pricing, cabin charter and occupancy KPIs; an in-depth structure of eight modules; and an integrative project in which you design a complete tourist sailing product with its route, safety plan, marketing strategy and three-year financial analysis.
Program highlights
- Route design: coastal, island and river itineraries, anchorages, marinas and protected areas.
- Boats and operations: catamarans, motor yachts and schooners, layout, systems and pre-departure checks.
- Hospitality on board: themed experiences, F&B at sea, water toys and VIP charter service.
- Legal framework: charter contracts (MYBA, bareboat), P&I and passenger insurance, port clearance.
- Safety at sea: ISM Code, safety briefings, MOB, fire and abandon ship, first aid and MEDEVAC.
- Business and marketing: pricing by season, booking engines, KPIs and a three-year financial plan.
Syllabus of the Professional Diploma in Tourist Sailing Experiences
8 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Foundations of nautical tourism and tourist sailing routes
- 1.1. Nautical geography and tourist cartography: design of coastal, island and river itineraries
- 1.2. Types of nautical charter: crewed charter, bareboat charter and day trips
- 1.3. Analysis of nautical tourism demand: client profiles, consumer habits and travel motivations
- 1.4. Meteorology for recreational sailing: interpreting forecasts, fronts, local winds and sea state
- 1.5. Navigation in protected natural areas: rules in national marine parks and reserves; selection and assessment of anchorages, tourist marinas and points of interest along the route
- 1.6. Global trends in onboard experience design and sustainable nautical tourism
- 1.7. Benchmark nautical destinations
- 1.8. Sustainability in tourist routes
Recreational boats, onboard operations and maintenance
- 2.1. Types of boats for tourist use: monohulls, catamarans, motor yachts, schooners and small craft
- 2.2. Onboard space layout: optimizing habitability, sun decks, decks and cabins
- 2.3. Main systems and equipment on board: marine engines, generators, watermakers and onboard electrics
- 2.4. Harbor and anchoring maneuver protocols with passengers on board: safety and comfort under way
- 2.5. Preventive maintenance of the boat during the tourist season and pre-departure checklist
- 2.6. Management of stores, provisions, fuel and fresh water for short and long itineraries
- 2.7. Operational sustainability on board: waste management, gray and black water and reducing the use of plastics
- 2.8. Seasonal maintenance planning
Experience design and hospitality on board
- 3.1. Fundamentals of hospitality management applied to the nautical environment and confined spaces
- 3.2. Concept creation and storytelling for themed nautical excursions (sunsets, wildlife watching, gastronomy)
- 3.3. Food and beverage (F&B) logistics and service at sea: nautical menus, pairings and special diets
- 3.4. Integration of recreational activities: snorkelling, kayaking, paddleboarding, surface diving and water toys (Seabobs)
- 3.5. VIP client service and high-end service protocols on luxury charters and superyachts
- 3.6. Managing passenger comfort: prevention and management of seasickness (motion sickness), temperature and habitability
- 3.7. Entertainment techniques, tour guiding and interpretation of marine and coastal heritage
- 3.8. Gastronomy and experiences on board
Legal framework, maritime regulations and tourism insurance
- 4.1. International and local regulatory framework for the maritime carriage of passengers and tourist navigation
- 4.2. Qualifications, licenses and competences required of merchant and recreational crew in commercial operations
- 4.3. Inspections, certificates of seaworthiness and load lines for passenger vessels
- 4.4. Nautical charter contracts (MYBA, Mediterranean, bareboat) and cancellation policies, including cancellation for bad weather
- 4.5. Marine insurance: P&I (protection and indemnity), passenger cover, hull damage and third-party liability
- 4.6. Customs, immigration and harbor master clearance on international or coastal itineraries
- 4.7. Rules for the protection of marine wildlife in cetacean and wildlife watching activities
- 4.8. Liability of the tour operator
Maritime safety, risk prevention and first aid
- 5.1. The International Safety Management (ISM) Code adapted to tourist boats
- 5.2. Lifesaving and safety equipment on board: lifejackets, liferafts, pyrotechnics, EPIRBs and emergency drills
- 5.3. Mandatory passenger safety briefing: clear, assertive communication adapted to tourists
- 5.4. Emergency protocols on board: man overboard (MOB), flooding, fire and abandon ship
- 5.5. First aid at sea, management of marine medical kits and treatment of injuries and stings or bites from marine life
- 5.6. Emergency medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) procedures and communication with maritime rescue centers
- 5.7. Panic management and group psychology in risk situations or bad weather at sea
- 5.8. Crew safety training
Marketing, sales and nautical digitalization
- 6.1. Nautical sales strategies: direct sales, specialist agencies, charter brokers and OTA platforms
- 6.2. Pricing strategy: seasonal rates, per-berth hire (cabin charter), whole-boat hire and tailor-made itineraries
- 6.3. Digital marketing for nautical experiences: local SEO, visual social media and content creation
- 6.4. Online booking systems (booking engines) and real-time integration of boat inventories
- 6.5. Online reputation management, client reviews on travel portals and customer loyalty
- 6.6. Strategic partnerships with hotels, destination management companies (DMCs) and local tour operators
- 6.7. Emerging business models: nautical sharing-economy platforms and sailing subscriptions
- 6.8. Online booking platforms
Financial management, costs and administration of a nautical business
- 7.1. Cost structure in nautical operations: fixed costs (berth, insurance, licenses) and variable costs (fuel, provisions, maintenance)
- 7.2. Preparing the operating budget for the tourist season and calculating the break-even point per boat
- 7.3. Depreciation plans for nautical assets, depreciation of hulls and engines and reserves for major repairs
- 7.4. Nautical key performance indicators (KPIs): occupancy rate, revenue per available day and operating margin per route
- 7.5. Tourist fleet management models and owner management programs
- 7.6. Taxation applied to nautical tourism: charter taxes, port dues and commercial fuel exemptions
- 7.7. Economic feasibility studies for buying or renewing boats for tourist operation
- 7.8. Seasonal pricing
Integrative project: a tourist sailing experience
- 8.1. Definition of the commercial concept and selection of the target market for a nautical tourism product
- 8.2. Selection of the ideal boat and design of the space layout and onboard experience
- 8.3. Technical plotting of the sailing route, detailed day-by-day itinerary and back-up passage plan
- 8.4. Safety plan, route risk analysis and onboard service protocols
- 8.5. Marketing strategy, sales channels, pricing structure and digital sales plan
- 8.6. Three-year financial analysis: revenue projection, cash flow, initial investment (CapEx) and operating costs (OpEx)
- 8.7. Presentation of the route project
- 8.8. Presentation and defense of the integrative project
Duration and format of the Professional Diploma in Tourist Sailing Experiences
It is 800 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Professional Diploma in Tourist Sailing Experiences
Career opportunities after the Professional Diploma in Tourist Sailing Experiences
Questions about the Professional Diploma in Tourist Sailing Experiences
Designing, managing and evaluating memorable, high-quality tourist experiences built around sailing, from the route and the boat to the guest service and the business model.
Mainly the passenger experience. Navigation, weather and safety are covered so that you can plan realistic routes and work alongside the skipper and crew.
No. Navalis teaches the legal framework and the qualifications required for commercial operations; skipper and crew licenses are issued by the competent maritime authority.
Day trips, crewed charters and bareboat charters, including luxury charters and superyachts, with their contracts, pricing and service standards.
Yes. Two modules cover sales channels, pricing, booking engines, online reputation, cost structure, budgets, KPIs and feasibility studies.
You design a complete tourist sailing product: concept and target market, boat and layout, day-by-day route, safety plan, marketing strategy and a three-year financial analysis.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The professional diploma comprises 800 hours of study across 8 modules of 100 hours each and ends with an integrative project. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
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Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at tourism professionals who want to design and market nautical experiences, entrepreneurs starting or expanding a maritime tourism business, tour guides and tour operators who want to add sailing activities, marketing and sales managers in tourism companies, and students and recent graduates in tourism and related fields; a background in tourism, hospitality, leisure management or tourism marketing, or experience in nautical or leisure activities, is recommended.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection and the ability to play multimedia content.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.