Marina associations enter global agreement

The Yacht Harbour Association (TYHA), a group association of the British Marine Federation (BMF), has signed an agreement with the Marina Industries Association (MIA) to harmonise the TYHA and MIA Gold Anchor Schemes.

The signing took place during a meeting of the Global Marina Institute that was held in London and attended by representatives of both TYHA and MIA. One worldwide Gold Anchor Scheme delivered by the two organisations will ensure that accredited marinas and those aspiring to accreditation receive the full support they need to improve facility and customer service standards and that they are appropriately accredited for their achievement.

This relationship between BMF and MIA presents many opportunities including worldwide promotion and lobbying along with knowledge sharing and the development of new resources. The new partnership will be rolled out over the next three years in line with the re-accreditation rolling program.

During the interim period the two schemes will run alongside each other until the single scheme is completed. The agreement defines the territories into which the two organisations will deliver the Gold Anchor scheme to ensure efficiency and best customer service.

The Gold Anchor scheme has been auditing marinas throughout the world for over 25 years and is well known as a credible measure of marina excellence. The five-level scheme benchmarks marinas against others locally, nationally and internationally providing both a credible measure for boat owners and a business development service for marina operators.

Sarah Hanna, Chairman of TYHA said: "This is a momentous moment for the Gold Anchor Scheme. It is the beginning of the future for us, and the start of a long partnership between TYHA and MIA. Collaborating together will hugely benefit marina operators worldwide."

Jeff d’Albora, Director of MIA added: "This powerful new partnership between MIA and TYHA presents a significant opportunity for the further development of the worldwide marina industry through the development and growth of the Gold Anchor scheme. The collective expertise and experience within the two organisations is formidable and I look forward a significant expansion of Gold Anchor through this partnership."