Italy’s competition authority has opened an investigation into the Luise Group over allegations that it abused a dominant position in the management of superyacht berths and maritime agency services in the Gulf of Naples.
Luise Group is a family-run Italian yacht agency and maritime services company based in Naples.
The proceedings follow a complaint filed by ACQ Italy, a Venice-based maritime agency, in June 2025. AGCM says the investigation will examine whether the companies used their position as marina concessionaires to favour their own maritime agency businesses, potentially constituting an abuse of dominant position under Article 3 of Italian Law No. 287/1990.
The investigation, identified as case A581, was authorised by the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) on 23 June 2026 and published in Bulletin No. 28 on 13 July.
The opening of the Luise Group investigation does not represent a finding of liability or wrongdoing. Instead, it marks the start of the authority’s formal investigation, during which the companies will have the opportunity to present their defence.
According to the AGCM, ACQ Italy alleges that between 2022 and 2025, its requests for berths for yachts ranging from 34m to 85m at Molo di Sopraflutto in Mergellina were repeatedly declined because no berths were available. The complaint states that the same yachts were later approached by companies within the Luise Group and offered berths that had previously been refused.
Similar allegations relate to Porto Antico di Stabia in Castellammare di Stabia, where another competing maritime agency reportedly described similar experiences to the authority.
The AGCM is now examining whether information collected during berth requests, including vessel names, intended dates of stay and captains’ contact details, was later used to market the Luise Group’s own agency services directly to yacht operators. It is also investigating claims that, in some cases, access to berths was linked to the use of the group’s maritime agencies not only in Naples but also at other Italian ports included in a yacht’s itinerary.
Concerns over website presentation
Another issue under review is how the group’s services are presented on the Molo Luise website. According to the AGCM, the site may not clearly distinguish between the company’s role as marina concessionaire and its maritime agency business, potentially giving customers the impression that securing a berth depends on using the group’s agency services.
The authority has divided its assessment into two connected markets. The first covers berths for yachts over 24m operating in the Gulf of Naples, including Mergellina, Marina di Stabia and Porto Antico di Stabia. The second covers maritime agency services, such as berth reservations, customs and port formalities, technical and logistical support and guest services. The AGCM says the geographic scope of the agency market has yet to be fully defined and could extend across Italy, as many operators operate through nationwide networks.
According to the AGCM’s preliminary assessment, the Luise Group controls between 47 and 51 per cent of available superyacht berths across Mergellina and Porto Antico di Stabia, increasing to more than 53 per cent for yachts over 45m. The authority also says the group is the only operator capable of accommodating yachts longer than 75m. In the maritime agency market, it estimates the group’s national share at around 50 per cent, while the complaint puts its share in the Gulf of Naples at about 90 per cent. The authority says these figures will be tested during the investigation.
The large yacht sector has economic significance for the region, with the Gulf of Naples being one of the Mediterranean’s leading destinations for large yachts. Although yachts in this category account for less than 2 per cent of vessels visiting Italy, they generate more than half of the country’s nautical tourism value.
Joseph Luise E Sons and Luise International hold the concessions for Molo di Sopraflutto in Mergellina, while Porto Antico di Stabia manages the marina at Castellammare di Stabia. The group has a 50 per cent stake in Porto Antico di Stabia and is a founding member of BWA Yachting.
The Luise Group investigation is scheduled to conclude by 26 November 2027. Dr Fabio Massimo Esposito has been appointed as the case officer, and the companies have 60 days from notification to exercise their right to be heard.
Luise Group rejects the allegations
The Luise Group has rejected the allegations, saying they stem from a long-running commercial dispute with a former business partner.
Massimo Luise, manager of the family-run company, tells Italian automotive news outlet Motori Il Messaggero: “These are unfounded allegations coming from a person with whom we decided long ago that we no longer wish to have anything to do. We have entrusted the matter to our lawyers to protect our reputation and our interests, and a press release will be issued as soon as possible”.
He also challenged suggestions that the group’s facilities are the only suitable berths for large yachts in the area, noting numerous alternatives around the Gulf of Naples.
“It is widely believed that Mergellina and the pier we manage under concession are the only mooring facilities for pleasure craft along the Naples coastline, perceived by customers as irreplaceable due to the prestige of the location, its proximity to the city centre and the quality of the tourist facilities on offer,” he says. “But there are other suitable locations in the area for vessels ranging from 40 to 100 metres, and even longer. And we can demonstrate, with documentary evidence, telexes, emails and invoices, the relationships we have had with numerous agencies, shipowners, captains and companies that we have directed not only to the Main Port of Castellammare, but also to Marina di Stabia, Capri and Ischia, where there are as many as four ports, including that of Casamicciola, which can accommodate vessels up to 100 metres.
“At times,” adds Luise, “we have directed enquiries to private operators in Maglietta, Pozzuoli, and for the largest mega-yachts we have redirected some to the port of Naples, at the passenger terminal, not to mention the location of Marina di Cassano, on the Sorrento Peninsula, suitable for vessels up to 50 metres, or transfers to Marina d’Arechi, in Salerno.
“In short, between Naples and the surrounding area there are at least 90 to 100 berths suitable for large yachts, and despite the shortage of berths in the city, suitable accommodation can always be found, even independently of the Luise Group’s management. I am therefore certain that the allegations made by our accusers and by the Italian Competition and Market Authority will be shown to be unfounded.”
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