Sing Tao Daily: Relaxation of Hong Kong's laws and regulations to promote yacht tourism

APRIL 16, 2025

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“The Hong Kong government has proposed to promote yacht tourism. Chairman of the Hong Kong Boating Industry Association, Lawrence Chow, said he was pleased to see that the government will promote the construction of multiple new yacht berths, including Hung Hom, Aberdeen, Lamma Island, and Skytopia launched by the Airport Authority. However, he mentioned that it is currently difficult for new ships to visit Hong Kong and the government needs to break down barriers and relax policies. For example, crew members currently must use Hong Kong ship licenses to arrive in Hong Kong.

The HKBIA will submit a proposal to the government next month to make suggestions on how to facilitate the entry of foreign yachts into Hong Kong waters.

Mr. Chow advocates setting up landing facilities on islands

When asked whether the HKBIA would consider participating in the operation of Skytopia Yacht Bay, Lawrence said that the concept of the plan was good and would be of great help to the development potential of the yacht industry in the Greater Bay Area, but it would take time for details such as the water depth and the height restrictions on yachts on the bridge to be announced so that there would be sufficient information to attract more people to participate in the development. Regarding the development of yacht tourism or economy in Hong Kong, he believes that it is not only necessary to have berths, but also necessary to build yacht mooring and landing facilities in many places and islands across Hong Kong, such as Stanley and Yim Tin Tsai in Sai Kung.

Chow pointed out that it is difficult for new ships to visit Hong Kong at present and the government needs to break down barriers and loosen up its policies.

He pointed out that the Hung Hom berth is located in the city center and is expected to bring prosperity to the entertainment and retail industry in Tsim Sha Tsui East.

Lawrence hopes that in the future "as long as you have a boat, you can explore the whole of Hong Kong."

Lawrence Chow: “The government did not invest much resources in the past, which led to the backwardness of infrastructure”

Mr. Chow pointed out that the government has not invested much resources in the yacht industry in the past few decades, and the infrastructure lags behind other regions. However, he noticed that the Land Development Office has promoted infrastructure in recent years, attracting tourists to go ashore to explore or hike on different islands. He hopes that in the future "as long as you have a boat, you can explore the whole of Hong Kong." He mentioned that Singapore has opened restaurants next to the yacht bay, and many people are walking on the beach, creating a leisure atmosphere, but this requires complete infrastructure, which Hong Kong currently lacks.

Hung Hom berth is located in the city center, and is expected to be a popular entertainment and retail area in Tsim Sha Tsui East.

In terms of landscape resources, Mr. Chow pointed out that Hong Kong has many advantages over Singapore, such as many islands and beautiful water landscapes. In contrast, Singapore is small in size and there are limited places where yachts can go. He said that although Hong Kong is a latecomer to development, the proposed four yacht berths are a good start. For example, the Hung Hom yacht berth is located in the city center and is believed to boost entertainment and retail in Tsim Sha Tsui East. He also pointed out that there are not only large yachts, but also small sailboats, stand-up paddle boards (SUP), etc. "Everyone should have the opportunity to touch the water and experience playing on a boat."

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Lawrence Chow speaks on behalf of the Hong Kong Boating Industry Association (HKBIA), advocating for the relaxation of government policies in order to promote yachting tourism in Hong Kong. Photo by Chen Haoyuan

Lawrence Kaylun Chow (second from right) and AA’s Chan Cheng-sze (centre) and others attend the Singapore Yacht Festival. Photo by Chen Haoyuan