Wen Wei Po Newspaper: Interview with Lawrence Chow
September 09, 2025
In an interview with the Wen Wei Po newspaper, our director Lawrence Chow, discusses the challenges associated with the development of Hong Kong’s yachting industry and how they can be addressed.
Click here to read the full article (Chinese)
A rough google translation of the article is copied below:
Hong Kong Wen Wei Po (Reporter Huang Zijin) - In an exclusive interview with the Hong Kong Wen Wei Po, Lawrence Chow, Chairman of the Hong Kong Boating Industry Association, stated that the shortage of berths is one of the biggest challenges facing the development of Hong Kong's yachting industry. In 2002, there were approximately 4,000 registered yachts in Hong Kong. This has since increased to over 12,000, yet the number of berths has barely increased over the years. The SAR government manages approximately 2,000 berths, while private yacht clubs have approximately 2,200 berths, totaling less than 5,000. This falls far short of meeting demand. Chow hopes the SAR government will quickly improve the planning and implementation of the development of yacht berthing facilities at the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter and Hung Hom Station waterfront, significantly alleviating the berthing shortage for yacht clubs across Hong Kong and further promoting the yachting industry as a new engine for Hong Kong's economy. Last year's Policy Address proposed promoting yacht tourism, inviting the market to construct and operate yacht berthing facilities at three locations: the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter extension, the former Lamma Quarry, and the Hung Hom Station waterfront. This is expected to provide a total of approximately 550 to 600 berths.
"The yachting industry is not only a symbol of high-end consumption, but also an economic engine driving multiple industries," said Chow Kei-lun. According to his earlier research, the average value of a yacht in Hong Kong will be approximately US$2.85 million between 2021 and 2024, with annual repair and maintenance costs accounting for approximately 10% of the vessel's value. This involves shipyards, transportation, bank financing, and yacht club management. "These expenses directly boost the economy and create jobs for captains and sailors."
However, a lack of berths has hindered the development of the local yachting industry. "Typhoon shelters like Kwun Tong and Tseung Kwan O are full of yachts, but these aren't official berths, raising safety concerns," said Chow. Many yacht owners, lacking official berths, are forced to park their boats in typhoon shelters or undesignated locations, similar to street parking. This leads many people, when considering a yacht, to question whether a berth is available rather than the price. [The text then abruptly shifts topics.] Proposing a floating pier to integrate restaurants with water activities. Chow noted that Hong Kong boasts over 200 islands and significant marine resources. Adding more public piers or visitor berths for yachts would significantly enhance the potential for yacht tourism. For example, allowing tourists to disembark in Stanley and explore the market would add a unique dimension to Hong Kong tourism. However, currently, yachts are restricted to fixed locations, preventing the flexibility to explore many areas throughout Hong Kong. He cited Paris and Thailand as examples of floating piers that not only provide berths but also serve as restaurants or event platforms, attracting tourists to spend money ashore. He suggested the SAR government explore building a floating pier in Hung Hom or Aberdeen, integrating restaurants and water sports facilities to create a complete yacht tourism ecosystem.
The Airport Authority Hong Kong's "SKYTOPIA" Airport City project aims to develop Hong Kong's largest airport yacht harbor, offering over 500 berths. The first phase is expected to be completed in 2028. Mr. Chow believes that the yachts at Singapore's Sentosa will complement the local Universal Studios, shopping malls, and resort hotels, demonstrating the success of similar development models. If the project can be well connected to shore-based facilities, it could become a new highlight of Hong Kong's yacht tourism. Legislator: Short-term relaxation will help attract foreign yachts. In a recent interview with the Hong Kong Wen Wei Po, Legislative Council member Benson Luk suggested that the SAR government formulate short-, medium-, and long-term plans to promote the development of the yacht industry. In the short term, the focus should be on loosening policies to facilitate visits by non-local yachts to Hong Kong and attract more sailing events. In the medium and long term, investment should be made in developing hardware infrastructure to comprehensively increase the supply of local yacht berths, improve shore-based facilities, and strengthen training for yacht crews, maintenance personnel, and other related personnel. Furthermore, efforts should be made to strengthen mutual recognition and access to yachts with other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, promote "boats from the north to the south" and "boats from Hong Kong to the north," expand the "one-stop, multi-destination" tourism market among the three regions, and promote Hong Kong as a key hub for the Asian yachting industry. The Dragon Sailing World Championship, one of the world's most highly regarded and competitive sailing competitions, will be held in Hong Kong for the first time next November. Luk believes that Hong Kong's sailing events are mostly small-scale local competitions, and large-scale international or cross-border sailing events are rare. He suggests learning from the experience of places like Qingdao, the "Sailing Capital," and hosting more international events to attract teams from around the world to Hong Kong.