Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu unveiled plans on Wednesday to boost the yacht economy by increasing yacht berths and relaxing entry regulations for visiting yachts as part of the "Tourism Everywhere" initiative in his latest Policy Address.
With its 1,180 kilometers of coastline and 263 islands, the city leader expressed confidence for the city to become a leading yacht hub in Asia.
Key initiatives include plans to add approximately 600 new yacht berths at the former Lamma Quarry, the expansion area of the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter, and the Hung Hom Station waterfront projects.
Additionally, over 500 new berths will be provided at the Airport City yacht bay, including spaces for superyachts over 80 meters in length.
To facilitate yacht visits, the government will relax entry requirements and establish a Dynamic Yacht Monitoring System, allowing visiting yachts to anchor in designated government waters safely and orderly, without needing to reserve berths at private yacht clubs or piers.
The government will also enhance the Electronic Business System to enable one-stop, pre-submission of arrival information from visiting yachts for preliminary vetting by relevant departments.
To support mainland yachts, authorized mainland organizations will provide short training courses and conduct examinations to qualify such yachts in navigating Hong Kong waters. Notably, this initiative may also be extended to yachts from overseas in due course.
Furthermore, the government plans to promote the systematic development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao individual travel scheme for yachts and collaborate with the Guangdong Provincial Government on facilitation measures for northbound travel of Hong Kong yachts and southbound travel for mainland yachts.
