Hong Kong is set to welcome Guangdong-registered yachts from Friday, 16 October, as a new cross-border scheme opens up another route for leisure visitors.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan announced the launch in her weekly blog on Saturday, according to the South China Morning Post. A maiden voyage ceremony will take place on the opening day.
The Southbound Yacht Travel Scheme will allow participating Guangdong yachts to visit Hong Kong and berth at designated locations.
Around 300 yacht masters qualified
SCMP reports that about 300 mainland yacht masters have already qualified to navigate Hong Kong waters. That figure refers to qualified skippers, rather than the number of yachts expected to arrive.
The launch date and qualification figure are attributed to SCMP’s report; the official government announcement checked for this article confirms the cross-border framework but predates the launch announcement.
Two-way travel by sea
The launch follows the signing of two work arrangements between Hong Kong’s Marine Department and the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration on 28 September.
Those agreements cover Guangdong-registered yachts entering Hong Kong waters and Hong Kong yachts travelling to Guangdong.
The northbound arrangement began in June, making cross-border procedures more convenient for Hong Kong yacht owners visiting the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area.
The southbound scheme extends that push in the opposite direction, as Hong Kong seeks to attract more leisure visitors by sea.
A tourism opportunity
The Transport and Logistics Bureau says the arrangements aim to encourage cross-border leisure spending and strengthen exchanges between Hong Kong and mainland China.
Developing the yacht economy is also a priority in Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan and the 2026 Policy Address.
For Hong Kong, Friday’s launch will put that ambition into practice, with Guangdong yachts set to begin arriving under the new arrangement.
