Building a Greater Bay Area yachting ecosystem

Guangzhou–Hong Kong Synergy Round Table © HKBIA

On 11 August 2026, HKBIA took part in “Guangzhou–Hong Kong Synergy: Building a Bay Area Yachting Ecosystem” – the 18th session of the Yue-Gang Monthly Talk series organised by the Guangzhou Nansha Guangdong–Hong Kong Cooperation Consultative Committee, held in Hong Kong.

Present for the round table discussion alongside Mr C Y Leung, Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC and Adviser to the Committee were;

Mr Zhu Yuanbing of the Guangzhou Institute of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area Mr Peng Xiaoshu, Vice Commodore of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and a member of the Marine Department Advisory Sub-Committee Mr Leung Yuet-hei, representing the Nansha yacht building and repair industry Lawrence Chow, Chairman of the Hong Kong Boating Industry Association.

Presentations were delivered by Mr Yuan Biao, Deputy Director of the Nansha Development Zone Administrative Committee; Mr Benjamin Wong, Head of Transport, Logistics and Industrials at Invest Hong Kong, on Hong Kong’s yachting industry development plans and opportunities; and Mr Ye Zhenhui, Chairman of Nansha Development and Construction Group, on jointly building the Bay Area yachting ecosystem.

• Deepening boating culture on both sides of the boundary

• Building a boating value chain that genuinely connects the region

• Expanding marina and berthing infrastructure to support a seamless cross-boundary yachting ecosystem

HKBIA’s position

A GBA yachting ecosystem will be built on practical arrangements rather than declarations. Three points matter most to our members.

• Berthing capacity. Hong Kong remains structurally short of berths, and that shortage caps everything downstream – sales, servicing, crew and marine tourism alike. Nansha’s build-out is an opportunity rather than a threat, provided the two sides plan capacity and standards together rather than in parallel.

• Cross-boundary access. Yacht free movement between Guangdong and Hong Kong has proved the concept. Widening the entry points and simplifying pre-arrival and clearance procedures, charging reasonable fees, and recognising international certifications would do more for cross-boundary boating in the near term than any single new facility,

• A real value chain. Hong Kong’s brokerage, surveying, finance, insurance and crew training capability, paired with Nansha’s build and refit capacity, is a far stronger regional offer than either side alone. The trade already works on both sides of the boundary; the policy framework should catch up with that commercial reality.

The Greater Bay Area has the scale to become a world-class yachting destination, and Hong Kong – with its professional services, maritime expertise and international connectivity – is well placed to contribute