Hainan yacht industry buoyed by policy vision

Hainan yacht industry buoyed by policy vision

Free trade port propels sector forward, visitors enjoy affordable 'luxury'

Almost every morning, the coastline of Sanya in Hainan province transforms into a shimmering spectacle, with a flotilla of yachts moored at bustling ports poised to set sail on their maritime adventures.

Sanya, with its abundant aquatic resources and favorable tropical climate, has emerged as a magnet for international and domestic visitors eager to embark on yachting trips and enjoy blue skies and sparkling waters.

"Except for occasional typhoons, Sanya can almost achieve more than 350 seagoing days throughout the year," said Gao Yongning, deputy director of the cruise and yacht department of the Sanya Central Business District Administration.

Hainan is home to over 13,000 yacht-related enterprises, and boasts 14 operational marinas and 2,511 yacht berths.

Sanya, a southern coastal city of the province, has emerged as a standout destination for the leisure activity. More than 7,300 yacht enterprises, making up 22.7 percent of China's total yacht-related businesses, were located there as of June, according to a report by Hainan Daily.

The city also accommodates a registered yacht fleet exceeding 1,400 vessels, according to the Sanya Maritime Safety Administration, with the number exceeding its reputation as the "city of a 1,000 yachts".

In the first half of the year, yachts made around 58,000 port entries and exits in Sanya, which received about 367,000 visitors.

During the 40-day Spring Festival travel season, 30,944 port entries and exits were recorded and 212,154 visitors welcomed. The numbers were a record for the holiday period, the administration said.