Hong Kong to open waters to Guangdong yachts under southbound scheme from October

Hong Kong plans to open its waters to yachts from Guangdong province, starting in October, according to Transport Minister Mable Chan. This southbound scheme is part of the city's broader "yacht economy" strategy for the Greater Bay Area. Chan announced the plan during a post-policy address conference, alongside Hong Kong's first five-year plan.

The city has been working on preparations and discussions with Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration to implement the scheme. Once finalized, authorities will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with their Guangdong counterparts. The northbound scheme for Hong Kong yachts was launched in June, and authorities have already certified several mainland yacht masters for navigating in Hong Kong waters.

Yachts from Guangdong will be required to anchor in designated berthing areas monitored by a real-time yacht-monitoring system. This new scheme aims to boost cross-border leisure spending in Hong Kong. Several new yacht-berth projects are also underway, including a marina and recreational facilities development in Aberdeen and a yacht bay project in the Airport City megadevelopment.