Guangdong yachts to sail into Hong Kong from Friday under southbound scheme

Starting next Friday, yachts registered in Guangdong will be permitted to enter Hong Kong waters as part of a new travel scheme, according to City Transport Minister Mable Chan. The maiden voyage ceremony for the Southbound Yacht Travel Scheme will take place on launch day, emphasizing the two-way nature of maritime connectivity following the success of the Northbound Yacht Travel Scheme.

This initiative aligns with Hong Kong's aim to bolster its yacht economy, as outlined in the city's first five-year plan and recent policy address. Beijing approved the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Individual Yacht Scheme in June, enabling yacht owners from mainland China to visit designated ports. Authorities have also established processes for mainland yacht masters to navigate Hong Kong waters, with approximately 300 such masters already certified.

Under the southbound scheme, mainland vessels will dock in designated areas monitored via a real-time system to control traffic. Meanwhile, Chan reported that bridge traffic on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge continued to grow, especially during the National Day "golden week" holiday in October, with passenger flow surpassing 670,000 and two-way vehicular traffic exceeding 170,000 trips.

The requirement for a booking for Northbound Travel for Hong Kong vehicles to cross into Guangdong was eliminated on Tuesdays and Wednesdays since September last year. The government is currently exploring extending this booking-free arrangement to other non-peak weekdays through discussions with the Guangdong provincial government.