Hong Kong Politician Calls for Yacht Economy Task Force

As Hong Kong’s burgeoning “yacht economy” (遊艇經濟) continues to develop apace, the need for cooperation across sectors of society has grown, encompassing land-use planning, industrial infrastructure, policy coordination, and talent development.

Benson Luk Hon-man (陸瀚民), a former lawmaker with the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong (BPA) and current co-chair of the party’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Affairs Committee, has called for the formation of a government task force on the yacht economy (遊艇經濟工作小組) to develop a comprehensive “blueprint” that more effectively coordinates policy measures and incorporates the yacht economy into the Special Administrative Region’s first Five-Year Plan.

The group, as suggested by Luk, would bring together representatives from relevant government departments, as well as leading figures from local yacht clubs, the boating industry, and the tourism sector.

Luk points out that there is currently a shortage of maintenance technicians at local shipyards, with most relying on the traditional apprenticeship system and lacking a standardized professional training framework. With the number of yachts due to increase further, the government therefore needs to plan vocational education programmes in advance. There is also a significant shortage of yacht management talent, Luk says, and various departments need to proactively cultivate professionals in this field.

Hong Kong Yachting Association chairman Tommy Ho (何偉樂) also believes that more work needs to be done on supporting infrastructure to accommodate the surge in yacht arrivals that the government is trying to achieve. The five new anchorages recently opened up to visiting yachts, Ho says, currently lack shore power, fresh water supplies, sewage recycling facilities, and floating jetties.