Taiwan’s yacht builders want to shed luxury label, make yacht tourism affordable
Already the top mega-yacht maker in Asia, Taiwan now wants to expand into pleasure craft tourism by making such experiences more available and affordable.
TAINAN: In the city of Tainan along Taiwan’s southern coast, a transformation has set sail.
The local government and shipbuilders who have set up shop in the city want to grow its yacht industry to rival neighbouring Kaohsiung’s.
Part of its strategy is to make such pleasure craft experiences more available and affordable.
NOT JUST FOR THE RICH
Shing Sheng Boat Building Co is one such manufacturer in Tainan on a mission to reshape the perception of yachting as an exclusive luxury.
The company has been crafting vessels for nearly a decade, producing about 30 yachts a year.
“We hope to change the impression that yachts are only for the rich,” its CEO Chang Hung-wen told CNA.
“We hope to provide affordable prices to reach at least 80 per cent of ordinary people so that they, too, can experience yachts and the ocean.”
Another key player in the industry is Argo Yachts Development Co. It runs yacht clubs in various parts of Taiwan including Kaohsiung and Penghu, and has plans to expand.
The firm dropped anchor in Tainan, setting up its headquarters and building Taiwan’s biggest yacht club there.
Its 12ha Tainan Anping Yacht City boasts almost 170 berths and a hotel resort operated by hospitality group Banyan Tree. Argo plans to build six more service apartment hotels and a commercial building in the vicinity.
“We picked Tainan as our priority investment because it has the best waters in Taiwan and you can yacht throughout the year,” said Owen Wang, the yacht operator’s deputy general manager.
He added that Tainan has the smallest tidal range in Taiwan, which makes it easier and more stable for boats to dock at marinas.
MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY
Taiwan is the top yacht maker in Asia for manufacturing mega-yachts that are over 24m in length. In 2022, it exported US$260 million worth of boats.
Official data shows most of the vessels are exported to countries including the United States, Australia and Canada.
Now, Taiwan is actively promoting yacht tourism and hoping to transform its southern region into a regional pleasure craft hub.
Both Kaohsiung and Tainan, bustling southern cities connected by high-speed train, are key players to realise the ambition.
Manufacturing about 80 per cent of Taiwan’s yachts, Kaohsiung is indisputably the yacht manufacturing capital.
But Tainan’s government believes it holds an edge over its neighbour as it seeks to turn the city into a yacht tourism centre. Tainan is Taiwan’s oldest city that was once its capital, and teems with rich cultural heritage and scenic harbours.
Local authorities said they are working closely with the private sector to build up capacity.
As interest in yacht tourism grows, a pressing need to improve infrastructure has emerged due to the limited number of marinas and berths in Tainan.
In another move to encourage public engagement in yachting, the city began holding the Tainan Yacht Lifestyle Festival last year.
Shing Sheng Boat Building Co's Chang said he believes the historic city has what it takes to turn Taiwan’s vision into reality, and compete against regional yachting giants like Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore.
“I believe we (Taiwan) are the first in Asia (to introduce) this business model … We are the first to use affordable pricing to allow the public to experience yachting,” he added.
Tainan’s mayor Huang Wei-che said: “Taiwan is well-known for its yacht building around the world, yet yacht tourism is relatively weak.
“Taiwan is surrounded by the ocean, so we really hope to see better development in yacht tourism. We hope by holding the yacht festival, it could encourage the general public to take part.”