NewAhoy! Yacht makers promote boating as lifestyle as they navigate China's sea of opportunity
Businesses are building marinas and promoting yachting as a lifestyle as boating industry looks to tap into huge market of rising middle class
The Chinese economy may be slowing, but sales of small and medium-sized yachts have picked up from last year, according to boat builders and brokers at the China International Boat Show in Zhuhai , Guangdong, this month.
Sunbird Yachts, one of the country's biggest yacht manufacturers, saw its turnover grow 30 per cent from last year, its account manager, Jiang Qiren, said.
Zhuhai-based manufacturer Sunway's sales also improved. "We sold only six yachts last year, but we've sold nine so far this year," Sunway deputy general manager Liu Zheng said.
"It's not that this year's sales are really good, just better than last year's. We sold more than a dozen yachts in 2012 and 2013."
Unlike in the past when yachts in the country were mostly sold to companies, Jiang said, sales to individuals had risen as more people became familiar with them and more cities built support infrastructure such as moorings and marinas.