At the Estuary of Sanya River, Thousands of Yachts Set Sail
“Look, another ‘yacht jam’.” Wang Xiaoqiang, who has been piloting yachts for more than a decade, said, pointing to the cluster of yachts heading out to sea. During peak hours, the trip from the marina to the recreational sea area can take about half an hour.
More than 1,400 registered yachts — that is Sanya’s latest figure. Known as a “city of a thousand yachts”, Sanya ranks first in China in terms of yacht ownership, with no other city coming close. From a symbol of exclusivity and luxury to a leisure activity accessible to ordinary people, why has Sanya’s yacht industry boomed? How will it develop in the future? Let’s find out.
Sanya’s Yacht Industry Takes Off
Every local “veteran” in Sanya knows that Yuya Road gets congested in the morning. That is because Hongzhou Yacht Marina, the busiest yacht terminal in Sanya, is located there.
“More than a decade ago, this was still a fishing port, crowded with fishing boats every day. It not only tarnished Sanya’s image as a tourist city but also brought a pungent fishy odor that troubled residents and visitors alike,” said Cui Xiaojin, Director of the Market Development Center at Hainan Hongzhou Yacht Industry Development & Investment Group. As one of the earliest enterprises to enter the yacht industry, the group transformed the former fishing port into a yacht marina.
Back then, yachts were still considered a “luxury item” in China. With price tags often running into millions and high annual maintenance costs, they were only a recreational tool for a small elite. Hongzhou’s business model at the time was membership-based.
The turning point came around 2014.
“Back then, many yachts were used mainly for business receptions. Later, some yacht owners realized that since their boats sat idle most of the year, they might as well rent them out to offset part of the maintenance costs,” Cui explained. This rental model gradually gained popularity — a win-win for owners, who could spread their costs, and tourists, who could enjoy a sea trip without owning a yacht.
Where there is business opportunity, there is a market. Afterwards, more and more investors entered the yacht sector, directly fueling its boom in Sanya. Today, the city has five yacht marinas. The largest among them, Hongzhou Yacht Marina, has 450 berths and berths nearly 420 yachts year-round. In 2023, yachts in Sanya made 161,100 voyages and received 1.079 million tourists, hitting a record high.
Over 100 Yuan Per Person for a Sea Trip
“A family of four, a three-hour cruise — costs less than 1,000 yuan,” said Mr. Zhang, a tourist from Sichuan. His words sum up one key reason for Sanya’s yacht craze: affordable prices.
From tens of thousands of yuan in the early days to roughly one thousand yuan today, prices for yacht trips in Sanya have stabilized as the fleet expanded and the market matured.
“It’s more expensive during the Spring Festival, but mostly around 2,000 to 3,000 yuan for the rest of the year. In the low season, you can go out for just 1,000 yuan,” Wang Xiaoqiang said. A yacht can carry 10 passengers, costing about 200 yuan per person. For individual travelers joining a shared charter, the price is even lower, though passengers have to wait for a full group to depart.
Another reason Sanya’s yachts have boomed is its unbeatable natural conditions.
“Apart from occasional typhoons, Sanya offers more than 350 days a year suitable for sailing,” said Gao Yongning, Deputy Director of the Cruise and Yacht Division of the Sanya Central Business District Administration. Sanya’s natural conditions and marine resources are its greatest advantages for developing the yacht industry. Over 350 days of favorable weather and rich marine ecology provide diverse sea activities for tourists, satisfying leisure demand while unlocking broad development space for the industry.
Combined with affordable prices and stunning scenery, yacht trips in Sanya have become hugely popular among tourists. Data shows that in the first half of this year, Sanya recorded approximately 58,000 yacht voyages, receiving around 367,000 tourists, with the largest numbers coming from Sichuan, Heilongjiang and Hebei.
Improving the Industrial Chain for Sustainable Growth
If the growing number of yachts solved the problem of “availability” in Sanya’s yacht industry, the next step is to address “quality and experience”.
To accelerate industry development, Sanya has explored building a comprehensive service platform for yacht tourism, breaking down information barriers to make sea trips more convenient for tourists. Hainan has also taken the lead nationwide in issuing local regulations to promote yacht tourism, defining sea use categories and transaction service standards, establishing the country’s first digital service platform for yacht tourism, and pioneering integrated maritime approval services and other facilitation measures — all effectively boosting the high-quality development of the yacht industry.
Gao noted that the Measures on Special Funds and Incentives for the Development of Cruise, Yacht and Tour Boat Industry in Sanya Central Business District, implemented on February 29 this year, have achieved initial results. Hongzhou Yacht Industry Group, Sanya Serenity Coast Marina, Hai Gong Energy and other yacht-related enterprises have successively settled in the park, forming Sanya’s first industrial cluster of yachts and providing strong support for building a pilot zone for reform, innovation and development of the yacht industry.
Furthermore, Sanya is strengthening its industrial advantages by developing yacht maintenance and repair services. In 2023, Hongzhou Carner Yacht Maintenance and Sanya Serenity Coast Yacht Repair Shop serviced more than 700 yachts combined.
“More people are going out to sea now, but most activities are concentrated near Sanya Bay. Tourists want more destinations to explore,” Cui said. Currently, repeat bookings for yacht trips among Sanya’s visitors remain low. He expressed hope that the development of marine tourism destinations will be accelerated to further diversify yacht tour options.