Among the planned ports of entry are Nansha (Guangzhou), Shekou, and the Shenzhen Airport Terminal, as well as Wanshan and Jiuzhou (Zhuhai), and Zhongshan, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
An official document reviewed by the Hong Kong newspaper also recommends leisure routes in areas such as the Pearl River Delta, Castle Peak Bay, and the Wanshan Islands.
The plan stipulates that only residents of Hong Kong and Macau with travel authorization for mainland China may participate in the initial phase, with foreigners excluded.
The latest estimate provided to Lusa by the Consulate General of Portugal indicated that there are approximately 155,000 Portuguese passport holders among residents of Macau and Hong Kong. The 2021 census indicates that more than 2,200 people born in Portugal are living in Macau.
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Local yachts will be able to obtain temporary vessel nationality certificates to operate for 180 days in designated areas. Economist Lee Shu-kam of Shue Yan University told the SCMP that the scheme could serve as a pilot project for cross-border monitoring before eventually opening up to international participants.
The Hong Kong Airport Authority estimates that the global yacht market will reach $45 billion (€38.4 billion) by 2032. Currently, the city has 12,500 licensed yachts but only 4,300 berths, which has led to the launch of new infrastructure such as the Skytopia marina.
In 2017, Guangdong launched a scheme allowing recreational vessels to sail between Macau and the city of Zhongshan, as one of many measures to aid local economic diversification. However, the high cost of the required deposits and the bureaucratic process involved led to low uptake.
