Asia's Brave New World

This year’s Asia Boating Dialogue created a new online platform for communication and cooperation between boating associations and other national and regional representatives, with concerns ranging from the classification of yachts to the cruising connections between countries.

- Lawrence Chow

Imagine a world in which we have a network of reciprocating marinas to provide the infrastructure for boaters to access all of Asia’s 183,491km of coastline. This network forms a cruising corridor from Japan all the way down to Indonesia, expanding cruising grounds and increasing interest in recreational boating across the region.

Productive dialogue between different countries in this network leads to better infrastructure planning and standardised government regulations. In this ideal world, regulations between borders in Asia are consistent and transparent, enabling people to travel between countries on their own boat or a charter yacht as easily as taking a flight before Covid-19 struck.

Already, the Aseanarean Bluewater Alliance in Southeast Asia and the Greater Bay Area in southern China are examples of regional networks that have the potential to connect and form a strong marina network in parts of the region. By extending this network, we can form a platform for dialogue and create the infrastructure for the industry to grow.

Perhaps this all seems quite hopeful, especially post-Covid. But this ideal world is what most yachting associations in Asia are aspiring to as we discovered in online discussions at this year’s Asia Boating Dialogue, comprising two 120-minute webinars and including 14 presentations from across the continent.

CLASSIFICATION & REGISTRATION

At the same time, developing yachting countries like India, Vietnam and China are among those seeking to standardise Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) regulations, develop infrastructure and grow boating locally. Developing markets in Asia often face challenges that stem from poor boat-registration regulations, complex CIQ procedures and lack of government support for the industry.