Economy

Kaohsiung to host international boat show in 2014

Kaohsiung City Mayor Chen Chu (third from left) and invited guests from the global yachting sector give the thumbs-up June 28 at a media event for the 2014 Taiwan International Boat Show. (Courtesy of Kaohsiung City Government)

• Publication Date：06/29/2012
• Source： Taiwan Today
• By  Meg Chang

The southern port city of Kaohsiung is set to host Taiwan’s first international boat show in 2014, underscoring the growing value and importance of the local yachting sector.

“Taiwan was Asia’s leading supplier of super yachts last year and is considered a major global player on the basis of cost competitiveness and high levels of craftsmanship,” Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu said June 28.

Chen made the remarks at the opening ceremony of a three-day promotional campaign for the Taiwan International Boat Show. Set to take place at the under-construction Kaohsiung World Trade Center, the event will feature 600 booths touting the wares of 250 leading overseas firms.

Around 30 representatives from the international yachting sector and media attended the ceremony, including Kristina Hebert, president of the Marine Industry Association of South Florida, and Jurij Korenc, president of the International Federation of Boat Show Organizers.

Following the launch, participants met with local industry representatives and visited top Kaohsiung yacht-makers such as Horizon Yachts Co. and Kha Shing Enterprises Co. Ltd.

According to Chen, 19 of Taiwan’s 35 shipbuilders are based in Kaohsiung, accounting for 80 percent of total sector output.

“Yachting has always been a flagship industry for the city,” she said, adding that the government has incorporated a special zone for yachting-related industries into its South Star development project.

The project, initiated more than 20 years ago, comprises reclaimed land totaling 250 hectares near the mouth of Kaohsiung Harbor. The site will be used for the warehouse, logistics and yachting sectors.

Taiwan’s yachting exports hit US$160 million last year and are expected to grow between 5 percent and 10 percent in 2012. (JSM)

Write to Meg Chang at sfchang@mail.mofa.gov.tw