Boat economy booms in Qingdao
QINGDAO: As sailing regatta host of the 2008 Olympic Games, Qingdao's boating industry is booming.
During the past five years of preparation, Qingdao has emerged as China's unrivaled home of the nautical sport loved right around the world.
Successive years of hosting international sailing events have developed the local marine industry, especially sailboat and yacht manufacturing.
"After the Olympics, sailing and voyage sports, in my view, will rapidly soar," Qingdao Deputy Mayor and Sailing Committee Vice-President Zang Aimin said.
"The boat economy will also show its extraordinary vitality."
Excitement about the 2008 Games is creating a burgeoning market for boat production in Qingdao.
In March last year the catamaran Nautic Star was launched by the Qingdao Lead-Tech Enterprise (QLTE) and will serve as a signal boat during the 2008 sailing competition.
Thanks to its world-class design and technology capabilities, QLTE defeated competitors from Japan and Britain in a tender process to manufacture all working boats for the 2008 sailing competition.
The company has also provided the Olympic sailing committee four carracks and 200 working boats including vessels for international judges and technical officials, as well as jury, rescue and buoy-laying boats.
More than 20 manfacturers now make Qingdao a boating center.
Qingdao's 1000 berths are the most of any city across China.
Four large yacht clubs are being built in a total investment of 1.8 billion yuan ($237million).
More than 5 billion yuan ($660 million) is being invested in Hualu International Yacht Club, which will remain a sailing hub after the Olympics.
The Media Center of the Olympic sailing base will be transformed into a large sailing and yacht club with 700 to 800 berths.
Qingdao Yinhai International Yacht Club is the first of its kind in the city.
According to deputy manager Guan Longjun, all 366 berths have already been booked despite their exorbitant price.
Half of the yacht berths were leased by enterprises operating in the fields of real estate, iron and steel, IT and freight forwarders.
About 20 per cent were owned by individuals and another 30 were bought by domestic and overseas yacht companies and clubs.
"The boat market of Qingdao started up around 2004," Guan said.
"As the 2008 sailing competition approaches, this market booms day by day.
"The consuming associated with sailing and boat is expected to have a big breakthrough in the near future."
Ocean University of China assistant professor Xu Sheng said the sailing competition of 2008 will function as an accelerator for the development of Qingdao boat economy, just as Japan's boat economy developed after the 1964 Tokyo games.
(China Daily 08/24/2007 page24)
