APSA Chairman’s Message June 2020
2020 continues to be a very challenging year…
Delayed, Postponed and Unscheduled are common words these days!
Monaco Yacht Show has been postponed until 22-25 September 2021, but there are two boat shows scheduled in Asia for latter part of the year: the Singapore Yacht Show (15 -18 October), and the Hong Kong Yacht Show (19-22 November). APSA is following up with the show organisers, and will get back to members when further information comes to hand.
We are very pleased to welcome three new Premium members to APSA. HFW is an international law firm with over 600 lawyers working across a global network of 20 offices, including 7 offices located in the Asia Pacific region. Mectra Synergy (M) Sdn Bhd has a primary focus of providing products and engineering services to the Malaysian maritime industry, and are the authorized dealer for Northern Lights and Fukuda products in Malaysia. Finally, Catalano Shipping, who joined in March, have already seen the benefits of APSA membership and recently upgraded their membership to Premium status. ‘Welcome aboard!’ to all our new members!
Asia has seen some easing in travel and boating restrictions, with Tahiti, and the Maldives opening up to visitors from 15 July 2020. Even New Zealand has relented and welcomed the international America’s Cup crews! We look forward bringing you more news of this, the ultimate sailing competition, and seeing more superyacht activity in the region as the Cup draws closer.
It’s difficult to keep track of the changes on the charter scene, but Burgess has compiled a summary of the different regulations affecting charter destinations around the world. For more information go to https://www.burgessyachts.com/en/about-us/news/cruising-location-availability
Fewer flights, higher fares, increased security and health screenings, new boarding and disembarkation procedures – this is all having a major impact on the global travel and leisure industries, and Tim Davey, Managing Director of GMT, takes a look at the future of travel and what we can expect.
There are some bright spots in Asia, and as people are being forced to ‘stay at home’ they are realising that some of the best cruising grounds are actually here in Asia, and there is no need to travel. In Hong Kong boating is booming, with both sales and charter seeing increases in interest and activity. While at the beginning of June, China released a masterplan for Hainan that includes yachting in its sweeping plan to transform Hainan into China’s biggest free trade port by 2035, paving the way for new opportunities for the pleasure boating industry in China.
But for now, we just need to be patient and wait for the number of cases of Covid-19 to decrease, and for the travel and quarantine restrictions around the regions to be lifted. Stay safe and healthy and go boating!
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