More support services will need to be put in place for Hong Kong's yacht tourism promotional efforts to gain more traction, Permanent Secretary for Development Doris Ho said.

Her remarks came amid Development Bureau plans to turn the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter expansion area into a marina equipped with recreational facilities and residential housing to promote yacht tourism.

Speaking on RTHK's Backchat programme on Tuesday, Ho stressed that there was insufficient infrastructure and support for yacht services.

"According to the figures provided by the Marine Department, there are about 12,000 registered pleasure boats locally and for now we have about 12 marinas providing a total of 3,000 berthing spaces," she said.

For yacht tourism efforts to gather wind, the supply of berthing facilities such as new marinas needed, for a start, to increase.

The shelter's expansion area is one of three locations proposed by the chief executive in his policy address as three spots that can be developed to boost Hong Kong's tourism appeal to yachters, with the others being the former Lamma quarry area and the Hung Hom harbourfront.

Ho said the three projects would bring a total of 600 berths, which could address the current mismatch between demand and supply. The Aberdeen marina plan would create 200 berths, with the other 400 to be provided by the other two locations.

Immigration procedures was one of the other support services that needs to be streamlined to enable easier examinations for captains and other crew members sailing in from outside the SAR.

Ho said the Aberdeen marina development project might give a further push to other projects within the district.

"I think the Aberdeen marina project is bringing a new opportunity to the district, so we can give us a chance to take a fresh look at what are the attractions in the area that can be integrated with our marine development project," she said.

The bureau, she added, is looking at a Po Chong Wan site where residential homes and various facilities can be built to house tenants who have to be relocated due to the Aberdeen marina development nearby.



Edited by Thomas McAlinden