The Taiwanese International Boat Show held in Kaohsiung ended on the 11th May after a hugely successful inaugural show, with approximately NT$1 billion in orders already placed for 32 motor yachts and sail boats and many more expected in follow up deals. SuperYacht Times’ Merijn de Waard attended the show and was left impressed with both the luxury boats on display as well as the fantastic organisation by the hosts.
This first time event won high praise from both exhibitors and buyers for being the ideal place to scout the entire trade and industry. Besides stimulating growth in the yacht-building and related industries, the Taiwan International Boat show was to showcase the world-class conference and exhibition sector that stands as a model to other sporting and leisure related trade shows.
The impressive exhibition centre is a brand new structure and, teamed with the Horizon Marina in front of the events stand, provided a fantastic location for the event. In regards to the vessels on show, it was refreshing for many international visitors to view fully completed Taiwanese yachts side by side that are often difficult to see in Europe and the US. The impressively organised and beautifully presented yachts attracted not only the attention of international media and business visitors, but that of the general public.
“What was nice is that the Taiwanese people were very curious about the yachts. In front of some stands the queue for a boat could be a few hours, and everyone was just standing in line. The curiosity to see boats they have never been on or never seen before was very interesting. It was the first yacht show there, but I think it definitely has a future.” Merijn de Waard.
The Taiwan International Boat Show has spurred a new wave of purchasing demand for yachts. Taiwanese yacht manufacturers Horizon Yachts, Kha Shing Enterprises, Global Yacht Builders, Bluewater Yacht Builders, Corum Yachts Taiwan, Hsing Hang Marine, Tayana Yachts and Johnson Yachts all received orders as a result of their participation in the show. The largest share (64%) of oversea buyers came from Asia, followed by buyers from North America (15%) and from Europe (13%).