The Asia Pacific Superyacht Conference took place on the 10th-11th of April to discuss potential growth in shipbuilding and superyacht charters in the Asian region and was attended by industry professionals representing worldwide shipyards.

ASIA PACIFIC SUPERYACHT CONFERENCE 2018

Preceding the Singapore Yacht Show at the ONE°15 Marina in Sentosa Cove, the talks focused on ‘turning issues into opportunities’ and how the underdeveloped region has a burgeoning class of billionaires looking for luxury escapes that cater to their requirements.

Among the topics of discussion was the designation of Hainan, China, as a ‘special development zone’ for the yachting community, while Indonesia is considering reducing or scrapping its Luxury Tax in efforts to attract more superyachts to the area. Developing an Asia-wide marina infrastructure was also on the agenda, as was the tourism benefits of expedition yachting as a way of exploring islands for owners and charterers alike.

ASIA PACIFIC SUPERYACHT CONFERENCE 2018

Naval architect Espen Oeino and superyacht builder Michael Breman from Lurssen were also present and examined the immediate future of the yachting industry in Asia, the role of mega yachts in research in the area (much like superyacht OCTOPUS belonging to Paul Allen from Microsoft) and their use as floating homes for owners.

The conclusion of the talks was an acknowledgement of the cultural and natural diversity of the region. Chairperson Martin Redmayne summed up with:

“Asia has so much to offer. The superyacht industry needs to capitalise on what is already here, not reinvent the wheel. Get the house in order – and go yachting.”