Hong Kong and Guangdong sign work arrangements to take forward cross-boundary individual yacht travel
The Marine Department (MD) today (September 28) signed the “Work Arrangement for Facilitating the Entry and Exit of Guangdong-registered Yachts into Hong Kong Waters” and the “Work Arrangement for Entry and Exit of Hong Kong Yachts into Guangdong” with the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration (GDMSA), taking forward the implementation of cross-boundary individual yacht travel between the two places.
A spokesman for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, “Apart from being the sector that the Government is committed to developing, the yacht economy is also one of the key development projects highlighted in the recently published First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) and the 2026 Policy Address. With strong support from the Central Government and close co-operation between Hong Kong and Guangdong, the MD and the GDMSA have been actively discussing and advancing the implementation of the relevant arrangements through the tripartite Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao individual yacht travel working group. The work arrangements signed today establish a mechanism that serves as a foundation, and hence mark a significant milestone for cross-boundary individual yacht travel between Hong Kong and Guangdong.
“Following the launch of northbound travel of yachts from Hong Kong in June this year, which allows Hong Kong yacht owners travelling to the nine Chinese Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to handle cross-border procedures more affordably and conveniently, we will soon launch the southbound travel of yachts from Guangdong, enabling yacht owners in Guangdong Province to enjoy the same level of convenience. This policy will help add impetus to cross-boundary leisure consumption and further promote two-way exchanges and visits between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. We are pressing ahead with the final preparatory work, and will announce shortly the implementation details of southbound travel for yachts from Guangdong.”
The MD will continue to maintain close communication with the relevant authorities in Guangdong Province to actively promote the facilitation measures for the northbound travel of yachts from Hong Kong and the southbound travel for yachts from Guangdong, with a view to fostering a healthy, sustainable and competitive environment for the development of both local and GBA yacht economies, and at the same time enhancing connectivity and promoting Hong Kong’s proactive integration into GBA development.
The Marine Department signed the “Work Arrangement for Facilitating the Entry and Exit of Guangdong-registered Yachts into Hong Kong Waters” and the “Work Arrangement for Entry and Exit of Hong Kong Yachts into Guangdong” with the Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration (GDMSA) today (September 28). Photo shows the Director of Marine, Mr Wong Sai-fat (left), and the Director of the GDMSA, Mr Chen Chuanquan (right), at the signing ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Brussels ETO hosts business seminar to foster I&T exchanges between Hong Kong and Ireland
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (Brussels ETO), in partnership with Invest Hong Kong and Sandyford Business District in Dublin, Ireland, organised a business seminar entitled “Hong Kong: Where Innovative Companies Go to Grow” in Dublin on September 24 (Dublin time). The seminar was also supported by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Enterprise Ireland.
Bringing together over 40 participants, the business seminar explored Hong Kong’s role as an international business hub for Irish companies seeking to expand into the Asia-Pacific region and the Chinese Mainland market, with a focus on fintech and innovation and technology (I&T). The latest opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area were also a key topic of discussion.
In his opening remarks at the seminar, Assistant Representative of the Brussels ETO Mr Paul Leung noted the latest report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the WIPO Global Innovation Index 2026, which has once again ranked the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster first globally.
He highlighted key policy initiatives to promote I&T development in Hong Kong set out in the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) (Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan) and the Chief Executive’s 2026 Policy Address to develop Hong Kong as an international I&T centre. These include pressing full steam ahead with the development of the three major I&T parks and enhancing Hong Kong’s I&T capabilities through five key research and development institutions.
“Over the years, Hong Kong has successfully built a vibrant start-up ecosystem, backed by world-class universities and research institutions, staunch government support, solid technology infrastructure, and a strong network of investors and innovation partners. The latest I&T development policy measures promulgated in Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan clearly demonstrate our commitment to investing in and supporting the sector in the years to come,” Mr Leung added.
In closing, he encouraged Irish companies to seize the opportunity to work with Hong Kong and shape the future of I&T together.
Brussels ETO hosts business seminar to foster I&T exchanges between Hong Kong and Ireland Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Brussels ETO hosts business seminar to foster I&T exchanges between Hong Kong and Ireland Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Brussels ETO hosts business seminar to foster I&T exchanges between Hong Kong and Ireland Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
