Do the Chinese like Sailing?

As a people, do you see the Chinese as being interested in sailing and yacht chartering, or not?

I am trying to ask this question in the most politically correct way. I have noticed that with skiing, snowboarding and sailing, there are very different levels of enthusiasm among different cultures.

I'm trying to figure out if the same percentage of Chinese like sailing as the percentage of Europeans or Americans or Australians... or... are they, as a people, less interested?

I don't know any Chinese people, so I have no personal experience to figure this one out from.

Any input?

 

hi sir nice to see your post here.

I　am a Chinese I come from shanghai china.

I think,include me, Chinese people like sailing.you should know China has a long coastline.Many people live there,they can see the sea at any time.However,I can not be sure your sailing means entertainment?If yes,I can answer you that,the percentage is very very low.I can tell you why.

In china most of ordinary people give their money to the bank to refund their loan. Because we have to pay almost half million us dollar to buy a house,not a villa.what is the salary for an ordinary people? approx.460 us dollar/person/month.

house,education,health, so we can not pay any cent for sailing.

I think the percentage will not be more than 1% in china.

 

Suppose that small sailboats like those in the attached picture were available.
What would be a reasonable price (per hour) to charge for them in various cities around China?

All the best,
Leo.

 

你好，先生.

謝謝你的信息.

I hope what I tried to write above is understandable. Thank you for the information.

I am trying to understand tourists from China who will take a holiday or vacation to the USA or islands in the Caribbean or Europe. I am not looking to open any yacht charters inside the PRC.

Do you think the more wealthy tourists who can afford international vacations might enjoy sailing?

Those prices for houses are very high. Is it the same in the countryside as it is in the city?

Thank you for a very helpful post. I appreciate the help to understand if Chinese people like sailing.

 

They may like it once they can afford it, but they are (like the Korean and other Asian folks) very, very shy of open water.

Around the European ports and marinas, where you can find Chinese tourists in noticeable numbers, you will nearly never see them chartering. In the past five years I have seen just one Korean crew (with German skipper) on a charter boat in the Med. But I am sailing nearly all year round, and met almost all nationalities amongst other sailors, except Asian. (Japanese are a bit different, but just a bit)

Regards
Richard

 

If your estimate comes even close to the true value, it would make a really huge market.
China's population count is currently at 1.3 billion, 2/3 of which lives at or around the east coast (based on population density distribution found here: http://www.123independenceday.com/china/demography.html - reliable?), which means 850 million persons living near the shore. 1% of 850 million persons would make a potential market of 8.5 million buyers for the boatbuilding industry. :!:

 

Now multiply by a factor to account for Asian's shyness of water, then by a factor reflecting their disposable income, etc etc
You will end up with a type of "Drake equation" - perfectly acceptable, but a bit tricky to get estimates of each factor.

 

Great photo! There's not much money to be made from "Rent a Stick"!

 

I think when the majority of the population is just surviving, sailing is a luxury they can even afford to think about.

Since the invention of the internal combustion engine, sailboats have become sport or recreation. Only countries that have affluent populations participate in sailing. Americans, Europeans, etc.

To get more people interested in sailing (in any country), you have to make more people affluent.

 

yes you are right.

huge potential market.

 

yes i agree with you.

but I think sailing for most chinese will not be a dream.just like the auto.

on our roads,you can see varioius cars valued from ten thousands to million dollars even more expensive.hahaha

 

We get several daily enquiries from Chinese nationals about yachts, very few about sail most are for motor yacht or recreational fishing boat average 10m loa. Those I speak with about sailing are definately interested particularly around Qingdao, Wehai area of northern Yellow Sea and in southern coastal areas.

There are 25 new Marina's planned for construction over the next 2 years.
The disposible incomes amongst the higher income earners is simular to spending power of middle income Australians/NZ'ders x 10million.

Around my home area in the coastal town DDA, 40kl from Dalian city, there are 15 plus 20-40level apartment blocks of EU style & quality being built and ground works starting for more.
High quality 2 -3 bed apartments sell price US$240K - 350K in Dalian Development Zone, one of the 5 top cities of choice in China to live pop. about .5million. Double the cost in Dalian city 6.4million.
The goverment increased the min. deposits to slow down growth. Half of my younger married staff (28-35yr) own their own apartment and another as investment property.
A friend purchased her 130sqmt apt for rmb500,000.00 6yrs ago, she has been offered double this year to sell it.

All the cars around my apartment block (30 floors on the waterfront) are top end EU, USA or Nippon brands.

I think in 10yrs or possibly sooner China will lead the worlds ecconomy.

 

..if I may...I have lived in China (building boats) for 3.5 years.

I am quite sure that the Chinese are not recreational boat users. It is not in their nature (yet), as boats are work boats, the water is basically filthy (and getting worse), except in very souther areas, and the skin of the people is ultra white, they will not be boating in the sun.

Many do not swim, they do not generally play dangerous sports, or anything that we would consider adventurous.


Money is not the problem as there are , and will be many more, very wealthy Chinese.They simply like eating with the family, being with the family and visiting with the family (something the western world has forgotten about mostly).

I certainly enjoyed being with them, made many friends that I am more than happy to share my home with, but as boaters, nup..not yet and not for a loooooong time.

Many marinas are being built, yep, that is true, but there is NO ONE to look after them or the proposed boats that will be floating there. All the ones built so far have some boats there, but most are simply unused or floating brothels.

 

Thanks for the personal insights.
That's why I wondered whether starting with very small rental boats (as in the photo above) might be a more realistic approach.

Leo.

 

Landlubber,

exactly my experience, and that will not change soon. Just look at Korea or Taiwan, where the middle class has a proper income. Boating is nearly unknown there.


Watchkeeper,

do not forget India! THAT is the number one economy in the near future. China has already lost that race.

Regards
Richard