on 15 Sep 2020
Sale of the French-made flybridge made in late August
For decades, Taiwanese yacht builders have built up a reputation for quality and customisation. The biennial Taiwan International Boat Show (TIBS) is held in Kaohsiung, the centre of Taiwanese yacht building that hosts major builders like Horizon Yachts, along with smaller, lesser-known names like Morningstar Boats, which builds small and medium-sized aluminium yachts.
The fourth edition of the show had previously been scheduled for March this year, and was cancelled due to coronavirus. It will now take place March 10-13, 2022.
Kaohsiung’s yacht builders account for over 80% of Taiwan’s yacht building output, and Taiwan itself is the world’s fourth-largest yacht building nation in yachts over 80 feet.
For decades, Taiwanese yacht builders supplied the US market, but leading brands have tried to reach Australia and New Zealand, Hong Kong and China, and Europe.
The show was first run in 2014 by local builders in part to build interest in yachting among local Taiwanese buyers. According to a November 2019 report in marine business website Trade Only Today, at the end of 2019, Taiwan had 12 marina projects in development, adding another 400 berths, with a count of just 483 berths in place at the time.
About 2,100 private boats are registered in Taiwan, compared to 440,000 in Japan. Restrictions on yacht ownership and operations have been relaxed in recent years. This year, the biggest sailing yacht built by Royal Huisman, the 81-metre Sea Eagle II, was delivered to a Taiwanese owner.
In recent years, the Taiwan government has passed various laws and regulations to promote and yacht recreation and tourism, spurring growth for yacht charter marketing and yacht leasing, as well as ownership.
The 2022 Taiwan International Boat Show (TIBS) offers a place for buyers of yachts and accessories for yachts in Asia. Jointly hosted by the Bureau of Foreign Trade and the Kaohsiung City Government, and organised by Taiwan External Trade Development Council, TIBS will hold industry forums and workshops on the development of the maritime industry.