This year’s CICPE Sanya Boat Festival (April 15-18) is expected to feature about 200 vessels including 15 China premieres and six 80ft-plus superyachts according to organisers, which stated that the “exhibition scale will reach a new high”.

International brands – including from France, Italy, UK and Germany – account for over 70 per cent of exhibitors at the four-day show, which will again be held at Sanya International Yacht Center with supporting events in Visun Royal Yacht Club and Serenity Marina, both in Sanya.

The boat show in Sanya is an integral part of the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), which will be held in Haikou from April 13-18 and is the first major event in Hainan since the Free Trade Port (FTP) fully implemented its island-wide independent customs operations in December 2025.

Under the theme ‘China’s Gateway, Sailing into the Future’, the 2026 Sanya Boat Festival is designed to reinforce Sanya’s position as a strategic international hub for China’s yachting industry and a key interface with the global market.

As well as international brands, Chinese builders such as Huanzhu (Dalian), Haoyun (Qingdao) and Qihang (Guangdong) will showcase their latest developments, highlighting the growing capability and competitiveness of China’s yacht manufacturing sector.

The event will introduce a New Energy Yacht Zone to showcase electric and alternative-energy vessels, providing a platform for Chinese innovation to engage with international markets. Leveraging the policy advantages of the Hainan FTP, Sanya is actively building a globally oriented ecosystem for yacht trade and services.

In addition, the Sanya Yacht Import & Export Trade Association will make its official debut, focusing on facilitating outbound expansion for Chinese yacht brands and strengthening international cooperation. Meanwhile, curated lifestyle experiences such as ‘Yacht + Dining’ and ‘Yacht + Fishing’ aim to expand yachting from a niche luxury into a broader lifestyle proposition.

ONE-DAY SEMINAR

On April 16, the show’s second day, the venue will also host the Sanya International Yacht Industry Seminar. The event will start with an opening ceremony and speeches by local authorities including Samuel Xu of the Sanya Yacht Association.

Session One, ‘Global Yacht Market & Demand Trends’, will feature Federico Benvenuti of Italian design studio Pulina Exclusive Interiors – which has an office in Shanghai – and two Thailand-based speakers: David Hayes of the Thai Yachting Business Association (TYBA) and Jand Group, and Balan R. Aramagan of Royal Phuket Marina.

Session Two, ‘China Yacht Manufacturing & New Energy’, includes speeches by Andrea Zhu of Eastar Yacht, Demolar Du of Fareast Boats and Shanghai Sailing Club, Yuhao Chi of Orcauboat and Boris Wu of Newattek battery systems.

Tommy Ho, founder of Voyager and the Hong Kong Yachting Association, is among speakers in the third and final session, ‘Global Operations & Service Systems’. Others include Alexandre Heng of O2H2O aviation and yachting, Carlo Tonarelli of Italy’s Phiequipe Consulting and Steve Xie of Sonic Marine.

hainanexpo.org.cn