When a boat owner takes a yacht out to sea for “just” NT$300,000, people say: it’s still too expensive...

▲Sculfort Marina specially displayed a Delta yacht priced at around NT$8 million on site.

Reported and photographed by Chen Ruizhong / Taipei

Taiwan is surrounded by the sea, and many cities have an extensive network of waterways. Coupled with its world-renowned yacht manufacturing capabilities, using yachts for leisure travel has gradually become an emerging water-based tourism trend in Taiwan.

Using yachts for travel is already a well-established practice in Europe and the United States. According to industry insiders, besides privately owned yachts, many people in Taiwan also charter boats through yacht clubs or operators for various activities such as deep-sea fishing, water skiing, island-hopping, and offshore parties—offering a wide range of options. In northern regions, people often take blue highway cruises along the Tamsui River by yacht. When costs are split among passengers, the average fee per person starts from around NT$800 to NT$1,500.

▲In addition to purchasing and leasing, operators have also introduced a franchise model to lower the barrier to yacht ownership.

Besides private ownership and rental options, Sculfort Marina, a European yacht company, introduced a “sharing economy” cruise tourism model during its Taipei franchise exhibition. This so-called sharing economy model allows individuals to pay a NT$300,000 franchise fee to gain access to a basic quota of 14 yacht uses per year, enabling travelers to plan their own cruising schedules and fees. According to the operator, using yachts via the franchise model eliminates the hassle of yacht maintenance and trip planning, and is more cost-effective than buying a whole yacht outright. Currently, the company has initiated discussions for partnerships with educational businesses, travel agencies, and large hotels, and also accepts individual applications for franchising.

However, regarding the idea of taking yacht trips, Ms. Wang, a member of the public, said that although it is cheaper than buying a yacht outright, the franchise fee and the cost of chartering a yacht are still a significant expense for ordinary people, so she currently has no plans for yacht tourism. But others believe that yachts were never cheap to begin with, and that the NT$300,000 threshold is relatively affordable.