Imagine arriving at one of the world’s most connected airports, with a yacht waiting just minutes away at a landmark marina. Or sailing into Hong Kong and stepping ashore in an airport city of art, entertainment, hospitality and business.
This vision is taking shape at SKYTOPIA Yacht Bay, the centerpiece of Hong Kong International Airport’s Airport City development. Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) is inviting international consortia, marina developers, hospitality brands and investors to help realize it through an Expression of Interest (EOI) process open until November 2026.
The timing reflects a clear market reality. Hong Kong has a thriving yacht economy, but marina capacity has simply not kept pace. Berths are full and the fleet continues to grow: from 9,000 vessels in 2014 to 12,500 today, chasing just 4,300 berths across the entire territory.
The demand driving this invitation is not speculative; it is already here. Hong Kong is among the region’s leading markets for superyacht ownership, with 92 vessels over 30 meters based locally. The number of superyachts active in the Asia-Pacific region has also grown consistently in recent years, from 445 yachts in 2023 to 586 yachts in 2025, according to the 2026 Asia-Pacific Superyacht Report. As the number of ultra-high net worth individuals continues to grow, this trend looks set to continue. A calendar anchored by the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, the Hong Kong International Horse Show, LIV Golf and Art Basel keeps that audience returning year after year. A tax regime with zero import duty, VAT or sales tax adds another attraction.
It is this combination of growing demand and limited capacity that underpins the case for Yacht Bay, one of the flagship components of the SKYTOPIA masterplan.
“SKYTOPIA offers an exceptional scale and prime location for water-themed projects rarely found in established international markets,” says Cissy Chan, Executive Director, Commercial, Airport Authority Hong Kong. “By capitalizing on our unmatched sea-air-land connectivity and integrating yachting with private aviation, tourism, lifestyle and entertainment, we are building far more than infrastructure. We are creating an ecosystem where investment, innovation and experiences converge.”
Yacht Bay will serve as a gateway connecting international visitors, affluent travelers and local communities, delivering lasting economic benefits well beyond the marina itself.
Chan adds, “Together with our investment partners, we can shape a destination of global significance and set a new benchmark for waterfront development in Asia.”
Where Connectivity Meets the Waterfront
As one of the leading aviation hubs in Asia, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is connected to over 220 destinations through flights operated by around 140 airlines. HKIA welcomed 61 million passengers in 2025 and now has capacity for up to 120 million a year following the completion of its Three-runway System. The Business Aviation Centre, which serves private jets, logged 7,400 flight movements in 2025 to and from more than 350 destinations. It has been named Asia’s best Fixed-base Operator (FBO) by Professional Pilot Magazine for 18 years.
An autonomous transport system will connect Yacht Bay to the rest of SKYTOPIA and the nearby downtown area within 10 minutes. The Airport Express reaches Hong Kong’s city center in 24 minutes while the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge opens a 40-minute route to the Greater Bay Area (GBA), one of the most economically vibrant regions in China. Beyond that, major cities in East Asia are a day’s sail away or just a few days away.
Well Beyond the Blueprint
Substantial infrastructure investment by AAHK, to the amount of around HK$30 billion (US$3.8 billion), and a series of tangible milestones have taken SKYTOPIA well beyond the blueprint.
The enabling infrastructure includes the breakwaters, waterfront promenade and piazza, and the autonomous transport system. The first autonomous vehicle service will begin a phased rollout by the end of 2026. From 2028, further infrastructure projects are scheduled, including the second phase of AsiaWorld-Expo. AAHK also expects the first phase of Yacht Bay to become operational in 2028.
AsiaWorld-Expo, a core part of SKYTOPIA, hosts more than 200 events a year. With its Phase 2 expansion underway, the venue will add Hong Kong’s largest purpose-built indoor arena, with 20,000 seats, enabling it to host more world-class entertainment and sports events.
Hong Kong already has a strong foundation as one of the world’s top three primary art trading markets, hosting major international art shows such as Art Basel.
“Building on this position, SKYTOPIA will further strengthen the city’s art ecosystem by creating an art community with a dedicated art storage facility, scheduled to begin operations next year, as well as facilities for art exhibitions and an art village,” Chan says. “These will form part of a landmark world-class destination, bringing together yachting, art, entertainment, exhibition, hospitality, retail and more.”
One Destination, Three Anchors
The scale of Yacht Bay becomes clearer in its three interconnected components, together spanning 200 hectares adjacent to HKIA. The first is the Airport Bay Marina, which will be Hong Kong’s largest marina, with more than 500 berths, half designed for superyachts between 30 and 120 meters in length. Complementing the marina is a Marine Resort with more than 300 seaview hotel rooms, direct berth access and a waterfront promenade lined with dining and leisure options. The third will be Hong Kong’s largest aquatic entertainment and water recreation area, spanning more than 100 hectares of active water space for marine events and leisure activities.
Meanwhile, regulatory changes are making it easier for yachts to move across the GBA. An Implementation Plan for the Free Flow of Yachts in Guangdong has been officially issued. Hong Kong and Guangdong Province are also working toward dual-registration, express immigration clearance and guarantee-free port entry across the GBA. The aim is to streamline the movement of vessels while minimizing security clearance requirements. Paired with Shenzhen’s own marina development near its airport, these changes point toward a more integrated regional yachting circuit, with Yacht Bay at its center.
An Invitation to Shape What Comes Next
The EOI is open to international marina operators, hospitality brands, yacht service providers, tourism specialists and family offices.
Given the scale of the three Yacht Bay components, AAHK does not expect a single developer to deliver all of them. Instead, the EOI is structured to attract specialists for individual components while also encouraging complementary businesses to collaborate on shared elements of the site. This represents a deliberate departure from the single master-developer model typically used for developments of this nature.
Chan says: “SKYTOPIA is far more than a marina project. With infrastructure already in motion and a 2028 horizon for its first phase, it offers investors, developers and hospitality leaders a rare opportunity to build on a foundation of government commitment and global connectivity at the crossroads of Asia.”
Full details of the Yacht Bay Expression of Interest, including site plans and submission requirements, are available at www.skytopiahk.com/en/eoi/yachtbay.
