Just Married! Viareggio-Sanya twinned at the China Rendez Vous. The reasons behind the operation.

[dropcap]It[/dropcap] is almost like in the French Riviera or in the fashionable Versilia. Sanya is the place where all guests, local or international, can enjoy the landscape, find relax and pleasure, without forgetting their own hedonistic habits. We live globalized, different history, culture and traditions, but same passions and lifestyle. If you are a yacht owner and need your 30mt to be refitted, you will probably choose the world-famous skilled workforce in Viareggio. If you are sailing in the South China Sea, you can find the same group of experts on Hainan!

It is not surprising that the Town of Viareggio and the City of Sanya have agreed for their twinning. Viareggio is the most important Yacht District in the world as far as the superyacht building is concerned, Sanya is the location where the Chinese Government has decided to invest more for the construction of marinas and the development of the yachting sector, which makes Sanya’s development model something very similar to a new French Riviera in Asia.

The Chinese government does not only aim to build the southern island of Hainan into a top international tourism destination by 2020, but it also support the property developer Visun Group in the promotion of the China Rendez Vous, the largest luxury event of all Asia, focused on yachts, supercars, business jets and luxury lifestyle. Visun Group, through the new-co Hainan Rendez Vous Ltd, plays the role of founder and organizer of the event but also owns the host marina, the Visun Royal Yacht Club, where the luxury event takes place.

In 2013, from the cooperation between the Italian and Chinese governments, Visun Group and a group of leading Italian Enterpreneurs from the Yacht District of Viareggio, founded the Visun Tuscany Yachting (VTY), a Sino-Italian joint venture born to build the largest refit shipyard in Hainan and to develop the refit market in this strategic area of the APAC region.

We left this group of Italian Enterpreneurs last year, starting this new refit shipyard; last month, on the occasion of the 6th edition of the China Rendez Vous, we visited the shipyard – Visun Tuscany Yachting  – and met the Top Management. Built on a 5,000 sqm area, VTY is the largest international yacht service center on Hainan, with a full range of repair and refit services to sailing boats (including catamarans) and motor yachts up to 36 m, and can accommodate on land up to 10 boats at a single time. The service center also includes a 270 sqm area for yacht accessories and spare parts of the best international brands (such as, Seakeeper, Yacht Controller, Raymarine, Besenzoni, Versilia Supply Service, Boero, Gianneschi, Gallinea…).

VTY is managed by the Italian General Manager Sergio Peterlin, with proven-track record and long experience in yacht services.

“2015 is our first year of operation and we are more than satisfied with the work we have done with our team. We can count on a Chinese-Italian team of skilled technicians, trained to international standards. However, in case of particularly complex works, experienced specialists are flown in directly from Italy. In this period of the year we have few boats at the shipyard because here in Hainan we are now in high season, and all boats are now at sea. We are now working on ten boats, involving large repairs or hull maintenance, with other 7/8 boats to start by the end of this year.”

“The activity of the shipyard has been well started – adds Giorgio Campini, VTY Managing Partner. This first year already, we can show profitable results and important numbers in terms of boats refitted. We have worked on 130 yachts, from different kind and brand, and provided different kinds of service. The shipyard, the largest and the best-equipped in the area, is able to serve sailing boats, catamarans and motor yachts, with a full range of services, each of them tailored to the needs of the costumer. Our standard services include yacht painting, mechanical, hydraulic, electrical and electronic equipment installation, carpentry, engine repairs… It is not so common to find so high skills in yacht refitting in this area, as a matter of fact we have also been commissioned this year to work off-site, in Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong. Most importantly, we also operate on behalf of all Italian shipyards for any technical and logistic aspect they may need in this region, also providing yacht consulting and yacht certifications application service. There is a strong demand for skills like ours. According to our development programme, we have other projects like this and other shipyards will be soon under way, the next should be built in Shenzen.”

SCENARIO / Landscape and business.

Tourism is booming. Located in the South China Sea, the charming tropical island of Hainan, which is also called “Hawaii of China”, is China’s southernmost province, very close to Hong Kong and only few hour flight from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

With over 10 million tourists each year, the island boasts today the presence of all world’s major hotel groups, such as Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons, Starwood and Mandarin Oriental, and currently 48 new luxury resorts are under construction on Hainan. Furthermore, besides being popular luxury destination of the whealthy Chinese, tycoons and rich businessmen, it is the new international destination for all golf lovers. [highlight color=”yellow”]Why Hainan?[/highlight] Hainan, not only offers sandy beaches surrounded by a crystalline sea, temperatures between 18° and 30°C all year round, vast uncontaminated landscape, exotic natural beauties, forests and thermal waters, fresh seafood and tropical fruits, but also nightlife, entertainment facilities, Spa centres and, most importantly, it is the new shopping reference point of all Asia, where everything is duty free!

Downtown Sanya, the most famous tourism destination of the island, now also developing as seaside resort for international guests, is in fact also home of the world’s largest duty-free shop, the Haitang Bay duty-free shopping center, with nearly 300 international brands on an area of 72,000 square meters ( including Prada, Rolex and Giorgio Armani), result of an investment of 5 billion yuan (about 814 million U.S. dollars), considered a milestone for China’s duty-free market.

The spectacular Sanya Beauty Crown Hotel is the largest hotel project on the island with “seven hotel stars”, featuring about 6,000 rooms and serviced apartments in nine building sections, which look like trees and represent the tropical nature of the island. The whole construction covers an area of 500 acres with the building area of 600 thousand square meters. The complex is consist of the global top 7-star hotel, the platonic 5-star property hotel and the grand hotel-serviced apartment. Being the key project of Sanya, and surrounded by the Beauty Crown Exhibition Center, the Art & Culture Center, the Fashion Boutique Square, bar street and theatre, Sanya Beauty Crown 7-Star Hotel enjoys a promising future and hence will become [highlight color=”yellow”]the most influential place for business[/highlight], exhibition and entertainment in Hainan Province.

Sanya Hongtang Bay Golf Club is located in Sanya Tianya Town, just 15 minutes from the Phoenix International Airport. The Golf Club offers an 18-hole (par 72) course, surrounded by tropical sunshine and beautiful scenery. Run by an Hong Kong company, it is regarded as a sea side golf club in Hainan!

Wangia, the Side-Business.

Wangia is a further common target between Hainan and Tuscany. Called “Wangia”, it is the Sino-Italian joint venture company that, starting from its deep understanding of the Italian entrepreneurial fabric and its many excellent handicrafts, introduces to the Chinese market the Italian luxury products and, at the same time, promotes the discovery of the Italian territory and the value of its unique and inimitable culture. The joint-venture Wangia is owned for 49% by Italia Quintessenza, Italian company mainly owned by Mr Andrea Giannecchini, Italian entrepreneur operating in the yachting industry under the Yachtica branded company, and Chairmain of the above mentioned Visun Tuscany Yachting. The majority share of Wangia is owned by Visun Group. It is now clear the actual strong relationship existing between this two regions, so far geographically, yet so close in business.

All possible synergies have been involved and positively exploited in order to create concrete opportunities to succeed in the Asiatic market. “Opero” is the brand of the new chain of shops containing the experience of Made in Italy quality product, that are going to be opened by Wangia across China.

Strong of its knowledge of the Chinese market distribution channels, Wangia is a solid and competent partner, able to deliver to the Italian luxury SMEs all the tools they need for an effective promotion and penetration of the Chinese market.

Wangia was also the company in charge of the organization and mangement of the new [highlight color=”yellow”]Italian Pavilion[/highlight] at the China Rendez Vous. A Pavilion exclusively dedicated to the promotion of Italian brands in the fields of Fashion, Furniture & Design, Food & Beverage.

At the opening ceremony of the Italian Pavilion, Mr Wang Da Fu, Chairman of Visun Group, and Mr Giannecchini, at the presence of local authorities and representatives from Viareggio, released their speech welcoming all visitors and members of the press, and underlying the importance of the strategic cooperation between Sanya and Viareggio.

The Opening Ceremony was then followed by the official formal signature of the twinning, moment further enriched by the presence of Mr Marcello Lippi, as Special Guest. The Italian football manager, world-famous citizen of Viareggio, is regarded as one of the greatest and most successful managers in football history. Marcello Lippi was in China to attend a press conference  in Beijing for the promotion of his Chinese book “A Game of Ideas”.

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www.china-rendezvous.com   |   www.vty-yachtservices.com   |   www.wangia.it