The expanding yachting industry in Hainan has helped stoke the demand for yacht-operating courses in Sanya.

The Hainan Genesis Yachts Crew Training Ltd, one of the qualified yacht crew training institutions in Hainan, saw enrollment in the courses start to pick up quickly in 2012.
 
"It is obvious that the demand for yacht operators has become strong in coastal cities, such as Sanya, Lingshui and Haikou," said one manager at Hainan Genesis Yachts Crew Training Ltd.
 
He added, “It was thought that yachting was a kind of luxury consumption in the beginning. But then, people started to change their minds and saw yachting as a source of employment. It's like a driver's license – and now many people are applying for it."
 
Among those who have taken the course on yacht operating have been yacht owners, people wanting to work as yacht drivers in the coastal cities and those working in maritime design and manufacturing and managers of yacht clubs.
 
Sanya now has nearly 1,000 yachts and 200 sailboats in use. Sanya has seen a big rise in the number of yacht clubs in the city in recent years. The city has 6 major marina clubs offering more than 1,000 berths for yacht docking.