HISWA shows major trend next Dutch nautical year

The HISWA Amsterdam in-water Boat Show 2013 that kicked off this week, showed that the major trends for next nautical year will be comfort, sustainability and adventure, professionals told Xinhua during the exhibition. "What we clearly see during this edition is that consumers pay more attention to comfort on a ship. Also, there is a stronger demand for electric driven boats that are easily navigable," Michelle Jonker, project manager said. Expedition sailing is another trend that has set foot in the Netherlands. Ocean sailing voyages are organized by several tour operators, attracting future travellers being fed up with comfortable well-organized tours. Henny ten Dam has been organizing sailing expeditions from Portugal to the Caribbean for many years now. "What we see is that people want to go further, they have become more and more adventurous. Maybe it is because they want to do something truly special. How many people can say they have crossed the Atlantic by sailing ship? It is that particular and unique thrill that people are seeking in their holidays," Ten Dam told Xinhua. HISWA show-cased 300 of brand-new boats in all shapes and sizes, scores of global premiers, thousands of accessories for in and around the water. The Boat Fair, that is organized yearly, offered a wide-ranging activity program giving visitors the chance to become acquainted with many aspects of watersport, including testing and improving their skills in a large partitioned-off section of water. The HISWA Boat Show started Tuesday 3 and ends on Sunday 8 September. It was the second time it took place in the Amsterdam Marina at the NDSM wharf, just opposite Amsterdam central station.