Godfrey Zwygart is a consultant at the Sanya Serenity Marina. Godfrey, who has traveled to more than 50 countries and lived in 8 countries long term, once regarded moving from place to place as the main style of his life. However, he has now chosen to stay in Sanya and has become a new Hainanese resident.

11 years ago, Sanya needed an international marina. Godfrey Zwygart, who can speak Chinese fluently, was invited to be the Marina Director at the Sanya Serenity Marina because of his rich experience in operating yacht businesses and building marinas. 

When he arrived in Sanya, Godfrey thought Sanya was very suitable for the development of water sports because the area was warm and sunny most of the time, making it a good sheltered harbor. At the same time, he also noticed that Sanya lacked the infrastructure to develop the yacht industry.

Building a marina is important for developing the yacht industry. But it is not easy. “At that time, many materials used to build marinas could not be found in China, so we had to produce some parts by ourselves,” said Godfrey, “ And during that period many people did not know the purpose of building the marina, and they did not know anything about yachts either.”

Godfrey Zwygart (Photo by Hinews.cn)

In addition, in order to lead the team members in rapid growth, he spent one year creating a complete set of wharf construction & management and operation system standards, and providing the staff with sufficient training.

With the efforts of Godfrey Zwygart and his team members, in 2018, Sanya Serenity Marina stood out from the nearly 200,000 marinas around the world and became the second marina to win the Gold Anchor Platinum Award—the highest level accreditation for marinas—in the world, and the first one in Asia.

In September 2019, Godfrey Zwygart was awarded the Chinese Government Friendship Award by the State Council of China, in recognition of his outstanding contribution in promoting Sanya's modernization and international exchange. At the beginning of 2020, he was given a Foreign Permanent Residence Card.

Sanya Serenity Marina (Photo by Hinews.cn)

Permanent residence gives Godfrey Zwygart a sense of belonging. "In the past, expats in China had to reapply for visas every two or three years, so I always felt like I was in a foreign land. Now that I have my Permanent Residence Card, I feel much more at ease," he said.

Godfrey Zwygart, who has lived in Sanya for 11 years, is excited to see more policy support in the Hainan Free Trade Port. He anticipates that the yacht industry will have a bright future in Sanya.
He said he likes Sanya for its fresh air, clean surroundings, and pleasant climate.

Godfrey Zwygart (Photo provided by Godfrey Zwygart)

"In recent years, the city has become more and more modern, and my 'home' has become more and more beautiful," said Godfrey.