A group of tourists enjoy a ride on an inflatable boat made by Beijing Bonna Yachting. [Provided to China Daily]

Apart from water sports, inflatable boats are used as lifesaving equipment by rescue teams, given their suitability for narrow waters and low price, said Gao.

To cater to Chinese consumers' increasing demand for affordable water recreation facilities, the organizer of the boat show, Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo International Exhibition Co, has created an outdoor experience area.

Interested consumers can try out kayaks and inflatable boats before buying. Gao Haiyan, director of the high-end business department of the exhibition company, said the boat show's objective is to introduce healthy lifestyle options like boating to Shanghai. The idea is not to hype up luxury.

Yang Xinfa, deputy secretary-general of the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry, said the event demonstrates water-based recreation as part of modern lifestyle. The focus is not on mere display of yachts and other water sports equipment. "We should fully recognize the fact that Chinese consumers can now enjoy the same quality of life as people in developed countries."

The spillover effect of all this is that even luxury yacht companies are celebrating the advent of affordable water recreational facilities in China. In the yacht industry, about 2 percent of the existing boats are luxury yachts.

Chen Gang, chief representative of Italian luxury yacht company Ferretti in Shanghai, said he would like to see that ratio dropping further in the Chinese market. Only then, every brand would be able to see better growth, helping the overall industry to post a healthy growth rate as well.