Sports tourism fuels consumption engine

NANJING — Wang Lin's National Day holiday began with an adrenaline-fueled adventure: rock climbing at an extreme sports center in the morning, kayaking in the afternoon, and indoor swimming in the evening — all packed into just one day of her weeklong break.

"There's so much more than just sports — camping, fruit picking, and breathtaking scenery!" said the 28-year-old sports enthusiast, who traveled roughly 160 kilometers from Wuxi to Lishui district in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, to enjoy the region's unique sports tourism experiences.

"The fusion of sports and travel is perfect! Young people prefer personalized travel experiences, and it has become a trend to either follow sporting events or engage in sports activities while traveling," Wang added.

Wang's exhilarating holiday experiences were part of 18 sports tourism routes curated by Jiangsu's sports department for the National Day holiday that covered a wide range of activities including rock climbing, golf, football, and winter sports — all of which attracted tourists from across the nation.

Traveling to a city specifically for sports has become a defining trend among China's younger generation and this has prompted many cities to introduce sports-themed tourism packages, offering fitness enthusiasts and vacationers a diverse array of options.

Two major international events — the 2024 China Open tennis tournament and the World Table Tennis China Smash — were underway in Beijing during this year's National Day holiday, drawing top athletes like Zheng Qinwen, Sun Yingsha, and Ma Long to the courts and adding to the capital's appeal for sports fans.

Meanwhile, the tropical province of Hainan hosted the Spartan Race, attracting around 4,500 global competitors during the holiday. Hainan has also enhanced its outdoor offerings with mountain trail runs and rural games, adding to its allure as a sought-after tourist destination.

The Paris Olympics has further spurred interest in both spectator sports and outdoor recreational activities, with Chinese audiences showing a growing passion for international events.

According to Tongcheng Travel, the drive to witness sporting events firsthand has become a new tourism catalyst. The Olympics has also sparked domestic interest in outdoor activities like cycling and hiking, offering adventure seekers opportunities for fitness and exploration.

"The paddleboarding event along the ancient canal was fantastic. The water is clear, and the traditional riverside scenery adds a special touch," said Hang Difeng, who recently participated in a paddleboarding competition in Wuxi. Around 300 competitors navigated the city's ancient canals, drawing cheering crowds along the riverbanks.

The rise of sports tourism is not only influencing travel patterns, but also emerging as a significant driver of consumer spending, injecting new momentum into China's economy amidst global economic challenges.

The China Open saw tickets sell out within seconds this year, with sales reaching over 43 million yuan ($6.1 million) by September 26 — doubling the revenue from the same period in 2023.

Several Chinese cities have already benefited from the sports tourism boom. For instance, the counties of Taijiang and Rongjiang in Guizhou province have gained fame through grassroots basketball and football tournaments. Rongjiang alone attracted nearly 12 million visitors between mid-May and late June last year, generating over 13 billion yuan in tourism revenue.

China's State Council has issued guidelines to promote high-quality development in service consumption, including expanding sports facilities, encouraging diverse sporting events, and deepening pilot projects to stimulate sports-related spending.

According to China's 14th Five-Year Plan for Sports Development, the total output of the sports industry is projected to reach 5 trillion yuan by 2025, with individual sports-related consumption expected to exceed 2.8 trillion yuan.

Xinhua