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. (ICE PECHINO)

Fonte notizia: China Daily