The scenery of the Wanning section of the Hainan Island Tourist Highway taken in Wanning City, Hainan Province on December 3 (drone**) Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Pu Xiaoxu.
Haikou, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- In Beijing, Zhangjiakou and other northern cities, it is the peak season for ice and snow sports, and ski enthusiasts can feel the heartbeat of galloping on the slopes. And in Hainan, China's southernmost island province, surfers compete to experience the thrill of battling the wind and waves. Enjoying the beautiful scenery while enjoying sports and experiencing culture has become a travel choice for many Chinese consumers.
Surfing and kayaking allow you to get in touch with the sea. Cycling in the mountainous areas of central Hainan can also experience the unique tropical rainforest ecology and ethnic minority customs. In recent years, Chen Yan from Beijing has traveled to Hainan every year, and outdoor sports are a "must". He said that immersive outdoor sports can experience the local ecology and culture from close range.
On December 4, at the 2023 China Entrepreneurs Boao Forum on the Integrated Development of Culture, Tourism and Sports held in Boao, Hainan, the guests exchanged views on the integrated development trend of China's "culture + sports + tourism".
According to the "China Outdoor Sports Industry Development Report (2022-2023)" released in October this year, from 2022 to 2023, outdoor sports such as ice and snow, road running, cycling, and cross-country have shown explosive growth, and many fields have recovered or even exceeded pre-epidemic levels.
In the first half of 2023, orders related to outdoor sports increased by 79% year-on-year and 221% compared to the same period in 2019, before the pandemic, according to data from Ctrip, a well-known travel platform in China.
The scenery of the Wanning section of the Hainan Island Tourist Highway taken in Wanning City, Hainan Province on December 3 (drone**) Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Pu Xiaoxu.
Behind the accelerated development of the integration of culture, sports and tourism, the traction role of major events cannot be ignored. The holding of high-level sports competitions has led to the all-round improvement of the tourism industry in some cities.
The success of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has caused the 'cold ice and snow' to trigger the 'heat effect'. Zhao Yinggang, deputy director of the Sustainable Development Committee of the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, said that large-scale sports events have led to a change in the concept of tourism consumption, and more and more people have included physical fitness and physical exercise in their travel arrangements.
In this year's Hangzhou Asian Games, Ren Hongliang, member of the Standing Committee of the Keqiao District Committee and Minister of Propaganda in Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, said that Keqiao invested nearly 400 million yuan to expand the stadium and host 25 Asian Games events to attract spectatorsMore than 40,000 people. The local area has also launched a series of cultural tourism activities with the theme of the Asian Games to attract tourists40,000 person-times, driving more than 66 million yuan of cultural tourism consumption.
In addition to the "high-level" international competitions, some "grassroots" events have also "touched the net" and helped the local area become a popular tourist destination.
Rongjiang County in Guizhou Province is one of the last poverty-stricken counties in China to be lifted out of poverty, and this year's popular "village super" has attracted a large number of tourists and benefited the local people. During the competition, the online and offline sales of agricultural products in the county reached 40.1 billion yuan; Night-time consumption income 30.9 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 3625%。
The event is authentic and reflects strong local characteristics. Chen Zaixun, member of the Standing Committee of the Rongjiang County Party Committee and deputy county magistrate, said that during the "Village Super" event, 145 cheerleading teams were also organized to parade and perform 115 ethnic songs and dances such as the Dong Song and the Reed Sheng Dance.
At present, the integration of culture, sports and tourism not only provides tourists with a good experience, but also becomes an important driving force for the recovery of the local tourism market and economic development.
The integrated development of culture, sports and tourism gathers the charm of culture, the vitality of sports, and the tension of tourism. Wang Zhifa, former deputy director of the China National Tourism Administration, said that in order to maintain the current popularity of cultural, sports and tourism consumption, it is necessary to continue to innovate for the public and optimize the supply of tourism products.
Zhao Yinggang believes that only by telling local history and humanistic stories, providing supporting tourism products, and organically combining sports competitions, festivals, cultural and sports performances, exhibitions, etc., can we meet the diverse experience needs of tourists.
Xinhua News Agency reporters Luo Jiang, Jiang Tong, and Chen Shaohua.