'Sports plus' model energizes regional development across China

Across China, sporting events are proving their worth far beyond the playing field. An emerging "sports plus" development model is energizing local economies and enriching daily life by integrating athletic competitions with tourism, cultural activities and consumer experiences.

On the evening of Jan. 1, a game between the Beijing and Guangdong teams in the 2025-2026 season of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league took place at Shougang Ice Hockey Arena in Beijing's Shougang Park. Among the crowd was Liu, who traveled from east China's Shandong Province specifically for the game.

An enthusiast enjoys skiing at Songhua Lake Resort, a national-level ski resort, in Jilin city, northeast China's Jilin Province. (Xinhua/Xu Chang)

"A single ticket gets you more than just the game," she said with a smile. "You can eat, shop and enjoy discounts in Shougang Park. The trip was definitely worth it."

Her experience was made possible by a new "sports plus consumption" initiative at Shougang Park during the New Year holiday. Beijing Shougang Basketball Club partnered with more than 70 merchants in the park, allowing fans to use their stubs for discounts on dining, accommodation, cultural and creative products and more.

According to Liu Ziwei, head of business operations at Beijing Shougang Sports and Culture Co., Ltd., consumer spending in the concourse area of Shougang Ice Hockey Arena during the holiday reached 140,000 yuan ($20,000), with team merchandise accounting for over 100,000 yuan of the total.

Elsewhere in the park, Big Air Shougang, a venue for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, has been transformed into a winter sports paradise. Liu Ziwei noted that it has already sold more than 5,000 tickets since the start of the ice and snow season, drawing enthusiastic responses from residents and tourists alike.

By integrating basketball, winter sports and cultural tourism, Shougang Park has given the holiday economy a significant boost. Visitor traffic at the park during the New Year holiday sports events rose 20 percent year on year.

Chongli, a district of Zhangjiakou, the co-host city for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games in north China's Hebei Province, has also seen a surge in ice and snow enthusiasm. The district is hosting 11 international events and more than 20 national-level competitions during the 2025-2026 ski season. Since the season began, Chongli has welcomed over 800,000 tourist visits.

Statistics reveal marked increases in visitor numbers during competition periods in Chongli. Genting Snow Park recorded single-day visitor counts exceeding 8,000, while the Zhangjiakou Winter Olympic Village maintained hotel occupancy rates of nearly 80 percent. Spending on accommodation, dining and entertainment at and around ski resorts increased significantly.

Beyond professional competitions, Chongli's ski resorts have rolled out more innovative activities highlighting local characteristics.

Chongli will continue to deepen integration between winter sports and sectors including health and wellness tourism, educational tours and cultural performances, while enhancing consumer experiences to drive high-quality development, according to an official from the district's culture and tourism bureau.

The 2026 National New Year Climbing and Fitness Conference took place on Jan. 1 in Jiangshan city in east China's Zhejiang Province and Tai'an city in east China's Shandong Province, the two main venues, with more than 400 sub-venues across the country hosting related activities simultaneously.

The event, launched in 1996, has evolved into a signature New Year celebration promoting nationwide fitness.

Jiangshan city, hosting the event for the 11th time, debuted a sports carnival at Jianglang Mountain, featuring an equipment exhibition, demonstrations of badminton manufacturing processes, drone soccer and robot dance performances. The city also organized food markets and a sports tourism consumption week, creating more spending opportunities and promoting deeper integration between public fitness and sports-related consumption.

The China Communications Construction Cup 2025 China Nujiang Wildwater Canoeing Asian Championships & International Open was held from Dec. 20 to 22, 2025, in Lushui city, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The event attracted 43 international athletes and 75 domestic competitors. After years of development, the event has evolved into a signature program integrating sports, culture and tourism for the prefecture.

The timing coincided with the Kuoshi Festival, or the Lisu New Year, enabling deep integration between sporting events and ethnic celebrations. "The competition venue became a showcase for Nujiang's character," said Cha Lingyun, director of the prefecture's culture and tourism bureau. Sporting events enrich tourism offerings and encourage visitors to stay longer, Cha added.

Nujiang also organized ethnic crossbow competitions, paragliding performances and its first zipline challenge, highlighting the region's distinctive appeal. The prefecture's culture and tourism bureau and commerce bureau issued special consumption vouchers, effectively stimulating spending on lodging, dining, shopping and other services. Statistics show the prefecture received over 210,000 tourist visits during the event period, generating tourism revenue exceeding 200 million yuan.