While occupying an increasing portion of local people's leisure time, sports are now not only about competitions in the east China city of Rizhao, but also a vigorous engine empowering a dynamic local economy.
Thanks to its advantageous natural resources, the city has built many sports venues and facilities including the Olympic aquatic sports town, Xianghe Sports Park, international football center, and tennis centers to spur local sports economy.
With 61.8-kilometer-long seaside and mountain-view greenways open to the public, a model sightseeing route that spans 64 kilometers takes shape, adding diversity to the city's lively circles of sports surrounding mountains, seas, hot springs, forests and sports venues.
Under such circumstances, the city becomes a popular choice for large-scale sports competitions and the sports circles become new spaces for locals to keep fit, purchase sports goods and spend leisure time.
Among the sports competitions of varied types, road races boast the highest local participant basis.
For instance, the Rizhao leg of 2024 national employee marathon series triggered a local family travel spree, helping the city's tourism, catering and accommodation operators directly rake in 12.40 million yuan of revenues.
Since then, travel spurred by sports contests, where one family member participates and the whole family travels and spends, has emerged as the new normal for tourism sector in Rizhao.
In tennis sector, the city hosts national tennis team championships every year and has crafted an indigenous sports IP, the "Sun City" Tennis Open, to further sharpen its sports fan economy.
Trending among tennis lovers, "playing tennis in Rizhao" is nowadays a stylish way of travel as huge crowds of tennis fans are drawn to the city of Shandong Province from other regions across China.
In football sector, Rizhao international football center built under European standards hosts not only football contests, but also related training activities and commercial performances to foster commerce and tourism.
As these facilities and the thriving sports economy bring notable foot traffic, investors are also betting on surrounding projects such as an international angling center to seek fortune there.
Unsurprising is also Rizhao's expanding market share in the premium sports equipment sector. When a local producer sells products to 80-plus countries via enabling fitness devices with tech-driven service, it echoes with the city in purchasing growth from innovative boosters.
(Edited by Duan Jing with Xinhua Silk Road, duanjing@xinhua.org)
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