A total of 79.3 percent of Chinese respondents have participated in sports tourism, indicating that this new form of recreation is finding favour particularly among the younger generation, a recent survey has proved.
The survey was conducted by China Youth Daily, polled 2,004 people born between the 1960s and the 2000s, among which 51 percent were born in the 1980s.
The respondents mentioned hiking (51.2 percent), mountain climbing (51 percent) and cycling (41.1 percent) are their favorite sports. They also mentioned other sports comprising rafting (20.7 percent), skiing (16.6 percent), rock climbing (16.2 percent) and ice-skating (13.6 percent).
In December 2016, the country’s top tourism and sports administrations jointly issued guidelines to boost sports tourism, promising 100 sports-themed tourist destinations and 100 quality events by 2020.
Lu Changbao, vice dean of the economy and management college at Fuzhou University said that the government’s attention to the sports industry and the ‘Healthy China 2030′ scheme initiated in 2016 have raised people’s awareness of sports and health.
Lu added that from an individual perspective, with their living standards improving, Chinese increasingly recognize the importance of health. As a fun way of improving their health, sports tourism is a good choice for them, he feels.
Data indicated diving is expanding in island tourism. Marathons are thriving across the country, attracting millions of runners to different host cities. Some niche sports like parachuting, rock climbing, and surfing are also becoming popular.
According to Lu, sports tourism has multiple advantages. By combining sports and tourism, it can benefit tourists both mentally and physically. Moreover, tourists can enjoy more adventurous and personalized tours that standard tourism services are not able to offer.
