Chongqing - Between November 16 and 17, the 2023 Chengdu-Chongqing Sports Industry Alliance and the 7th Chongqing Sports Tourism Industry Development Conference took place in Yuzhong District, Chongqing. The conference was a pivotal moment for regional collaboration, featuring the unveiling of 30 high-quality Sichuan-Chongqing sports tourism projects.

From November 16 to 17, the 2023 Chengdu-Chongqing Sports Industry Alliance and the 7th Chongqing Sports Tourism Industry Development Conference took place in Chongqing. (Photo/Li Xinyi)

Centered on the theme “Integration of Sports and Tourism with Digital Empowerment to Enrich People's Lives”, the event highlighted the fusion of sports and tourism through digital innovation, focusing on enhancing the quality of life for the populace.

The quality Sichuan-Chongqing sports tourism boutique routes award ceremony (Photo/Li Xinyi)

At the conference, three standout sports tourism routes were unveiled, featuring prominently the Chongqing Banan cultural landscape sports tourism route. Concurrently, 30 distinguished sports tourism projects from Sichuan and Chongqing were announced and honored. 

These included notable endeavors such as the Liangjiang New Area Longsheng New City Sports Tourism Demonstration Base, the 2023 Chongqing Marathon, the Chengdu Tianfu Greenway International Race of China 2023, and the Yuzhong District's “A Land of Beauty, A City of Cultural Appeal” Sports Tourism Route, a project celebrated for its tourism quality.

The elite Sichuan-Chongqing sports tourism demonstration bases award ceremony (Photo/Li Xinyi)

Furthermore, the Chongqing Administration of Sport embarked on several significant collaborations. A notable partnership was formed with Bishan District, Chongqing Broadcasting Group, and Fosun International Limited for the Western China (Chongqing) E-sports Industrial Park project. 

Additionally, a strategic alliance was forged with the Chongqing United Assets and Equity Exchange to develop a sports asset trading platform. The Chongqing Datianwan Fitness Center and the Chongqing Performing Arts Group also entered into a cooperative agreement to develop the Datianwan Performing Arts Project. 

In a series of on-site signings, Yuzhong District secured project cooperation agreements with several key entities, including the Chongqing Sports Lottery Center, SUPERGEN Inc (EDG), the China Hip-Hop Union Committee, Shanghai Ctrip Business Co., Ltd., and Zhejiang Huanyu Network Technology Co., Ltd.

The distinguished Sichuan-Chongqing sports tourism competition events award ceremony (Photo/Li Xinyi)

In the three years following the founding of the Chengdu-Chongqing Sports Industry Alliance, significant strides have been made by the Chongqing Administration of Sport and the Sichuan Provincial Administration of Sport. 

Together, they have issued pivotal documents such as the Sports Industry Integration Development Plan for the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle and the Implementation Opinions on the Integrated High-Quality Development of the Sports Industry in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle. 

Additionally, they have collaboratively organized marquee events, including the “Amidst Majestic Mountains and Rivers: Celebrating Sports in Sichuan and Chongqing” sports tourism and leisure consumption season. These initiatives have substantially accelerated the high-quality development of the sports industries in both Chengdu and Chongqing.

In recent years, Chongqing has been vigorously advancing the development of national sports tourism demonstration zones, elevating its status to a premier national destination for outdoor sports. This effort has led to the establishment of 2 national sports tourism demonstration bases, 3 national sports tourism quality routes, and 15 high-quality Chinese sports tourism projects. 

Additionally, Chongqing has been recognized as a national sports consumption pilot area and has developed 2 national sports service complex exemplars and 3 national sports industry bases. Reflecting this dynamic growth, the total scale of Chongqing's sports industry has soared from 30.915 billion yuan in 2017 to 69.434 billion yuan in 2022. This remarkable increase of 124.6% translates to an average annual growth rate of 14.4%, underscoring the city's rapid ascent in the sports industry sector.