Sustaining Momentum: Chongqing’s ‘Popularity Economy’ Approach

Chongqing - In recent years, traveling to a city for events, performances, and festivals has become a new trend in experiential consumption, reflecting the younger generation's pursuit of a better life.

Events such as sports competitions, performances, and festivals are typical examples of the popularity economy. While boosting a city's visibility, they also offer consumers immersive new experiences, contributing to its industrial upgrades and economic growth.

From marathons and football matches to concerts, music festivals, flower-viewing events, and intangible cultural heritage temple fairs, various cultural, business, sports, and tourism activities have been flourishing in Chongqing and across the country, demonstrating the vitality of the consumer market.

How can a city sustain its popularity after the peak moments of an event or festival, leverage the long-tail effect, and maintain momentum?

Heartfelt services

"I plan to stay in Chongqing for three more days, partly to wait for the artwork of my running portrait to be framed, and partly to experience the fun of 'running + vacation + socializing' here," said Zhang Xi from Shanghai on Saturday. She was enjoying coffee with a group of fellow runners, savoring the peaceful moments in Chongqing.

Zhang is a loyal marathon fan and has participated in nearly 20 races nationwide. This time, she came to Chongqing for the 2025 Chongqing Women’s Half Marathon, which took place on March 23.

"This is a 'more female-friendly' race I've participated in," she said. As an A1-class certified event by the Chinese Athletics Association, it attracted a record 15,000 participants from both China and abroad. The entire course is a riverfront route, with an average elevation of 198 meters, an elevation change of no more than 10 meters, and only one turnaround, making it an ideal place for achieving personal bests.

What stands out is that this "flattest golden route" starts at Liujia Wharf, follows the Jialing River, and passes over nine of Chongqing's most iconic bridges. The course also takes participants past city landmarks like the 1862 Yangpao Bureau Park, Xu Beihong's former residence, and the Fisherman's Bay Wharf. Along the way, it features 7 aid stations, nearly 40 creative cheering stations, and photo opportunities for participants.

At the sketching cheering station, ten young artists combined the event’s theme with their paintings, capturing the exciting race and showcasing the beauty of female athletes in motion.

At the food station, local food like Taoranju steamed stuffed bun, Maoxi braised dishes, and Chongqing-style flavored broad beans was offered free to participants, presenting the flavors of Chongqing.

The care station was equipped with makeup tools and sanitary products to offer detailed and thoughtful care for female runners. The finish line even had changing tents and a post-race makeup station, where professional makeup artists provided services so that participants could celebrate their finish with beautiful photos.

There were cheerleaders, live band performances, dragon dancing, waist drum performances, and more to cheer on participants throughout the race. The event also introduced an innovative "sports + social" model, creating spaces for young people who love sports to connect with each other.

"In events and festivals, participants' impressions of a city are often tinted with a 'filter.' After the event, when the 'filter' fades, to release the long-tail effect, it is essential to offer heartwarming services, high-quality experiences, and humanized management to turn 'first-time visitors' into 'repeat visitors,'" said Zhang Dawei, Regional Government Affairs General Manager at Ctrip.

Zhang noted that the Chongqing Women's Half Marathon provided ample reasons for participants to stay longer by integrating beautiful scenery, art (live sketching), food, and socializing, making them feel genuinely cared for.

Customizing new consumption

A city can make people fall in love with it and sustain its popularity through a single event or festival. This not only tests the organizational and management capabilities of the event's host city but also its governance abilities.

The Jiangbei District took the opportunity to host the Chongqing Women’s Half Marathon to integrate 'sports +' consumption with various themed activities. The district collaborated with multiple specialty food areas and over 190 tourism and cultural enterprises, planning four major thematic consumption packages: delicious food, easy travel, sales promotions, and stylish living. This created a new, multi-dimensional consumption experience that combines 'one event + food, wellness, travel, entertainment, and shopping,' said Jiang Shihong, Director of the Jiangbei District Commission of Culture and Tourism Development.

During the Chongqing Women's Half Marathon, Jiangbei District attracted over 750,000 tourists, a 68 percent increase year-on-year, with total tourist spending exceeding 300 million yuan ($41.26 million), a 50 percent increase. On March 23, the day of the event, key monitored areas like the Guanyinqiao business district, Liujia Wharf, and Jinyuan Plaza saw a noticeable increase in foot traffic. Specifically, the Guanyinqiao business district saw 650,000 visits, a 26 percent increase year on year, with sales reaching 43.97 million yuan, a 21 percent increase.

"Different regions have different resource endowments. To release the long-tail effect of festivals and events, it is necessary to deeply explore local characteristics, customize consumption projects that meet the needs of the general public, and employ strategies like issuing coupons, offering discounts, and running promotional lotteries. By providing consumers with practical savings and a refreshing experience, we can continuously break boundaries and create vibrant consumption," said Luo Zibai, Chief Expert of the Yangtze River Tourism Research Base at the China Tourism Research Institute and Director of the Chongqing Tourism Development Research Center at Chongqing Normal University.

For the post-marathon part, the district will further deepen the integration of business, tourism, culture, and sports, and work to establish five major city brands involving food, tourism, shopping, entertainment, and sports, said Jiang.

"The underlying logic of the 'popularity economy' is based on the success of an event or activity in promoting and marketing the city's image, which leads to a significant gathering of attention. However, at its core, this reflects the city's cultural heritage, development philosophy, and public services. To turn a fleeting success into lasting impact, it's essential to shift tourists from 'initial curiosity' to 'cultural immersion' and 'loyalty to experience,' ensuring it doesn't become just a passing trend," said Luo.

(Dai Xuelin, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)

(Han Yi, a reporter for Chongqing Daily, contributed the Chinese version of this report.)