Igniting the economy

Across China, the holiday period has turned into a festival of sports. At least nine provincial soccer leagues staged more than 80 matches, echoing the Jiangsu Super League's success and highlighting how local tournaments can stimulate sports consumption.

In Chongqing, more than 50 local events were staged, anchored by 30 national sports tourism routes and bases spanning mountain, water, air and winter sports, turning outdoor recreation into a new driver of holiday spending.

Major professional tournaments also added momentum. Tickets for the WTT China Grand Smash, China Open and Rolex Shanghai Masters sold out rapidly, with fans flocking to Beijing and Shanghai to watch an array of world-class international and domestic sports stars. As of Oct 3, the China Open and WTT events reported sales of 88 million yuan and 86 million yuan, respectively — both record highs.

Shanghai further fueled demand by distributing 20 million yuan in sports consumption vouchers ahead of the holiday, with additional coupons for swimming, badminton and winter sports.

Experts say the surge of sports-related spending reflects a broader shift in China's consumer economy. According to the government's latest policy blueprint, the total output of China's sports industry is expected to exceed seven trillion yuan by 2030, driven by event-based consumption and the fusion of sports, tourism and culture.

"Sports consumption is expanding beyond the arena," said Ding Xiang, associate professor at Nanjing University. "The emotional and experiential value of events is reshaping consumer behavior. People don't just want to watch — they want to be there, to feel it, to live it."

"In the future, we'll see more events like the Jiangsu Super League, where fans don't just attend matches, but truly immerse themselves in the life and rhythm of the host cities," Ding added.

Xinhua