Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and the General Administration of Sports jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Building High-Quality Outdoor Sports Destinations" (hereinafter referred to as the "Guiding Opinions"), proposing the goal of "by 2027, a number of relatively mature high-quality outdoor sports destinations will be initially formed" and "by 2030, about 100 high-quality outdoor sports destinations will be built." This favorable policy not only conforms to people's professional and diversified sports and health needs, but also clarifies the direction of the development of the outdoor sports industry, the utilization of outdoor resources, and the construction of outdoor sports venues, and injects a "catalyst" into actively cultivating new economic growth points for outdoor sports.
Mountain climbing, sea cycling, grass camping, self-driving and off-roading, alpine skiing... In recent years, outdoor sports are no longer an amateur activity for a few people, but have become a lifestyle for the whole people to participate in, and an important way for the public to relax and entertain and pursue a healthy life. From the country parks around the city to the remote mountains and lakes, from the winding coastline to the vast grassland desert, all leave the footprints of outdoor sports enthusiasts. Relevant data shows that the number of outdoor sports participating in the country has exceeded 400 million, and people of different ages and professions have joined in it, releasing pressure, challenging themselves in the process of getting close to nature, and enjoying the fun brought by outdoor sports.
Our country has a vast territory and beautiful mountains and rivers, and has the natural advantages of developing outdoor sports. At present, there are many high-quality outdoor sports destinations. For example, various outdoor sports events and activities are often held in Changbai Mountain in Jilin, Dali in Yunnan, Siguniang Mountain in Sichuan, Sanya in Hainan, etc., attracting many outdoor sports enthusiasts at home and abroad and forming a strong outdoor sports atmosphere.
The rise of the outdoor sports boom has brought unprecedented opportunities to cultivate and strengthen new economic growth points. Taking equipment manufacturing as an example, in recent years, consumers have become increasingly willing to pay for high-end outdoor products such as lightweight tents, professional windbreakers, and smart wearable devices, continuously driving the innovative upgrade of various equipment, driving the coordinated development of upstream and downstream industrial chains, and giving birth to many emerging manufacturing companies and brands.
At the same time, various outdoor sports events such as marathons, mountaineering festivals, and Gobi challenges have flourished, further stimulated the enthusiasm for public participation and had a positive impact on stimulating consumption and enhancing the city's brand image. According to relevant statistics, during the 2024 Lanzhou Marathon, foreign athletes came to Lanzhou to participate, with an average stay in Lanzhou for 3 days. The per capita consumption during the competition was 4333.44 yuan. The hotel, catering, transportation and other industries ushered in a peak in consumption, and the cumulative direct economic benefits generated by the event reached 537.67 million yuan.
In addition, the integrated development of outdoor sports and other industries has also achieved remarkable results. For example, the integration of outdoor sports and cultural and tourism industries brings people a unique tourism experience; combined with the health care industry, the development of forest hiking, hot spring therapy and other projects has stimulated the economic potential of silver hair; combined with the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside, it uses rural marathon tracks, agricultural experience camping sites, etc. to attract urban tourists to the countryside, and drive the sales of agricultural products and the development of rural tourism. Looking ahead, with the development of society and technological progress, outdoor sports will be deeply integrated with more fields, creating more new business forms and models, and injecting continuous new momentum into economic and social development.
The release of the "Guiding Opinions" is timely and conforms to the trend of the times. Its core goal is to focus on building high-quality outdoor sports destinations, increase financial resources support for governments at all levels, enhance the brand effect and domestic and foreign influence of outdoor sports destinations, create a high-quality outdoor economic gathering place, and allow more people to share the fruits of outdoor sports development, and provide strong support for local economic and social development.
Under the policy wind, the current development of outdoor sports is standing at a new historical starting point and ushering in a golden period of development. At this critical juncture, the "Guiding Opinions" must be used as an action guide to gather strength from all parties and fully release the economic potential of outdoor sports.
On the one hand, local governments should play a leading role, further refine policy support, scientifically plan outdoor sports venues, improve surrounding supporting facilities such as transportation, accommodation, and catering, standardize market order, and create a good software and hardware environment for the development of the outdoor sports industry. On the other hand, as market entities, enterprises must keenly capture market demand and increase efforts in research and development, service and model innovation of outdoor sports equipment. In equipment research and development, more funds will be invested in the research of new materials and new technologies, and lighter, more durable and smarter outdoor sports equipment will be developed. In terms of service innovation, personalized services are provided according to the needs of different customer groups to better meet people's needs for outdoor sports, so that outdoor sports can drive domestic demand more effectively, thereby promoting economic development.
(Author: Ao Yangli, media commentator)
