Dragon Boat Races Ignite Holiday Craze and Boost Tourism Market
During the recent Dragon Boat Festival holiday, dragon boat races across the country have sparked excitement among the public. With dragon boats becoming a hot topic on the internet, the festival has not only added luster to people’s holiday experience but also invigorated the cultural and tourism markets nationwide.
Taking full advantage of the holiday season, many regions have embraced the opportunity to develop event brands and related industries. Zigui, Hubei held a series of dragon boat races during the Dragon Boat Festival, including the prestigious 2023 ICF Dragon Boat World Cup, attracting a staggering 603,700 tourists. Meanwhile, the 23 dragon boat production enterprises in Miluo, Hunan Province have received a multitude of orders, with an estimated total output value of 200 million yuan for this year.
In recent years, engaging in sports and leisure activities has become an increasingly popular choice for holidaymakers. Sports and fitness have seamlessly integrated into people’s holiday lifestyles. Recognizing the importance of sports and leisure projects, local governments are actively promoting the rapid development of the sports industry and creating favorable conditions for sports consumption during holidays.
Currently, attending games, participating in competitions, and traveling have emerged as a new trend in holiday sports consumption. Numerous regions have seized the opportunity to promote the synergy between “sports + tourism,” forming a sports tourism model characterized by one-day competitions, multi-day stays, and group tourism. The integrated development of sports, education, health, and other related industries has provided the public with a wider range of consumption choices. With improvements in living standards and an increase in leisure time, regions are breaking free from regional and seasonal limitations, offering sports activities such as ice and snow sports and water sports to stimulate industrial development, attract more visitors, and cultivate popular sports and leisure projects.
To promote the sports industry and boost sports consumption, collaborative efforts are crucial. In recent years, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the State General Administration of Sports have jointly launched holiday sports tourism boutique routes during the National Day and Spring Festival holidays. These initiatives aim to enrich people’s holiday experiences, drive sports consumption during holidays, and enhance the integration of sports tourism resources and the holiday economy. In popular tourist cities, large-scale sports events are strategically scheduled to avoid causing inconvenience to tourists, ensuring the quality of their holiday experience.
With the increasing demand for sports and leisure, more holiday boutique event brands and sports-related businesses are expected to emerge nationwide, further enriching people’s holiday lifestyles. Sports will continue to add vibrant colors to people’s beautiful lives.
“Peoples Daily” (Version 14, July 3, 2023)