Outdoor sports become new driver for rural revitalization in E China's Shandong

Cyclists race in a cycling competition in Laoling city, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/Jia Peng)

Riding an emerging trend toward outdoor sports, a once obscure and quiet township in east China's Shandong Province has transformed itself into a famous tourist spot featuring sports and leisure experiences.

Despite its natural beauty and rich cultural and historical heritage, Shima township had long struggled to translate its resources into tangible economic benefits.

The rising tide of outdoor sports has become a game-changer for comprehensive rural revitalization in the township, which is under Boshan district, Zibo city, Shandong Province.

In recent years, Shima township has hosted over 10 sporting events at various levels, establishing its reputation as a special township featuring sports and leisure activities.

Meanwhile, the local government has continuously improved various infrastructure facilities for outdoor sports, turning the township into a well-known sports and leisure destination.

The township's Wuyang Lake sports and culture industrial park alone receives over 14,000 visits by athletes from provincial-level and municipal-level sports teams, and more than 300,000 tourist visits annually, providing employment for more than 200 rural workers, according to Zhang Kun, Party chief of the township.

Not long ago, a grand sports carnival was held in Shima township. Gao Wenqing, director of the Shandong Sports Industry Development Service Center, pointed out that the event was aimed at leveraging outdoor sports competitions to drive consumption in such fields as catering, accommodations, shopping, and cultural tourism, in a bid to boost the economic development of the locality.

The impact of outdoor sports on rural revitalization is not limited to Shima township. Across Shandong Province, local governments are tapping into natural resources to create outdoor sports venues in order to boost rural economies.

Official statistics showed that such endeavors have brought considerable economic benefits.

The 2023 World Triathlon Cup Weihai held in Huancui district, Weihai city, Shandong Province, generated 47 million yuan ($6.46 million) in direct economic benefits and over 400 million yuan in quantifiable brand value, demonstrating the multiplier effect of the combination of rural outdoor events and cultural tourism.

In the first half of this year, Dezhou city of Shandong kicked off an outdoor sports carnival to promote the integrated development of the sports and tourism sectors and boost comprehensive rural revitalization.

In an effort to further leverage outdoor sports to spur comprehensive rural revitalization, 15 departments in Shandong, including the Shandong Administration of Sports, have jointly issued an implementation plan to enhance the role of sports in rural revitalization between 2023 and 2027.

Wang Qiang, deputy head of the Shandong Administration of Sports, said Shandong will vigorously advance the development of the rural outdoor sports industry across such fields as mountaineering, cycling, water sports, air sports, and camping.

The province aims to cultivate featured rural outdoor sports consumption scenarios and deepen the integration of sports with industries including agriculture, commerce, tourism, health, elderly care, and education, according to Wang.