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Outdoor sports "play" creates a big industry

　　Our reporter Li Guo


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　　Popular, all-age, lightweight outdoor sports are emerging one after another, and the activity scenes are gradually expanding. Their fresh and interesting characteristics, low participation threshold and social attributes are also sought after by many young people.

　　"Just like some people like to dance and some like to practice yoga, outdoor sports are also a kind of relaxation for me. Mountaineering, cross-country, and skiing take up most of my spare time. I am immersed in nature. After exercise, I can feel full, Welcome to a new day of work and life." 36-year-old Wang Lili, an outdoor sports enthusiast in Wanzhou, Chongqing, told reporters recently.

　　From Frisbee and camping to diving and bungee jumping, outdoor sports that are both fashionable and healthy build a unique bridge between "lucid waters and lush mountains" and "gold and silver mountains", and lead new consumption trends with specialization, portability and playability.

　　Data from Meituan and Dianping show that since this year, “cycling park”, “cycling club” and “camping barbecue” have become popular search terms. Among them, the search volume related to "hiking" increased by nearly 100% year-on-year, and the number of guide notes increased by more than 190%; keywords such as "hiking one-day tour" and "mountain climbing" all increased by more than 400%. According to data from Tianyancha Professional Edition, there are currently more than 279,000 outdoor sports companies in my country. Among them, there were more than 7,000 newly registered companies from January to February this year, an increase of 3.9% compared with the same period in 2023.

Niche sports become new consumer fashion

　　The national "Outdoor Sports Industry Development Plan (2022-2025)" shows that as of now, the number of people participating in outdoor sports nationwide has exceeded 400 million, and the total scale of the outdoor sports industry will exceed 3 trillion yuan by 2025.

　　The reporter recently saw at the Mingyue Lake Kayaking Base in Liangjiang New District, Chongqing, the calm water, the wide hull, life jackets, and professional trainers. No experience or skills are required, as long as you bring a sense of adventure, you can kayak. Experience the safest water sports.

　　"I made an appointment with some good friends during the weekend to relax in this beautiful and quiet place. It was a unique experience to take a boat ride in the middle of the lake." Mr. Zhang, who had just gotten off the kayak, told reporters.

　　The reporter saw in Chongqing Maxim’s Red Wine Town that in the spring of March, rapeseed flowers of all colors were in full bloom, attracting a large number of citizens and tourists to hike and enjoy the fun of “going up the spring mountain” in the sea of ​​golden flowers. It also drove the accommodation, catering, and Sales of agricultural products.

　　The person in charge of Maxim's Wine Town said that relying on its good natural environment and sports and leisure resources, it is committed to creating a scenic spot that combines tourism and outdoor sports. It has held eight consecutive high-heeled color runs and the annual "Welcome to the New Year" event. , "Jie Xiaoqing Charity Hiking" and other outdoor events attracted many tourists to actively participate.

　　Running, jumping, cheering, a small Frisbee was passed among the young people. Last Saturday, an ultimate Frisbee competition for nearly 30 people was held at the Wudu Frisbee Club in Nan'an District, Chongqing. "Frisbee is easy to learn and feels good when playing. I have also made many friends through Frisbee." During the game, Xiao Zhang, who loves this sport, told reporters.

　　In recent years, Ultimate Frisbee has successfully emerged from the circle with its strong social attributes and fun. Not only have multiple Frisbee clubs such as Fog City and UFO emerged in Chongqing, but the number of Frisbee enthusiasts has also increased from hundreds to tens of thousands. "Since this year, we have gone from only doing 2 to 3 events a week to now doing 10 to 12 events a week, and the number of places is still in short supply," said the person in charge of the Wudu Frisbee Club.

　　"Outdoor sports are becoming an eco-friendly activity that goes deep into green waters and mountains and into the embrace of nature. It makes 'going outdoors' a life attitude, including people's emphasis on health, pursuit of freedom, and spiritual habitat. yearning." Huang Jin, director of the Sports Culture Development Center of the State Sports General Administration, said that compared with traditional sports, emerging sports such as Frisbee and rock climbing are easier to learn and the possibility of accidental injuries is low. They not only meet the needs of the masses for leisure sports, but also take into account the fun. Sex and sociability.

Promote the rapid development of supporting equipment companies

　　"Before getting involved in outdoor sports, I preferred going shopping with friends to buy clothes. But after getting involved in running, cycling and other sports, fitness consumption has become the bulk of my expenses." said Ms. Liu, a Chongqing citizen. Not only did he purchase a large amount of professional sports equipment, he also hired a personal trainer to enable him to exercise scientifically.

　　As a sports expert, Ms. Liu told reporters that she basically buys some sports equipment every three months. In 2023 alone, the money she spent on sports equipment exceeded 5 figures.

　　Since the beginning of this year, sales of fishing equipment on online shopping platforms have increased by 153%, and sales of self-driving camping equipment have increased by 167%. Driven by the craze for outdoor sports, outdoor consumer products are becoming increasingly diversified, and the role of outdoor sports in driving the sports industry has become more prominent.

　　From river tracing to camping, from cycling to rock climbing, as people's demands for health, leisure, and eco-tourism increase, the threshold for outdoor sports has been greatly lowered, and it has become a popular form of exercise. Decathlon, known for its comprehensive range of sports categories and high cost performance, has opened 6 physical shopping malls in Chongqing since its entry into Chongqing 10 years ago, providing professional products and one-stop sports experience services for more than 80 sports.

　　Up to now, Decathlon (Chongqing)’s omni-channel revenue has increased by approximately 12% year-on-year. In particular, the sales of outdoor sports products such as cycling have increased significantly, with a year-on-year increase of over 35%.

　　As the largest production base of jackets in the country, Sanmen, Zhejiang has a resounding slogan: "China's jackets are 60% made in Sanmen!" Pan Litai, president of the Sanmen County Jacket Clothing Industry Association, said: "We have just made statistics. Last year, Sanmen jackets were made in Sanmen. More than 80 million pieces were sold, with an output value of more than 12 billion yuan."

　　Jackets have been frequently searched for outdoor sports in the past year. Whether it is because of the high price of a certain brand or the "autonomous popularity" brought by the outdoor sports craze, jackets themselves are the "core" of outdoor sports.

　　"The production and sales in 2023 have increased by 50% compared with previous years. On various e-commerce platforms, more than 10,000 jackets can be sold in one night." Jin Lijun, head of Zhejiang Lantu Outdoor Products Co., Ltd., told reporters.

Cultural and sports tourism integrates "flow" into "retention"

　　In outdoor sports, those born in the 1990s and 1980s account for a larger proportion. Different from traditional ball games, fitness or mountain climbing, hiking, outdoor leisure sports under the new trend attract more female players to participate, with women accounting for 2/3. First-tier and new first-tier cities are home to 65% of outdoor sports participants, and their preferences influence the direction of the entire outdoor sports consumer market; while second-, third-, and fourth-tier cities currently have low penetration rates and are areas with high potential for future market growth. .

　　In recent years, many places have introduced a number of favorable policies to further promote a better policy environment for the development of the outdoor sports industry. Yunnan Province has made it clear that by 2025, the province will cultivate no less than 100 high-quality sports tourism projects and more than 6,000 outdoor sports and related business entities. Chongqing further expands the "circle of friends" for the development of outdoor sports, focusing on the development of 26 sports such as mountain climbing, rock climbing, and hiking in mountains, waters, airspace, forests, and urban areas.

　　Taking Lijiang, Yunnan as an example, since the 2014 Granfondo Cycling Festival, the Lijiang track has become the most beloved “ultimate test” for riders. Yin Liangqin, deputy director of the Lijiang Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, said that "traveling with the events" has become an important reason for the majority of sports enthusiasts to come to Lijiang. "One person participates, the whole family travels, one day of competition and multiple days of stay" is becoming the norm, and sports events bring The incoming "traffic" has been transformed into "retention" for cultural tourism consumption, driving local catering, transportation, tourism and other related consumption, and "burning" the economy.

　　Ji Jianming, founder of "Noke", believes that the outdoor sports market is undergoing a digital revolution. People like to use smart devices to record and share sports experiences, which puts forward new requirements for future products and services.

　　"In the process of outdoor sports moving from niche to mass, consumer demands have become more refined and professional. Currently, there are still limiting factors such as a lack of professional talents, small enterprise scale, insufficient product supply, and limited brand influence." Dr. Li Wenjian of the Chongqing Sports Research Institute suggested that cultivating professional talents and supporting the development of enterprises and industries will be the key to providing development momentum for outdoor sports. With the upgrading of consumption concepts, the R&D and design level of outdoor product companies will directly affect the market competitiveness of products. (Worker Daily)