Wanning giving thrust to sports tourism

Wanning, a coastal city in South China's Hainan province, is riding the surfing wave to power its sports tourism industry, attracting young sports lovers and adventure seekers from home and abroad.

The municipal government is aiming to transform the city into a sports tourism hub. "Wanning focuses on the core of youth and vitality, targeting young travelers and positioning the city as a trendy sports tourism destination of water activities," said Liu Chao, vice-mayor of Wanning.

Riyue Bay, which is anchoring the plan, is home to the country's national surf training base, hosting world-class competitions year-round and attracting an estimated 500,000 surfers annually, according to Sun Deguang, deputy director of the city's tourism, culture, film, television and sports bureau.

Sun said the city's 109-kilometer coastline, with stable waves averaging 1.5 to 2 meters and a year-round average temperature of 26.5 C, has drawn more than 30 surf clubs and long-stay enthusiasts.

The city is leveraging sports events to convert traffic into spending. This year, it is expected to stage more than 40 sports competitions, including the inaugural Wanning International Surfing Competition.

Beyond surfing, Wanning is expanding into diving at the Shimei Bay and jet skiing at Shenzhou Peninsula, backed by national training bases, to create a differentiated three-bay model. A marathon earlier this year drew nearly 18,000 participants and generated direct tourism revenue of 26.9 million yuan ($3.7 million), with wider consumption lifting revenue by another 30 million yuan.

It is also pushing industrial integration — linking sports with coffee, food, duty-free shopping and rural vitalization — to lengthen visitor stays and diversify revenue streams.

Tourism numbers point to the momentum.

Wanning received 9 million visitors in 2024, up 7.4 percent year-on-year, generating 8.2 billion yuan in revenue, a 14.6 percent jump. From January to August 2025, the city welcomed 6.7 million visitors, with spending up 8.4 percent to 6.3 billion yuan.

The city is gearing up to upgrade its infrastructure. The Riyue Bay interchange is nearing completion to ease traffic especially during public holidays, while China's first surf park with an artificial wave pool is due to open in October, according to the local government.

Wanning's efforts align with the country's broader push. A State Council directive earlier this month called for the sports industry to exceed 7 trillion yuan by 2030, including the cultivation of globally influential events and enterprises.

"We are breaking down industry barriers and promoting deep integration to form a synergy of development from multiple formats," Liu said.