[Guangming Commentary]

Author: Bai Yufei and Feng Jun (each professor of the School of Management of Beijing Sports University and associate professor of the School of Management of Beijing Sports University)

At present, China's outdoor sports have entered a golden period of development. The outdoor sports industry accounts for nearly 60% of the sports industry, and the number of participants exceeds 400 million. The construction of outdoor sports destinations has become another focus in promoting China's new urbanization process. Recently, the "Guiding Opinions on Building High-Quality Outdoor Sports Destinations" issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the General Administration of Sports clearly stated that "by 2030, build about 100 high-quality outdoor sports destinations", further highlighting the strategic position of outdoor sports development and bringing important opportunities for destination cities to improve development quality and establish a new image. Some cities can leverage the adaptive utilization of outdoor sports resources, the flexible development of outdoor sports venues, and the diversified construction of outdoor sports formats to continuously cultivate differentiated advantages and gather urban brand potential.

The paths for outdoor sports resources to promote the improvement of urban image cover aspects such as advantage exploration, industrial value-added, ecological feeding and brand premium. Specifically, the improvement of the city's image begins with the accurate identification and development of its own endowments, and strengthens the value of urban functionalities through "sports +", promotes the transformation of the industrial structure from traditional resource dependence to green economy-led, and ultimately achieves brand reshaping with the help of outdoor sports resources. The Northeast region has significant advantages in developing ice and snow sports. Guided by the concept of "ice and snow are also gold and silver mountains", Harbin has built the largest outdoor public ice rink in Asia, with the most complete ice sports events and pure sports elements, creating a "golden business card" for urban development. The southwest region has rich altitude changes and abundant precipitation. Liupanshui, Guizhou, deeply explores the unique climate and geographical advantages of the local "summer, cool winter snow", and strives to create a high-quality tourist city destination for "outdoor + cultural tourism", achieving a successful transformation from "Jiangnan Coal Capital" to "China Liangdu". Under the nourishment of the quality of "green water and green mountains", outdoor sports and local endowments have been deeply combined, adding personalized temperament and labels to the city's image. From this we can see that fully revitalizing and benefiting users' outdoor sports resources according to local conditions and nourishing urban quality with "green water and green mountains" is an important way to promote urban construction.

The construction of site facilities is the hardware foundation for developing outdoor sports, an important way to improve urban public service capabilities, and a strategic engine that drives the multi-dimensional development of urban economy, culture and ecology. From the perspective of traditional urbanization, landmark buildings and economies of scale often play a leading role. With the vigorous development of outdoor sports, the value and importance of the "golden corner and silver edge" space development in cities with relatively scattered locations and functions is increasing. Through scientific planning of outdoor resources such as mountains, waters, and airspace, it can not only activate the city's idle space and potential endowments, but also inject new momentum into sustainable development into the city with the aggregation of people, the integration of industries and the shaping of brands, forming a development closed loop from the construction of outdoor sports facilities, to the extension of the sports industry chain, and then to the improvement of the city's comprehensive competitiveness. From the "growth" sports function of Qingdao Qilu Health Park and Taipingjiao Park, to the "transformation" of the natural tidal flats near Chongqing Fisherman's Bay Wharf, N37 Bridge Corner Luminous Camp, which includes cycling trails, trendy sports fields, and parent-child playgrounds, to the Internet celebrity sports check-in spots "grown" under the overpasses in many cities such as Changsha and Xi'an, the construction of outdoor sports venues has become an important force supporting the city to change its appearance, add vitality and increase momentum through the development and utilization of the "golden corner and silver edges".

In the process of outdoor sports promoting urban development and shaping a new image of the city, the enrichment and diversification of products and services are the key to supporting the healthy development of the national outdoor market. Today, the traditional outdoor industry's unique "equipment purchase + venue use" model is being deconstructed and redefined by emerging market activities. Outdoor enthusiasts are no longer satisfied with the single sports function of the destination, but are more inclined to pursue a compound experience of deep participation in outdoor sports. In the face of demand changes, urban development can anchor the supply of products and services that meet their comparative advantages, and use dislocated competition and borrowing cooperation to exert the "long-board effect" to achieve a new urban ecology where flowers bloom together and beautifully share the beauty. For example, Chengdu Luke Island combines surfing, rowing, skiing, camping, animal farms, art markets, etc., and cultivates a model of urban sports and tourism service complexes with the "outdoor + trade show" model, contributing the strength of the outdoor industry to Chengdu's work on building a "world event city" to build a strong chain. The innovative changes in outdoor sports products and services enable destination cities to build different ecological niches in the outdoor industry chain, thereby demonstrating their differentiated image and unique attractiveness.