By hannover-web.com On the evening of October 26, in Dali, the 2024 China Outdoor Sports Industry Conference kicked off, unveiling the “China Outdoor Sports Industry Development Report (2023-2024).” This report highlights a vibrant outdoor sports consumption market in China, particularly noting that the “post-80s” and “post-90s” generations have emerged as the core consumer demographics.
Yang Xuedong, Director of the Sports Economic Department at the General Administration of Sport of China and Minister of the Economic Department at the Chinese National Sports Federation, stated that from 2023 to 2024, the outdoor sports industry in China is experiencing sustained healthy growth. The industry is expanding in scale, improving in quality, and releasing considerable consumption potential, marking it as a significant driver of the sports industry overall.
The report indicates that outdoor sports are becoming increasingly popular and are effectively meeting public consumption demands. Data from Tongcheng Travel reveals that in the first half of 2024, the number of orders related to outdoor sports surged by 59.78% compared to the same period in 2023. Outdoor sports enthusiasts typically spend between 2,000 and 5,000 yuan annually.
In terms of demographics, the core consumers of outdoor sports primarily consist of individuals from the “post-80s” and “post-90s” generations. According to data from Tongcheng Travel, in 2023, the “post-80s” group comprised the largest segment of outdoor sports participants at 37.13%, followed closely by the “post-90s” at 35.17%. The “post-00s” youth and the “post-70s” group show comparable participation rates at 12.79% and 10.02%, respectively.
The report also points out variances in consumption across different outdoor activities. In the first half of 2024, there was a notable increase in orders for activities such as cycling, fishing, paragliding, surfing, and sailing compared to the same period in 2023, while horseback riding, camping, diving, and drifting experienced a decrease.
Focusing on key outdoor sports projects, the report notes that activities such as ice and snow sports, water sports, road running, fishing, and equestrian events continue to lead the industry’s development. During the current snow season, the total scale of participation in ice and snow sports reached 264 million. The surfing and paddleboarding markets now encompass over a million consumers, with the overall consumption scale surpassing 1 billion yuan.
In terms of road running, 2023 saw 699 large-scale events with more than 800 participants each, attracting over 6.05 million entrants nationwide. Currently, there are approximately 160 million fishing enthusiasts in China, predominantly aged between 25 and 44. The economic scale of the equestrian segment reached 20.99 billion yuan in 2023. Additionally, climbing, hiking, and cycling activities are trending on online platforms, with cycling driving increased sales in bicycles, cycling apparel, and accessories.
The report also references data from the “2023 National Sports Venue Statistical Survey,” revealing that there are 152,800 fitness trails across the country, stretching 371,000 kilometers—equivalent to circling the Earth nine times. As of September 2024, China boasts over 177,000 outdoor-related enterprises. The scale of the outdoor equipment market has grown from 67.5 billion yuan in 2019 to 87.2 billion yuan in 2023.
