Li Chu, Party Secretary of Guilin and deputy to China’s 14th National People’s Congress, has formally advocated for enhanced national policies to accelerate the integrated development of sports, tourism, and rural revitalization initiatives. The proposal draws upon Guilin’s demonstrated success in leveraging its distinctive karst topography to create a synergistic model combining athletic activities with tourism infrastructure.
Speaking at the ongoing NPC sessions, Deputy Li highlighted how Guangxi’s premier tourist destination has strategically positioned sports as a central catalyst for comprehensive development. The city has constructed over 14,000 specialized sports facilities while innovatively transforming its natural landscapes into competition venues and recreational spaces.
The integrated approach generates substantial economic benefits through approximately 400 annual public participation events and nearly 30 major international competitions biennially. This sports-tourism nexus has effectively connected urban attractions with countryside resources, stimulating growth in rural homestays, agricultural product sales, and local service industries.
Li’s policy recommendations include issuing national-level implementation guidelines, establishing dedicated funding mechanisms for outdoor sports infrastructure, and streamlining land use approval processes. These measures would enable regions with comparable geographical advantages to pursue differentiated development strategies while supporting national rural revitalization objectives.