On November 13, the 2026 China Sports Culture Expo and China Sports Tourism Expo, themed "Advancing with Sports, Uniting Hearts for the New Era," officially opened in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. Cui Jian, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Sport of China, attended the opening ceremony. Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee, delivered a congratulatory video address. The expo not only provided a concentrated showcase of the latest achievements in China's sports culture and tourism industries but also served as a vital platform for promoting cross-sector integration and high-quality development.
The opening ceremony was marked by a series of highlights, where the sporting spirit and cultural heritage shone brightly. Xi Aihua, gold medalist in the women's quadruple sculls at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, donated a precious Olympic gold medal to the China Sports Museum. Chen Yanqing, Wang Jiao, Lin Qingfeng, and other Olympic champions were present to witness this glorious moment. Additionally, the Sports Culture Development Center of the General Administration of Sport and the Sports and Youth Program Center of China Media Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement on-site, committing to jointly deepen the dissemination of sports culture. During the event, outstanding Chinese sports culture projects and premier sports tourism projects were also promoted, further stimulating public enthusiasm for sports tourism.
In terms of scale and operational model, this year's dual expos achieved innovative breakthroughs. The exhibition linked Suzhou and Changshu, establishing a new collaborative framework of "main venue plus satellite venues." This model effectively expanded the physical space and reach of the expo, attracting approximately 600 enterprises and institutions to exhibit and participate. With a total exhibition area of 50,000 square meters, it fully demonstrated the robust vitality and strong market appeal of China's sports, cultural, and tourism industries.
As the host, the Jiangsu Pavilion, themed "Events Ignite the Rivers and Seas, Integration Propels Us into the Future," became the focal point of the expo. The pavilion was meticulously designed with seven core zones: "Events and New Consumption," "Outdoors and New Style," "Integration and New Scenarios," "Digital and Intelligent New Manufacturing," "Cultural Creativity and New Business Formats," "Glory and New Heritage," and "Intangible Cultural Heritage and New Vitality." Notably, the Jiangsu Pavilion introduced a Culture, Tourism, Sports, and Commerce Integration Service Zone for the first time. By building a multi-dimensional exhibition system integrating "audiovisuals, scenario displays, and interactive experiences," it comprehensively showcased the province's new achievements in the sports industry, sports culture, and the deep integration of culture, tourism, sports, and commerce.
The zone layout and event schedule of this year's expo offer clear insights into the current development trends of the sports, culture, and tourism sector. On the one hand, the deep integration of culture, tourism, sports, and commerce has become an industry consensus. Sports are no longer confined to competition itself; rather, as a core traffic driver, they are deeply intertwined with commercial consumption and cultural tourism, giving rise to diversified new consumption scenarios. On the other hand, the establishment of the "Digital and Intelligent New Manufacturing" zone reflects how technology is reshaping the sports equipment manufacturing industry, with smart and digital innovations becoming key to enhancing product value-added. This dual drive of cross-sector integration and technological empowerment is accelerating the transformation of China's sports industry towards higher added value and superior user experiences, revealing broad market prospects.