"Watch the Games, Tour Linyi": Sports-tourism-business integration energizes host city

In the name of sports, a rendezvous with Yimeng. During the 26th Shandong Province Sports Games, Linyi launched the innovative "Watch the Games, Tour Linyi" campaign, leveraging event traffic to drive cultural and tourism consumption and using sports to energize urban development — painting a vivid picture of deep integration across sports, tourism, and business.

Since its launch, the first batch of 277 partner units — including scenic spots, guesthouses, hotels, and specialty merchants — has offered discounts to Games participants, drawing large numbers of athletes, spectators, and out-of-town visitors to explore and spend in Linyi. From the verdant peaks of Mengshan to the flowing waters of the Yihe River, from the Former Residence of Wang Xizhi to the Yinqueshan Han Dynasty Bamboo Slip Museum, from the bustling night market at "Lantern-lit Lanshan · New Langya" to the calligraphy-infused Calligraphy Square, visitors experienced Linyi's red culture, mountain-and-water ecology, and trade-logistics character beyond the competition venues.

To sustain the Games' momentum and capitalize on upcoming major sports events in the second half of the year — including the 7th Shandong Sports Goods Expo and the 2026 Linyi Marathon — Linyi has opened applications for a second batch of "Watch the Games, Tour Linyi" partners, expanding discount coverage, consumption scenarios, and public benefits.

Hosting the Games was far more than a sports event — it was a comprehensive leap in urban capacity. Linyi used the Games as a catalyst to upgrade urban functions, living environment, and civic culture. Thirty-three competition venues were newly built or renovated to high standards, forming a "core-led, county-district-linked, citywide-covered" venue network. Over 4,000 urban and rural fitness facilities were newly built or upgraded, creating riverside sports corridors, urban greenways, and rural fitness spaces to complete a "15-minute fitness circle." The city's total sports venue area rose to second in Shandong, and the proportion of residents regularly participating in physical exercise reached 43.1%.

More than 5,000 volunteers served with professionalism, warmth, and attention both inside and outside the venues, becoming the warmest and most vibrant sight of the Games and giving visitors a genuine sense of Linyi's hospitality and Yimeng's cultural depth.

The opening ceremony, themed "Chasing Dreams Amid Mountains and Seas: The Vibrant Yimeng," was covered by 45 media outlets including People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, and CCTV, generating over 2.65 billion online views and 35 million live-stream viewers — a new record for a large cultural and sports event in Linyi. Trending topics such as "Red Yimeng, Splendid Games," "In the Name of Sports, a Rendezvous with Yimeng," and "Watch the Games, Tour Linyi" spread widely, further enhancing Linyi's visibility, reputation, and influence.

The Games may have concluded, but the drive continues. Going forward, Linyi will carry forward the Chinese sports spirit and Yimeng spirit in the new era, uphold the philosophy of "sports for the people, sports for the city, sports for a stronger city," and use sports to boost economic development and improve people's livelihoods — injecting powerful sports-driven momentum into Linyi's goal of "building a provincial regional sub-center and accelerating toward a trillion-yuan city."

Editor：韩蒙蒙