CASHING IN ON GOLDEN TICKETS

For soccer fan Wang Jixiang, few things rival the thrill of flying more than 1,000 kilometers to watch a live match — especially when it doubles as a family getaway.

During China's eight-day "Golden Week" holiday, incorporating National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival, Wang and his family left their home in Liaoning province for Nanjing, Jiangsu province, to catch a highly-anticipated playoff quarterfinal in the wildly popular Jiangsu Football City League, dubbed the "Jiangsu Super League" or "suchao".

"The game was absolutely worth it!" Wang said, still beaming after witnessing Nanjing's penalty shootout victory over Lianyungang on Saturday. "It's our first trip built around a soccer match, and it's really unforgettable."

Launched this year, the amateur soccer tournament, which pits 13 cities from across Jiangsu province against one another, has taken China's grassroots soccer scene by storm.

Over the recent eight-day holiday, four knockout matches were scheduled, with the final set to take place in November.

The league's popularity rivals that of professional competitions. Saturday's match alone drew 61,355 spectators, setting a new attendance record for amateur soccer in China. Across 13 rounds of regular-season play, total attendance has exceeded 2.11 million, averaging 27,000 per game.

But the league's allure goes beyond the soccer pitch. Its matches have become magnets for travelers, inspiring fans to add "watching a game" to their holiday itineraries — or even to choose destinations based on where the next match is being played.

"Watching the match was a key reason we came to Nanjing," Wang said. "We're also taking time to explore the city. And the game ticket even gets us discounts at scenic spots and hotels."

According to data from Nanjing's commerce department, the city welcomed 14.06 million tourists in the first five days of the holiday, up 13.4 percent year-on-year. Many of them, like Wang, listed a Jiangsu Super League match on their must-see list.

Traveling fans

In downtown Nanjing, suchao fever is visible everywhere — from massive LED screens replaying game highlights, to malls running soccer-themed promotions to lure fans from the stadiums into shopping centers.

Traveling to new destinations to watch the games — a rising trend in China's tourism landscape — is helping cities like Nanjing blend sports with leisure and retail. Local authorities have launched promotions, allowing visitors to use ticket stubs for discounts at more than 400 locations.

The strategy is paying off. The first six rounds of the provincial league spurred 38 billion yuan ($5.3 billion) in consumption. Saturday's playoff quarterfinal boosted retail, dining and hospitality sales in Nanjing's key commercial areas to 870 million yuan, up 6.4 percent from last year.

"The holiday crowd has doubled, and many customers are out-of-towners here for the soccer," said Zhou Xiaozhou, owner of a bar in Nanjing. For those unable to secure match tickets, sports bars and malls with giant screens have become alternative fan hubs. "The local excitement levels are even crazier than during the World Cup," Zhou added.

Outdoor districts across Jiangsu have transformed into open-air fan zones, complete with large projection screens and hundreds of seats. In Wuxi, a lakeside commercial street famous for bars and barbecue joints boasts more than 40 big screens, ensuring no fan misses a goal while savoring the local flavors.

Host cities have also rolled out the red carpet for visitors, offering free scenic spot access to residents from rival cities. Yancheng even announced it would give out complimentary local snacks — like its signature egg pancakes — to ticket-holding fans.

"The 'ticket economy' links sports, tourism and commerce," said Si Zengchuo, a professor at Jiangsu Normal University. "It's a model for the one-stop experience — watch the match, tour the city and shop — that is now spreading nationwide."

Igniting the economy

Across China, the holiday period has turned into a festival of sports. At least nine provincial soccer leagues staged more than 80 matches, echoing the Jiangsu Super League's success and highlighting how local tournaments can stimulate sports consumption.

In Chongqing, more than 50 local events were staged, anchored by 30 national sports tourism routes and bases spanning mountain, water, air and winter sports, turning outdoor recreation into a new driver of holiday spending.

Major professional tournaments also added momentum. Tickets for the WTT China Grand Smash, China Open and Rolex Shanghai Masters sold out rapidly, with fans flocking to Beijing and Shanghai to watch an array of world-class international and domestic sports stars. As of Oct 3, the China Open and WTT events reported sales of 88 million yuan and 86 million yuan, respectively — both record highs.

Shanghai further fueled demand by distributing 20 million yuan in sports consumption vouchers ahead of the holiday, with additional coupons for swimming, badminton and winter sports.

Experts say the surge of sports-related spending reflects a broader shift in China's consumer economy. According to the government's latest policy blueprint, the total output of China's sports industry is expected to exceed seven trillion yuan by 2030, driven by event-based consumption and the fusion of sports, tourism and culture.

"Sports consumption is expanding beyond the arena," said Ding Xiang, associate professor at Nanjing University. "The emotional and experiential value of events is reshaping consumer behavior. People don't just want to watch — they want to be there, to feel it, to live it."

"In the future, we'll see more events like the Jiangsu Super League, where fans don't just attend matches, but truly immerse themselves in the life and rhythm of the host cities," Ding added.

Xinhua