Sports Cultural Synergy in 15th National Games Invents GBA’s Winning Formula丨CBN Perspective

By Stephanie LI丨SFC, 21st Century Business Herald 

"Host a great event, revitalize a city" is more than just a slogan. The 15th National Games has reframed it as "Host a great event, activate a circle" — the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) cultural, tourism and consumption circle.

1.46 billion views of National Games-related videos, 61.9 million  content exposures of Cantonese cuisine, 10.48 million searches for travel guides... In the first week since the opening of the games, the "event economy" effect in the GBA has already been fully unleashed.

The concentrated outbreak of online popularity is continuously transforming into tangible transaction volume. Data from Douyin shows that since November 1, Gross Merchandise Volume in Guangzhou and Shenzhen have both risen by over 130% year-on-year.

Meituan Travel data also shows flight bookings to Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai rose 26% year-on-year, while Qunar reported venue-area hotel surges, such as a 125% jump for hotels near Shenzhen’s Longgang District, home to the Universiade Center.

The games gives "sports+" real substance, integrating intangible cultural heritage, local cuisine, and "guochao" (China Chic) IPs, creating event-culture-commerce synergy. This fueled 2,800 licensed products selling out instantly, generating 680 million yuan.

Star athletes further amplified regional demand: national swimming icons Sun Yang and Pan Zhanle’s showdown in Shenzhen lifted Longgang’s hotel popularity 24% month-on-month, while Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha’s table tennis matches in Macao drove a 52% year-on-year surge in the city’s hotel bookings.

Leveraging on the games’ rising popularity, ticket stubs have also transformed into a city-wide benefits package, rather than one-time passes. Spectators can use stubs for free subway rides, free and discounted tickets at over 100 tourist attractions across the region, 60% off at Guangzhou Tower, among other catering and shopping discounts, extending the consumption journey of 5 million visitors across 24-hour city life.

But what's truly impressive is GBA's cross-border connectivity that makes the one-hour economic circle possible. For the first time in National Games history, events are held in Hong Kong and Macao, and it’s also the first time three regions’ consumption policies are bundled. The seamless flow of people, vehicles, and payments makes cross-city event attendance as common as cross-district commuting. The data — over 18 million tourists in Guangzhou and Shenzhen in seven days, and hotel bookings surging by up to 125% — is the best proof of the GBA’s coordinated operation.

The 15th National Games has proven more than a sports spectacle—it’s a catalyst for the GBA’s integrated development. What began with reimagined ticket stubs and "sports+" innovation has grown into a model of cross-border collaboration: seamless travel, bundled benefits, and surging consumption that bridges cities and cultures.

As the GBA builds on this momentum, the Games’ legacy will lie in turning temporary excitement into lasting habits—making cross-city experiences, cultural exchanges, and shared economic opportunities a daily part of life for millions.

From the simultaneous torch relay across four cities to the cross-border layout of events, from the extensive selection of torchbearers to the diverse formation of volunteer teams, "National Games for All" has become a tangible, perceptible, and accessible real-life experience for GBA residents.

Cross-border integration and convergence have elevated the value of the National Games, transcending sports beyond itself. The 15th National Games is drawing to a successful close, but the GBA’s story is far from over. It is a new starting point for the GBA’s development narrative, and also a fresh chapter in China’s sports journey.

Editor: LI Yanxia

Host: Stephanie LI

Writer: Stephanie LI

Sound Editor: Stephanie LI

Graphic Designer: ZHENG Wenjing, LIAO Yuanni

Produced by 21st Century Business Herald Dept. of Overseas News.

Presented by SFC