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| STUDY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MARINE SPORTS TOURISM IN CHINA-A Case Study of Qingdao |
| SHENG Hong1, LIU Shu-guang1, CHEN Xun2 |
1. Tourism Department, China Ocean University, Qingdao 266071, China;
2. National Navigating Sports School, Qingdao 266003, China |
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Abstract There has been an increasing interest in marine sports tourism in the world in the past several decades. This paper reviews the history of world-wide marine sports tourism development and prospects the tendency of marine sports tourism in China. It also analyses that there're some advantages in Qingdao to develop marine sports tourism. Its natural conditions are suitable, such as the good climate, wave and bays. The city also has good economic base and urban environment. As it has good location and developed transportation, Qingdao will also build up a vast marine sports tourist market. Most of all, it has the best marine research and technological capability and the highest marine sports coach level. It also points out the shortcomings in developing marine sports in Qingdao as well as in China. On one hand, most sports arenas developed are relatively small, and mainly for sport excise and competition usage. The facilities and services of marine sports are not perfect. The public marine tourism sports, except swimming and yachting, are almost in very primary levels. So the tourism resources need to be developed further, and the marine tourism sports product-structure needs to be flourished. On the other hand, there are not so many tourists participating marine sports tourism due to the low life level and the weak marketing and propagandizing of this kind of tourism in the past years. Moreover, some marine sport games have very strong seasonal character, for example, those games depending on the water temperature are limited by weather very much. In a word, the marine sports tourism is not accepted by public yet, and at present it is in primary level. Finally this paper suggests several major strategies for enhancing marine sports tourism in the future in Qingdao as well as in China. First, the marine sports tourism plan in coastal areas should be worked out scientifically and carried out strictly. Secondly, we must grasp the opportunities of the Beijing Olympic Symposium to speed up the tourism resource development and installation establishment. Thirdly, some distinctive products of marine sports tourism should be developed actively so as to perfect the structure of tourism products. Fourthly, education of both marine sports and tourism itself should be developed. Fifthly, by propagandizing and promoting effectively, the marine sports tourism in Qingdao and in China will be well-known.
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Received: 27 March 2003
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2004, Vol. 19 
