The 14th Five-Year Plan period marks the first five years following China’s achievement of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the realization of the first centenary goal. It is a time to build on this momentum to embark on a new journey toward the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist country and advance toward the second centenary goal. This period serves as the starting point for building China into a leading sports power and is a critical stage for fostering the sports industry into a pillar of the national economy.The development of the sports industry in Inner Mongolia faces new circumstances, new tasks, and new requirements. To fully leverage the positive role of the sports industry in promoting economic transformation and upgrading, safeguarding and improving people’s livelihoods, and tapping into and unleashing consumption potential, this document is formulated in accordance with the “Healthy China 2030” Planning Outlinethe "Outline for Building a Sports Powerhouse," the "Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region," and the overall deployment of the General Administration of Sport of China’s "14th Five-Year Plan for Sports Development," this plan is formulated in accordance with the actual conditions of Inner Mongolia.
I. The Context Facing the Development of the Sports Industry During the 14th Five-Year Plan Period
(1) Development Foundation
During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, facing the complex and severe new economic situation both domestically and internationally, the sports industry in Inner Mongolia, driven by institutional and mechanism innovation and aiming to optimize industrial structure and cultivate market entities, maintained a sound overall development momentum and emerged as a new highlight in driving economic growth.
1. The scale of the industry continues to expand. In 2018, the total scale (total output) of the sports industry in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was 31.9 billion yuan, with an added value of 14.5 billion yuan; the added value of the sports industry accounted for 0.9% of the region’s GDP.Looking at the internal structure of the sports industry, the sports service sector maintained strong growth momentum, with an added value of 12.4 billion yuan, accounting for 85.5% of the total sports industry. Among these, the sale, rental, and trade agency of sports goods and related products constituted the largest segment, with an added value of 5.5 billion yuan, representing 38.0% of the total sports industry’s added value.The value added from the manufacturing of sports equipment and related products was 1.8 billion yuan, accounting for 12.2% of the total value added of the sports industry.
2. Sports facilities continue to improve. As of the end of 2020, the region had 58,052 sports venues, with a total area of 52.0185 million square meters, equating to 2.16 square meters of sports venue space per capita.National fitness activity centers have achieved full coverage across all banners, counties (cities, and districts) in the region; the coverage rate of the Farmers’ Sports and Fitness Project in administrative villages reached 93.3%; and the construction coverage rate of the “15-minute fitness circle” in urban communities reached 90.8%. All public sports facilities are open to the public free of charge or at low fees.
3. Sports organizations continue to expand. Currently, there are 2,239 sports social organizations at the county level and above across the region, with 0.9 such organizations per 10,000 people. The region has 53,000 social sports instructors, with 2.1 instructors per 1,000 people. On average, more than 2,200 mass fitness events are held annually, with a cumulative participation of over 9 million people.In 2019, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region designated the first batch of 10 sports industry bases. To date, Inner Mongolia has one national sports industry base, two demonstration units, and four demonstration projects. Nineteen projects were selected for the *2018 National List of Preferred Sports Industry Projects*, providing a platform for fostering the development of large-scale, high-efficiency, and distinctive sports industries.
4. Consumption levels continue to rise. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, sports consumption demand in Inner Mongolia has shifted from the initial purchase of traditional sports equipment to entertainment-oriented and spectator-oriented consumption.Urban sports activities are gradually being integrated into large shopping malls, and sports venues have evolved into sports consumption hubs. Agricultural areas, tourist destinations, and outdoor activity zones on the outskirts of cities are gradually becoming hotspots for sports consumption. A smart sports service platform has been established to support national fitness initiatives. Through various measures, such as the distribution of “sports consumption vouchers,” efforts are being made to guide, stimulate, and unleash the vitality of Inner Mongolia’s sports consumption market, thereby enhancing and driving residents’ sports consumption levels and motivation.
5. Industrial integration has begun to yield results. Led by distinctive projects, efforts are underway to build sports-themed towns that integrate multiple functions—including sports, health, tourism, leisure and elderly care, culture, and livability—through various approaches. A “Northeast Regional Sports Tourism Alliance” has been established in collaboration with sports and tourism departments from the three northeastern provinces.Leveraging the brand influence of National Sports Tourism Demonstration Bases, premier sporting events, premium tourism routes, and National Sports Industry Demonstration Bases, and with the industrial development of sports as the core, the region has hosted distinctive sporting events, establishing well-known brands such as the Car Racing, Horse Racing, Winter Sports, and Naadam festivals.
6. Sports lottery sales have continued to rise. The sports lottery industry in Inner Mongolia has grown rapidly, with cumulative sales reaching 26.72 billion yuan during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, representing a growth rate of 122.04%. In 2020 alone, cumulative sales amounted to 4.538 billion yuan, with market share exceeding 61% for the first time, and public welfare funds totaling 1.225 billion yuan were raised for the year.
7. Football reform has yielded significant results. The reform of the Inner Mongolia Football Association has progressed smoothly, and grassroots football has developed rapidly.During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, a total of 11,199 certified coaches and 4,618 certified referees were trained, with the number of registered soccer players across the region reaching 16,635. A total of 113 autonomous region-level youth soccer clubs were established, hosting an average of 16,000 soccer matches annually, with direct participation reaching 340,000 person-times. A total of 775 community soccer fields were constructed, exceeding the 13th Five-Year Plan targets for community soccer field development.
(2) Opportunities and Challenges
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the competition and performance sector, as well as the fitness and leisure sector, hold great potential. The reputation and influence of major branded events, such as the Cross-Country e-Tribe Alashan Heroes Festival and the Inner Mongolia International Equestrian Festival, continue to grow. Sports are increasingly integrating with related industries such as technology, culture, media, health, elderly care, and tourism. Deepening the integration of sports and healthcare will help reduce medical costs and prevent diseases through mass fitness initiatives;deepening the integration of sports and tourism to innovatively develop premium sports tourism routes and promote the construction of national sports tourism demonstration bases; and deepening the integration of sports and education to enhance young people’s enthusiasm for physical exercise and provide development opportunities for social sports training institutions. Inner Mongolia should seize these development opportunities, focus on key areas, adhere to a people-centered approach and the new development philosophy, improve the diversified support system for national fitness, advance the modernization of the sports governance system and capacity, and continuously enhance the quality and efficiency of sports development.
Promoting the high-quality development of the sports industry is a key component of meeting the people’s growing needs for a better life. We must continuously strengthen the development of basic public sports services, improve sports infrastructure, foster robust market entities and social organizations, stimulate more investment in the sports sector, and steadily consolidate the foundation to create a powerful driving force for the high-quality development of Inner Mongolia’s sports industry.
(3) Existing Shortcomings
The overall development of Inner Mongolia’s sports industry remains in its early stages, and many shortcomings persist: while the sports market is growing increasingly prosperous, the regulatory framework remains inadequate; although the industrial structure is becoming more rational, consumer demand for sports products remains insufficient; while the sports service sector is growing rapidly, profit margins have not yet been fully realized; although the integration of the sports industry is advancing across all fronts, systematic breakthroughs have not yet been achieved; and while the winter sports industry, symbolized by the Winter Games, holds boundless potential, the consumer base still needs to be expanded;demand in the health industry is robust, but the role of enterprises remains insufficient; distinctive sports industries have seen some development, but the cultivation of sports brands requires time; the government has introduced several policies to develop the sports industry and promote sports consumption, but the implementation of these policies still needs to be strengthened.
II. General Requirements
(I) Guiding Principles
Holding high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will fully implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth plenary sessions of the 19th Central Committee. We will fully implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speeches, instructions, and directives regarding Inner Mongolia, coordinate the advancement of the “Five-in-One” overall layout, and promote the “Four Comprehensives” strategic layout in a coordinated manner. We will adapt to the new stage of development, implement the new development philosophy, and serve and integrate into the new development paradigm,we will unwaveringly follow a new path of high-quality development guided by ecological priority and green development. With the goal of meeting the people’s sports needs, driven by institutional and mechanism reforms and technological innovation, and centered on promoting the high-quality development of the sports industry, we will focus on addressing shortcomings and fully leverage Inner Mongolia’s resource advantages.We will foster new drivers of development, optimize the industrial structure, transform the development model, stimulate the potential for sports consumption, accelerate the construction of a modern sports industry system, enhance the specialization and branding of the sports industry, and advance the modernization of the sports governance system and governance capabilities, thereby making new and greater contributions to the economic and social development of the autonomous region.
(2) Basic Principles
1. Uphold the People-First Principle. Firmly establish a people-centered development philosophy, focus on increasing the effective supply of sports products and services, actively cultivate and develop the sports consumption market, and continuously meet the sports and fitness needs of the people under the new normal.
2. Uphold market-driven development. Follow the laws of sports industry development, improve market mechanisms, give full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, optimize the business environment, continuously tap into development potential, expand development space, and increase sports consumption.
3. Uphold innovation-driven development. Drive progress through reform and innovation, accelerate the transformation of government functions, and advance institutional, management, and service innovations. Through planning and standard-setting, break through bottlenecks in industrial development, support and foster new sports business models, unleash the potential of sports resources, and stimulate the vitality of market entities.
4. Uphold demonstration-led development. Focus on key industrial sectors, promote the development of the sports service industry centered on competition and performance as well as fitness and leisure, adhere to distinctive leadership and demonstration-led approaches, and actively cultivate demonstration bases, units, and projects in the sports industry.
5. Uphold integrated development. Fully leverage the role of the sports industry in enriching culture, improving people’s livelihoods, promoting fitness consumption, and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. Advance the comprehensive development of sports industry categories and business models, and promote deep integration between the sports industry and sectors such as health, tourism, culture, elderly care, construction, and information technology.
(III) Main Objectives
Overall Objective: By 2025, a sports industry development framework will be largely established, characterized by a more rational industrial structure, a more balanced spatial layout, steadily emerging business model advantages, significantly enhanced project distinctiveness, gradually emerging innovation capabilities, and a continuously increasing share of services. A number of sports industry bases and distinctive key projects will be established, with diversified sports products, multi-tiered services, and an enriched competition system.The modern sports industry system will be fundamentally improved, and the modernization of the sports industry governance system and governance capabilities will be significantly enhanced. The sports industry will achieve comprehensive, high-quality development, becoming a key driving force for the growth of Inner Mongolia’s national economy and the region’s sustainable social development.
Specific Objectives: The share of sports industry value-added in Inner Mongolia’s GDP will reach approximately 1.4%; the per capita sports facility area will reach 2.6 square meters; public awareness of sports fitness and consumption will be significantly enhanced; per capita sports consumption expenditure will increase markedly; the proportion of people who regularly engage in physical exercise will reach 38.5%; and a “15-minute fitness circle” will be established with full coverage across banners, counties (cities, districts), townships (subdistricts), and administrative villages (communities).
III. Main Tasks
Based on the differences in industrial resources among leagues and cities, the plan designates Hohhot, Baotou, Ordos, and Ulanqab as the “core,” Xilingol League, Chifeng, and Tongliao as the “ring,” and Hulunbuir, Xing’an League, Alxa League,Wuhai City, and Bayannur City as the “two belts,” and arrange industrial demonstration projects around this “one core, one ring, and two belts” framework.
(1) Actively Cultivate the Sports, Fitness, and Leisure Industry
Accelerate the development of the fitness and leisure industry, improve the fitness and leisure service system, and establish a new framework where the government ensures equitable access to basic public sports services while the market meets the diverse demands for fitness and leisure. Cultivate outdoor sports with market potential, encourage the development of online fitness products, and innovate new operational models that integrate online and offline interactions. Expand the coverage of high-quality services through appointment-based services, remote guidance, and immersive experiences.Support sports venues in prioritizing sports while engaging in diversified operations, enhancing multifunctional capabilities and operational efficiency to create new experiential scenarios for spectating, fitness, consumption, and social interaction. Cultivate a group of fitness and leisure enterprises with local characteristics and market competitiveness; encourage leagues and cities to launch distinctive fitness and leisure products and services; support localities in creating or hosting branded events; and promote the integrated development of the fitness and leisure industry.
(2) Prioritize the Development of the Sports Competition and Performance Market
Guided by market-oriented and professional principles, vigorously develop the sports competition and performance sector. Coordinate the layout of events, introduce and cultivate sports competitions that align with regional functions, consolidate and nurture proprietary brand events, and support leagues and cities in developing high-quality, high-return, and high-impact sports events to form distinctive event systems. Support eligible sports disciplines in creating competitions with clear rules, diverse tiers, and broad public appeal, and increase the variety and number of events through tiered authorization and grading evaluations.Fully leverage the spillover effects of branded events, strengthen the integration of sports events with commercial resources, and create sports brand events that are highly attractive and offer an excellent experience. Improve the event market system to form a market structure centered on the sports competition and performance market, supported by various specialized ancillary markets. Refine the sports event evaluation system, support private event enterprises, and establish a service platform where the government supports social forces in organizing events. Continuously regulate the event market and strengthen the guidance, services, coordination, and supervision provided by associations throughout the event operation process.
(3) Cultivating the Sports Consumption Market
Develop sports consumption city plans, take proactive measures, designate pilot cities, and incorporate relevant elements—such as infrastructure construction, integrated industrial development, the growth of sports social organizations, the development of sports complexes, and talent cultivation—into these plans. Continuously implement policies already issued by the central government and the autonomous region, while introducing relevant preferential policies tailored to local conditions to establish a routine mechanism for promoting consumption characterized by “government facilitation, enterprise leadership, market operation, and public benefit.”Launch the selection and evaluation process for “Sports Consumption Cities,” distribute sports consumption vouchers, accelerate the integration of sports consumption city spaces, build smart platforms for sports consumption cities, cultivate sports consumer groups, and unleash the vitality of sports social organizations, making them the backbone of the initiative to create sports consumption cities.Leverage the role of single-sport associations to vigorously promote sports such as the “three major ball sports,” winter sports, table tennis, badminton, tennis, track and field, and swimming, continuously expanding participation in these disciplines. Focusing on key potential consumer groups—including youth, women, and the elderly—as well as family consumption trends, strengthen the tailored design, targeted promotion, and precise delivery of sports products and services.
(4) Developing the Sports Training Industry
Make every effort to popularize mass sports, establish platforms for mass sports events, and guide the widespread and in-depth development of mass sports. Vigorously develop the youth sports training industry, build youth training bases, and establish a competition and training system that supports youth sports activities and aligns with the developmental patterns of adolescents. Encourage social forces to establish sports training institutions and broaden channels for cultivating future talent.Fully leverage the role of the Autonomous Region Sports Association; innovate coordination and collaboration mechanisms among government departments, associations, clubs, and schools; establish an evaluation mechanism for sports associations; support the healthy operation of sports clubs; and gradually form a sports training system suitable for the development of professional sports. Promote the healthy, standardized, and diversified development of the sports training market. Leverage the role of sports intermediary agencies, with a focus on developing intermediary services represented by athlete management and event management.
(5) Developing Equestrian-Related Industries
Promote the development of equestrian-related industries in all leagues and cities, and establish a rationally laid-out and scientifically structured industrial landscape for the sector.Extend the equestrian industry chain by integrating various links such as horse breeding, horse breeding, horse training, horse trading, and racehorse training. Leveraging the industry chain, connect equestrian-related resources across leagues and cities to form a regional industry network. Harness the resource advantages and leading role of key equestrian enterprises within the region to deepen exchanges and cooperation, thereby enhancing the overall strength of the equestrian industry.Improve the regional horse racing industry development system, designating Hohhot, Xilingol League, Ordos, Xing’an League, and Tongliao as the five key areas serving as core engines for horse racing industry development. Strengthen their radiating and driving effects on the development of horse racing industries in surrounding areas and across all links of the industrial chain. Cultivate a group of equestrian sports towns with local characteristics, improve the infrastructure and public service facilities of these towns, and develop distinctive equestrian sports services.
(6) Strengthening the Foundation of Winter Sports Industry Projects
Implement the requirements of the “Engaging 300 Million People in Winter Sports” initiative to comprehensively popularize and promote winter sports. Seizing the opportunity presented by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, improve the system for public winter sports activities. Support localities in cultivating a group of outstanding winter sports clubs, model venues, and branded events to create high-quality platforms for the public to enjoy ice and snow, receive sports skills training, foster professional talent, and popularize and promote winter sports culture, thereby continuously meeting the public’s fitness needs in winter sports.Promote winter sports culture, cultivate and develop innovative winter sports products such as “Culture + Winter Sports,” increase support for literary and artistic works with winter sports themes, and foster a vibrant cultural atmosphere for winter sports. Departments such as education and sports will actively cooperate to implement the “One Million Youth on Ice and Snow” and “Campus Winter Sports” initiatives, promote winter sports in schools, and cultivate ice skating and skiing skills among young people.Through government procurement of services and cooperative development, encourage social organizations to conduct winter sports instruction and training activities. Improve the competition system for winter sports, integrate competition resources, implement tiered competition management, and establish a diversified and integrated model for the development of winter sports competitions. Encourage social forces to form professional winter sports teams or clubs through joint team formation, private team establishment, and title sponsorship.
(7) Developing the Smart Sports Industry
Strengthen digital empowerment to drive product development in the collection, storage, processing, analysis, and service of sports big data, and support the construction of a digital government platform for the sports industry. Enhance the application and experiential layout of smart technologies in the sports sector, promote the concentrated application of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, and create smart venues based on the deep integration and utilization of AI. Actively promote the application of 5G technology in the sports industry, and foster the development and incubation of smart products in areas such as sports equipment, venue operations, and event organization.Implement the national “Cloud, Data, and Intelligence” initiative; encourage the establishment of industry-specific clouds for the sports sector; explore the development of internet platforms for the sports industry; assist technology-based enterprises in accelerating their growth; expedite the formation of new “Internet Plus” marketing models for sports events and activities; and support the creation and promotion of online sports products such as live streaming and short videos. Extensively establish technology application scenarios in the sports sector; improve and implement relevant industrial support policies; facilitate the commercialization and industrialization of scientific and technological achievements; and foster technology-based enterprises in the sports sector.
(8) Integrated Development of the Sports Industry
Implement the “Sports+” initiative, focusing on advancing the integration of sports with education, health, and tourism, and promoting integrated operations across sports, culture, tourism, education, health, and technology. Vigorously cultivate sports culture brands and develop markets for sports culture and creative products, including sports events, sports exhibitions, fitness and entertainment, sports media, sports publishing, audio-visual products, sports advertising, and sports collectibles.We will improve the management of the Football Channel, strengthen the development of sports culture platforms, and actively encourage localities to establish various sports museums and exhibition halls tailored to local conditions, thereby leveraging their role as important vehicles for sports culture. We will enhance cooperation with departments such as culture and tourism, strengthen the inheritance and protection of traditional sports, continuously identify and explore the cultural significance of traditional sports, and ensure the cultural continuity of these traditions.
IV. Support Measures
(1) Strengthening Collaborative Leadership
Improve and refine coordination mechanisms by establishing a multi-departmental coordination mechanism for sports industry development involving the Development and Reform Commission, the Sports Bureau, and other relevant departments. Fully mobilize the enthusiasm of all departments to participate in sports industry work, and coordinate the formulation of development plans, policy guidance, organizational coordination, platform construction, guidance and promotion, supervision and inspection, and standardized services for the sports industry across the region. Strengthen communication and coordination among departments, actively integrate into local development strategies, conduct in-depth analyses of new developments and challenges in the sports industry, and enhance the capacity and quality of planning formulation.Actively improve the business environment, resolve challenges faced by sports enterprises, and actively support private enterprises in investing in and developing the sports industry, while encouraging and supporting large and medium-sized state-owned enterprises to invest in the sports industry. Establish standardized statistical standards and methods for the Inner Mongolia sports industry, as well as procedures for the external release of sports industry data, to guide enterprises in conducting business and investment activities.
(2) Promoting Institutional and Mechanism Innovation
Fully leverage the decisive role of the market in the allocation of resources within the sports industry. Improve the institutional mechanisms for sports industry development, with the government providing guidance and the market serving as the main driver, to foster a healthy environment for the industry’s growth. Strengthen organizational safeguards for sports industry development by establishing an inter-departmental joint conference mechanism under the Autonomous Region’s Sports Industry Development Department. Enhance organizational coordination and regional collaboration to advance the transition of sports industry management from single-department oversight to comprehensive management.Explore pilot projects for the development of related business models within the sports industry, actively cultivate a group of distinctive sports industry demonstration zones, encourage the establishment of various sports industry incubation platforms, and foster high-quality, influential sports industry co-working spaces.
(3) Strengthen Fiscal and Financial Support
Improve the fiscal support system for the sports industry and leverage the guiding, supportive, and incentivizing role of fiscal funds in promoting the transformation and upgrading of the sports industry. In accordance with the new requirements and characteristics of the autonomous region’s sports industry development, increase support for key business models within the sports service sector. Encourage the introduction of professional institutions through service procurement to operate and manage school sports facilities open to the public, and promote the opening of sports facilities at all levels and of all types to the public.
(4) Strengthen the Development of the Sports Industry Talent Pool
Strengthen the development of sports disciplines and programs in higher education institutions. Fully leverage the strengths of both general higher education and vocational education. Through curriculum reform, enhance the cultivation of practical skills and promote interdisciplinary integration to foster versatile, application-oriented talent for the sports industry.Expand vocational and skills training to elevate the overall level of the industry. Provide effective vocational skills transition training for retired athletes during their transition period, and encourage them to actively engage in the development of the sports industry after retirement. Organize “Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation” skills competitions in the sports industry to cultivate and hone talent, incubate projects, connect with enterprises and investors, and achieve rapid growth of sports service projects.Strengthen the cultivation of future soccer talent by establishing a youth soccer and talent development system led by the government, coordinated by relevant departments, and involving social forces. Leverage the incentive of competitions to mobilize sports departments at all levels to actively cultivate future soccer talent. Utilize both market and school channels to reasonably promote and popularize winter sports, address the shortage of winter sports talent, and continuously improve the professional competence of coaches.
(5) Enhancing the Level of Sports Market Regulation
Improve the legal framework for sports and enhance the regulatory capabilities of sports and market supervision departments at all levels within the autonomous region. Clarify the powers and obligations of regulatory entities at all levels. Strengthen the development and utilization of market information systems to diversify administrative management tools. Further intensify market supervision over high-risk sports and emerging sports disciplines. Encourage national sports federations to collaborate with tourism-related sports disciplines to establish standards aligned with industrial development, resolve regulatory challenges posed by emerging business models in the context of industrial integration, and provide a basis for market supervision.
(6) Innovating Approaches to Social Governance in Sports
Leverage the overarching coordinating role of the General Sports Association to develop sports social organizations and sports clubs. Through the establishment of multiple associations within a single sector and fostering healthy competition, encourage greater participation of social forces in the broader movement to develop sports. Establish and improve mechanisms for government procurement of public sports services, cultivate sports-focused social welfare organizations, and encourage charitable funds to invest in sports. Support sports social organizations in actively participating in social governance. By enhancing the effectiveness of sports social governance, improve the quality of public sports services and ensure the high-quality development of the sports industry.
(7) Strengthening Supervision and Evaluation
Incorporate the development of the sports industry and the promotion of sports consumption into national economic and social development plans, place them on the government’s key agenda, and treat sports industry work as a key component in evaluating the performance of sports-related efforts. Conduct annual monitoring, mid-term evaluations, and final summaries of plan implementation. Governments at all levels, along with departments such as development and reform and sports, must improve evaluation and oversight mechanisms for plan implementation, clarify the fundamental tasks, work objectives, and supporting measures for sports industry development in their respective regions, and advance the smooth implementation of the plan.
