The sports tourism market has potential, experts say, as it only accounts for 5 percent of the tourism market in China, while the figure is 20 percent in developed countries.

The global sports tourism market is now growing at 14 percent annually, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, and by 2020, the market is expected to cross $400 billion.

Meanwhile, a bunch of tourism towns featuring sports elements have sprung up or are coming down the pike.

The National Tourism Administration and the General Administration of Sports jointly approved 30 sports tourism facilities in late June, and by 2020, a total of 100 sports tourism destinations will be built, with 100 sports events and 100 sports tourism routes to be developed.

The number of sports travelers from China is expected to reach 1 billion by then, accounting for 15 percent of the tourism pie. And sports tourism expenditure is likely to cross 1 trillion yuan by then, according to the National Tourism Administration and the General Administration of Sports.

Where they come from

Top 10 domestic source of sport tourism traveler

Shanghai

Beijing

Nanjing, Jiangsu province

Shenzhen, Guangdong province

Guangzhou, Guangdong province

Tianjin

Wuhan, Hubei province

Hangzhou, Zhejiang province

Xi'an, Shaanxi province

Shenyang, Liaoning province