The General Administration of Sport of China has acknowledged Zhejiang province's strong performance in advancing the event-driven sports economy during a briefing hosted by the State Council Information Office on Aug 19.

Data from the first half of the year shows that seven provinces, including Zhejiang, Hebei, and Fujian, collectively monitored 511 major sporting events. These events generated over 16 billion yuan ($2.2 billion) in sports-related consumption, with each event driving an average of more than 30 million yuan in spending.

Zhejiang stood out among the provinces for its capacity to integrate sports events with broader consumption activities. Authorities noted that the Hangzhou Asian Games, in particular, played a major role in boosting spending in surrounding regions. At its peak, the event drove consumption growth of over 40 percent in adjacent areas.