The Shandong Pickleball Tourism Carnival 2025 is held in Dongying, Shandong province, drawing nearly 500 attendees to the event. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Shandong Pickleball Tourism Carnival 2025 opened in the Dongying Port Economic Development Area in Dongying city, East China's Shandong province, on June 13.

The event aims to further promote the integration of culture, tourism and sports, better meet the needs of the people in leisure activities, and enhance the influence of Shandong's cultural tourism offerings. The carnival will run until June 15 and includes an opening ceremony along with a series of sports competitions. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Zhu Shanzhong, ambassador of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), said that Shandong, with a global vision and strategic mindset, is actively exploring new paths for the integration of sports and tourism and fostering numerous examples of sports tourism development. 

Dongying, as a city at the estuary of the Yellow River, has proven through practice that sports tourism not only contributes to online influence, but also serves as an engine for consumption that can drive multiple benefits in the economy, society, and culture, he said.

Pickleball has gained popularity in Dongying as a sport that combines fun, competitiveness, and social interaction. 

Yue Jiannan, director of the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, said that in recent years, Shandong has focused on enriching the supply of sports tourism products, and introducing a number of sports tourism demonstration bases and high-quality routes. It will promote pickleball in scenic spots, streets, and hotels, and create a new chapter in the integration of sports and tourism.