Penglai, Shandong: International Wine Marathon Paves a New Path for All-for-One Tourism

On September 16, 2018, the Fishermen’s Town & Fishing Culture Street – Penglai International Wine Marathon kicked off in Penglai, Shandong. As one of the first national pilot zones for all-for-one tourism, Penglai has used this event to further implement the "Tourism+" strategy, developing a new model that integrates tourism with sports, culture, and the wine industry, thus blazing a "new fast track" for all-for-one tourism.

The event was co-organized by the Chinese Athletics Association and the People’s Government of Penglai City, and jointly hosted by the Penglai Sports Development Center, Yantai Yonghui Sports Development Co., Ltd., and the Penglai Wine Bureau. It featured five competitive categories: the Penglai-Changdao Ultra Marathon, Marathon, Half Marathon, Confucian-Taoist Relay University Challenge, and Mini Marathon. A total of 4,600 runners from 31 countries and regions participated.

With a long course, large venue, and high participant numbers, organizing the event posed significant challenges. To ensure the success of this international race and enhance the city’s brand, Penglai mobilized nearly 20 departments, including those for wine, urban development, health, public security, sports, and transportation, to provide comprehensive support. For medical services, first-aid stations were set up along the route, staffed with doctors and nurses, with emergency vehicles on standby for immediate response. Traffic management involved adjusting bus and passenger routes in advance, cleaning the route and surrounding areas, and issuing timely traffic control notices. Volunteer services included recruiting and training volunteers, conducting route rehearsals, and assigning them according to standardized procedures. Leveraging the event’s brand and aiming for integrated development, multiple departments collaborated in management, achieving a truly citywide and all-for-one coordinated effort.

According to reports, the event achieved comprehensive resource integration, industrial chain synergy, and transformation of old and new growth drivers, drawing on local wine, tourism, and sports assets. Penglai’s tourism, wine, sports, and cultural sectors are thriving, and their combined impact has produced a "1+1>2" effect.

Located at the "golden latitude" for grape cultivation, Penglai boasts the ideal "3S" conditions – sun, sand, and sea – for grape growing. Its wine industry leads in scale, quality, quantity, and internationalization, earning it the title of China’s only "Famous Wine City." In recent years, Penglai has treated the urban area as a large scenic destination, aligning with the standards of a scenic city. By improving public tourism facilities, a new landscape has emerged, where premium wineries serve as flagships to drive wine tourism. Wine tourism has integrated various travel elements and evolved into a cultural and leisure experience. Boosted by all-for-one tourism, the Penglai International Wine Marathon connects major attractions, attracting numerous sports enthusiasts.

Experts note that mass tourism is booming, all-for-one tourism is flourishing, and demand for high-quality travel is strong. By leveraging an international sporting event and its wine industry strengths, Penglai has embedded tourism, culture, and sports into the wine sector, extending its reach from primary agriculture and secondary manufacturing to tertiary cultural tourism services. This shift has transformed businesses from a single "product-selling" model to a multi-driven approach of "selling products, services, and culture," driving upgrading across related industries and ushering in an "all-industry" development path. This benefits Penglai by enhancing its brand, optimizing tourism offerings, and meeting people’s aspirations for a better life.