This report looks at the following areas:
- Consumers’ in-home and out-of-home leisure plans and an analysis of how this differs from previous years
- Variations in leisure behaviours between consumers in different stages of life, different regions and with different interests
- The channels through which consumers obtain information related to their interests, and which marketing channels are suited to which offline cultural and entertainment activities
- Analysis of consumers’ preferred locations for ‘city walks’ and an exploration of how brands can leverage this trend to capture target markets
- Segmentation of consumers into different interest groups, research into their perceptions of the influence of leisure culture on lifestyle and exploration of commercial opportunities within leisure culture
- How to meet younger consumers’ underlying needs for personal development
Consumers are aware of their right to leisure and exhibit a rational approach to consumption. Their leisure activities not only reflect cultural trends but also a pursuit of quality of life and family happiness. Brands should focus on enhancing offline experiences to meet needs for leisure, physical and mental health and personal growth, leveraging emerging trends such as city walks, esports, and Guochao culture to unlock growth in leisure consumption.
Tina Cheng, Research Analyst
Market Definitions
This Report looks at consumers’ leisure behaviours and preferences for leisure and entertainment activities, including their plans for out-of-home and in-home leisure activities; preferences for city walks; offline cultural activities; sources of information on their hobbies and interests; and their perceptions of the influence of different leisure subcultures on their lives.
Leisure and entertainment activities are defined as any activities that bring joy and pleasure to individuals, based on subjective perception. The survey in this Report primarily focuses on segments related to recreational, cultural and entertainment products and activities, rather than tourism, holidays and foodservice.
This Report also covers consumer participation in hobbies and interests during their leisure time. These include the traditional Chinese ‘four arts’ (琴棋书画, ie guqin, weiqi/Chinese chess, calligraphy and painting), visiting exhibitions (eg art galleries, museums), attending musical (eg concerts, ballets) and non-musical performances (eg stand-up comedy, plays), watching sports events, participating in sports activities, esports, cosplay/anime and manga culture, Guochao/Chinese traditional style, DIY projects (eg model toys, car modification) and content creation (eg photography, video production).
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Executive summary
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definition
- What you need to know
- The market
- Leisure awareness continues to grow, with rationality and enthusiasm coexisting
- From the perspective of space and content, leisure consumption is constantly upgrading
- Overview of marketing trends in the leisure industry's new growth phase
- Mass consumer brands are expanding their influence through lifestyle marketing and social media channels
- The consumer
- Interest in cultural venues and classes has increased since last year
- Graph 1: out-of-home leisure plans for the next six months – "spend more time", 2023-24
- Cultural entertainment preferences vary by generation, gender and region
- Graph 2: interest in offline cultural activities, by gender, 2024
- The local and diverse appeal of city walks attracts young consumers
- Graph 3: city walk preferences, 2024
- Interest in self-development activities is skewing older
- Home leisure interests are highly correlated with individual growth stages, with parent-child companionship and home exercise remaining core activities
- Graph 4: in-home leisure plans for the next six months, 2024
- Short video platforms come out on top, while channel choices vary by cultural entertainment preferences
- Graph 5: frequently used media platforms for information about hobbies, 2024
- Personal interests influence multiple aspects of consumers' lives
- Graph 6: influence of leisure culture on lifestyle, by hobbies and interests, 2024
- Issues and insights
- What we think
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The market
- Market factors
- Leisure awareness continues to grow
- Graph 7: residents' total annual leisure time, 2022-23
- Post-pandemic, leisure spaces are expanding beyond a three-kilometre radius
- Graph 8: % of urban, rural and retired residents who participate in leisure activities within a 3km radius*, 2022-23
- Leisure content is gradually evolving into diverse, multi-layered forms
- New leisure occasions to satisfy consumers' needs for a brief escape
- Consumers strike a balance between rational and enthusiastic leisure spending
- Graph 9: % of consumers who spent more on leisure/entertainment and holidays than in the previous month, 2020-23
- Marketing activities
- Transform TV dramas into local tourism promos to boost the local leisure industry
- 'Decommercialise' retail spaces to create utopias with unique positioning
- Revitalise urban leisure spaces with localised activities
- Mass consumer goods explore new leisure occasions to connect with everyday life
- More examples
- Online channels for leisure trends show growing potential
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The consumer
- Out-of-home leisure plans
- Interest in art and cultural venues and classes has increased since last year
- Graph 10: out-of-home leisure plans for the next six months – "spend more time", 2023-24
- 30-39s show increased willingness to invest their leisure time in self-improvement
- Graph 11: out-of-home leisure plans for the next six months – "spend more time", by age group, 2023-24
- Out-of-home leisure interests change with age and experience
- Graph 12: out-of-home leisure plans for the next six months – "spend more time", by age group, 2024
- New mums enjoy small pleasures in life
- Graph 13: out-of-home leisure plans – "spend more time", by family structure, 2024
- Families with preschool children have broader outdoor leisure interests
- Graph 14: out-of-home leisure plans – "spend more time", by age of child(ren) in household, 2024
- Interest in offline cultural activities
- Men enjoy contemporary pop culture activities, while women favour 'highbrow' arts
- Graph 15: interest in offline cultural activities, by gender, 2024
- Interests vary by age, with 30-39s emerging as the core audience for cultural activities
- Graph 16: interest in offline cultural activities, by age, 2024
- Southern residents are more enthusiastic about cultural exhibitions
- Graph 17: interest in offline cultural activities, by region, 2024
- Different interest groups converge when it comes to offline cultural activities
- Graph 18: interest in offline cultural activities, by hobbies and interests, 2024
- City walk preferences
- The local and diverse appeal of city walks attracts younger consumers
- Graph 19: city walk preferences, 2024
- Light up the night with city walks incorporating good food, film/TV and esports
- Graph 20: select city walk preferences, by select hobby/interest – Esports, 2024
- Graph 21: select city walk preferences, by city walk location preference – "venues with a great night view", 2024
- City walk interests vary by life stage
- Graph 22: city walk preferences, by age – 25-29 and 30-39, 2024
- Tailor city walk spaces and content according to regional differences
- Graph 23: city walk preferences, by region, 2024
- In-home leisure plans
- Home leisure plans settle down, and video is a key medium to transition from home to outdoor leisure
- Graph 24: in-home leisure plans for the next six months – "spend more time", 2020-24
- Parent-child bonding and at-home exercise are central to consumers' home leisure time
- Graph 25: in-home leisure plans for the next six months, 2024
- Home leisure interests are closely related to individual growth stages
- Graph 26: in-home leisure plans for the next six months – "spend more time", by age, 2024
- Interest in self-development activities is skewing older
- Graph 27: in-home leisure plans for the next six months – "spend more time", by age, 2023-24
- A focus on high-quality lifestyle becomes a daily pursuit for young people
- Graph 28: in-home leisure plans for the next six months – "spend more time", by age, 2024
- Media platforms used for information about hobbies
- Short video platforms should be the primary focus for leisure interest marketing
- Graph 29: frequently used media platforms for information about hobbies, 2024
- Consider the target audience's location and income when choosing platforms
- Graph 30: frequently used media platforms for information about hobbies – first choice, by monthly household income, 2024
- Graph 31: frequently used media platforms for information about hobbies – first choice, by city tier, 2024
- Consumers' channel choices vary by preferences for offline cultural activities
- Graph 32: frequently used media platforms for information about hobbies – first choice, by interest in offline cultural activities, 2024
- Influence of leisure culture on lifestyle
- Personal interests influence multiple aspects of consumers' lives
- Graph 33: influence of leisure culture on lifestyle, by hobbies and interests, 2024
- Guochao culture has a more profound impact on higher earners
- Graph 34: influence of leisure culture on lifestyle – Guochao/Chinese traditional style, by gender, 2024
- Graph 35: influence of leisure culture on lifestyle – Guochao/Chinese traditional style, by monthly household income, 2024
- The impact of Esports culture differs by gender and is broader among high-income earners
- Graph 36: influence of leisure culture on lifestyle – esports, by gender, 2024
- Graph 37: influence of leisure culture on lifestyle – esports, by monthly household income, 2024
- Women-oriented sports marketing presents opportunities for brands
- Graph 38: influence of leisure culture on lifestyle – participating in sports activities, by gender, 2024
- The impact of sports spectatorship on lifestyle varies by region
- Graph 39: influence of leisure culture on lifestyle – watching sports events, by region, 2024
- Graph 40: influence of leisure culture on lifestyle – watching sports events, by gender, 2024
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Issues and insights
- Integrate Guochao culture into everyday life to create new touchpoints
- Fashion brands promote cultural pride and Chinese lifestyles
- Incorporate museum artefacts and philosophical concepts into fashion
- Leverage esports and audiovisual media to boost the night-time economy
- Light up the night with urban night-time walks
- Graph 41: mentions of 'city walk' on social media*, 2023-24
- Expand nightlife scenes by connecting urban leisure resources
- Enrich nightlife by connecting esports with multiple aspects of urban life
- Tap into the growth in offline experiences for younger people's self-improvement
- Adults attend hobby classes to take the first step to a more fulfilling life
- Branded offline courses helping younger people cultivate hobbies show room for development
- Create growth-oriented experiences around women's interests
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Appendix – methodology and abbreviations
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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