Sportswear maker Bonny Worldwide Ltd (波力集團) yesterday inked a cooperation pact with international property broker Jones Lang LaSalle Inc (JLL) to tap the sports tourism market in China.
Taichung-based Bonny, which in February opened Divecube (潛立方旅館), Asia’s first hotel with a scuba and free-diving pool, aims to copy the business model in China, where it plans to build six more hotels next year, aided by JLL’s property know-how.
“We are devoted to promoting urban diving and aim to bring the experience to Chinese cities,” Bonny general manager Arthur Hung (洪進山) told a news conference to announce the partnership.
The two companies aim to take advantage of China’s fast-growing, 4 trillion yuan (US$602.6 billion) per year travel market, Bonny said in a statement.
Sports tourism and tours account for only 5 percent of the market, suggesting ample room for improvement, it said, adding that Chinese authorities plan to revenue from water sports to 300 billion yuan by 2020.
Bonny declined to provide details on locations or the amount of capital involved, saying that the two firms need more discussion on the matter.
Founded in 1982, Bonny is a manufacturer of table tennis paddles, bicycle frames, walking sticks, ski poles, field hockey sticks, softball bats and tennis, badminton and squash rackets, as well as sportswear, sports bags and other sports products.
It is the contract partner of international brands such as Prince, Yonex, Dunlop, Carlton, Pro Kennex and Nike.
Divecube has 30 guest rooms featuring a boat-themed design and offers diving lessons in its 21m-deep pool.
JLL said it is upbeat about the strategic partnership, adding that sports tourism is a new business model that sets Divecube apart from competitors in Taiwan and China.
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