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China expected to see 520 million trips in ice, snow leisure tourism during 2024-2025 winter season

(People's Daily Online) 16:08, January 23, 2025

An aerial drone photo shows a view of the Harbin Ice-Snow World in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Dec. 21, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Song)

During the 2024-2025 winter season, the trips made by visitors engaging in ice and snow leisure tourism in China are projected to reach 520 million, with tourism revenue expected to exceed 630 billion yuan ($86.64 billion), according to a report released by the China Tourism Academy.

During this winter season, Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, has launched over 300 themed ice and snow activities related to winter sports, educational travel, performances, commerce, etc., according to an official with the Changchun Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism. These activities are designed to boost winter tourism by integrating ice and snow with sports, culture, and commerce.

China's ice and snow tourism market is showing unprecedented vitality and entering a new stage of development driven by its massive market demand, strong policy support, and supply of high-quality products, said Han Yuanjun, an associate research fellow with the China Tourism Academy.

The surge in ice and snow tourism is reflected in the data found on various platforms. Data from Chinese on-demand service giant Meituan shows that the search volume for skiing has surged by 83 percent month on month since November 2024.

Statistics from online travel platform Tongcheng Travel indicate that searches related to ice and snow tourism have more than tripled month on month since November 2024, while online travel service provider Qunar shows a 1.7-fold month-on-month increase in the search volume for keywords including "skiing" and "ice and snow" in December 2024.

A survey by the China Tourism Academy reveals record-high interest: 71.2 percent of tourists who plan to experience ice and snow activities during the 2024-2025 winter season, 45.5 percent of tourists who consider long-distance ice and snow trips, and 64.2 percent who intend to maintain or increase their spending on ice and snow leisure activities.

The booming ice and snow tourism has created a ripple effect, boosting the development of related industries like homestays, dining, and local specialty sales. The per capita spending of Chinese tourists on ice and snow leisure tourism reached 1,220 yuan during the last winter season, around 22 percent higher than per capita domestic tourism consumption in 2023, according to a survey by the China Tourism Academy.

Driven by ice and snow tourism, hotel bookings rose by nearly 20 percent in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, in December 2024, according to data from Tongcheng Travel.

"As ice and snow tourism continues to gain momentum, homestays are seeing new growth opportunities," says Hu Yang, senior vice president of Tujia, a homestay booking platform.

Hu added that ice and snow tourism is driving innovation in the homestay industry, with more homestays enhancing their services and expanding service scenarios to achieve better integration with ice and snow activities.

The ice and snow sports equipment market is also flourishing. Data from China's e-commerce giant JD.com shows that sales of ski poles, goggles, boots, and snowboards all surged by over 80 percent in 2024, while sales of ski boards and ski suits rose by more than 50 percent.

In December 2024, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced 12 high-quality ice and snow tourism routes across the country, aiming to further boost the development of ice and snow tourism during the 2024-2025 winter season.

Han called for continuing to optimize the structure of ice and snow tourism products, developing activities for different groups, and integrating ice and snow with sports, music, tourism, and education. In addition, he suggests boosting people's participation in ice and snow tourism through winter tourism promotions, standardization of ice and snow tourism services, and reduced admission fees for scenic spots and ski resorts.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun)

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