Growing ice and snow economy

The popularity of Harbin and its "snow and ice fairyland" is emblematic of China's burgeoning winter tourism and sports sector.

"The growth of winter-related consumption is closely linked to economic development, the upgrading of tourism consumption, and government policies. When per capita GDP reaches $10,000 and people's basic needs are met, they naturally pursue spiritual needs such as sports and tourism," said Zhang Jinshan, a researcher at the Tourism Planning and Development Research Institute of Beijing Union University.

"China has the world's largest domestic tourism consumption market, and winter tourism is an important segment. The government has therefore taken active measures to expand winter-related consumption to boost domestic demand," he said.

Figures from the Harbin government show that the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World, which ran from Dec 21, 2024, to Feb 26 this year, received about 3.56 million visits. Harbin received about 90.36 million tourist visits during the winter season from late 2024 to early 2025, generating about 137.2 billion yuan ($19.49 billion) in tourism revenue, marking year-on-year increases of 9.7 percent and 16.6 percent, respectively.

Qi said winter tourism and sports have blossomed on all fronts. "Outdoor ski resorts in northern and northeastern provinces are becoming increasingly sophisticated, while indoor ski parks and winter theme parks in warmer regions such as Chongqing and Shenzhen have also grown in number. The winter tourism industry has not only met people's demand for sports, sightseeing and snow-viewing experiences, but has also boosted consumption in accommodation, transportation and winter gear."

A recent report by Asiadg.com and Beijing Sport University showed that China's winter-related consumption during the winter season from late 2024 to early 2025 totaled about 187.5 billion yuan. The nation's winter-related industry expanded from 270 billion yuan in 2015 to 980 billion yuan in 2024, and the report estimates it will exceed 1 trillion yuan for the first time this year, predicting that it will reach 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030.

The report also noted that consumption at ski resorts nationwide reached more than 78.6 billion yuan during the previous winter season.

"My husband and I are big fans of winter sports. We initially simply loved winter and snow and visited many snow destinations at home and abroad between 2015 and 2018, such as Jilin province in Northeast China and Russia. Later, we began trying winter sports such as skiing and soon fell in love with them," said Wang Tiantian, 32, who is now in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

She said that she and her husband regularly visit the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in winter and usually stay for about a week skiing. "We sometimes go to indoor ski resorts in Chengdu during summer when we feel the itch to ski," she said, adding that they value the quality of snow and services more than ticket prices.