Skiing becomes new winter tourism craze in Harbin

According to data from the online travel service platform Qunar.com, the volume of tickets for ice and snow tourism experiences during the 2024 Spring Festival holiday has increased by over 10 times compared to the previous year, and Harbin is undoubtedly one of the most popular destination cities.

With the closure of various ice and snow sightseeing activities due to weather conditions, skiing tourism has swiftly taken over, welcoming a new peak in the ice and snow sports sector.

As one of the earliest cities in China to embrace skiing, Harbin boasts abundant ice and snow resources. Not only is it home to the country's first ski resort, but it has also hosted the inaugural National Ice Sports Games.

Its unique natural environment and rich ice and snow culture have made skiing a staple activity for Harbin residents and numerous tourists.

"We received over 4,000 visitors in a single day, and we never expected such a surge in popularity," said Miss Cai, the person in charge of Tianhengshan Ski Resort.

She mentioned that in the winter of 2023, Harbin experienced early snowfall, prompting the resort to start online ticket sales a month earlier than usual. The pre-sale volume of tickets has more than doubled compared to the previous snow season.

To meet the demand, she specifically updated over 1,000 sets of skiing equipment. However, she was surprised to witness a substantial increase in skiing visitors during the Spring Festival holiday, leading the resort to implement crowd control measures to ensure visitor experience and safety.

"The demand for ice and snow activities has expanded to skiing, and we are once again reaping the rewards of the booming ice and snow tourism," Cai remarked.

Among the various ski resorts interviewed by reporters, the sentiment of "doubling the number of visitors" was echoed by nearly every person in charge. Simultaneously, the influx of visitors has also driven a surge in ice and snow-related consumption.

Visitors typically spend over three hours at the ski slopes, with some guests skiing continuously throughout. When their energy levels are depleted, visitors often opt to savor local delicacies, purchase snacks, and take rests in accommodations, further stimulating skiing-related consumption.