China's winter sports boom, sparked by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and fueled by supportive policies, has accelerated nationwide. Amid sluggish consumption, the ice and snow economy has emerged as one of the few segments consistently defying the broader downturn. Some holiday travelers have shifted their destinations from Southeast-Asia to China's northern provinces. Young consumers born in the 2000s and 2010s have become the fastest-growing demographic in the winter sports market, often influencing their families’ holiday spending decisions. An iiMedia Research report on the winter sports industry’s prospects for this coming winter said the market was worth just under CNY1.05 trillion in 2024, and could surpass CNY1.5 trillion by 2029. The report said more than half of the participants are aged between 24 and 30, and over 70% are women. More than 60% buy equipment each season, typically budgeting CNY1,000 to CNY2,000, which has fueled growth in domestic supply chains for snow suits and goggles, along with ice- and snow-making machines demanded by the expanding winter sports industry.
The growing consumption chain also provides many young people with a seasonal source of income, launching ski clubs, and acting as instructors or “ski companions”. According to the Tuniu online travel agency, tourists from southern China will account for over 70% of winter sports-related travel bookings this year, with trips combining skiing or snowboarding with visits to hot springs or gourmet dining becoming increasingly popular, recommended by online influencers. Snow-covered slopes are now easily reachable year-round for urban residents, thanks to a boom in the building of indoor ski resorts. China had just five indoor ski resorts in 2013, but the number surged to 59 by 2023 and reached 79 this April – with 16 more currently under construction. Local governments are investing in and developing integrated products offering combinations such as snow sports and folk culture, or snow sports and wellness treatments. Xinjiang’s powder snow attracts professional skiers, while Inner Mongolia and Gansu are scaling up their folk snow festivals.
Online travel platforms predict that the opening of Harbin Ice and Snow World late next month will herald another winter tourism surge in northeastern China. The park, in Heilongjiang’s provincial capital, has been expanded to a record 120 hectares this year, with around 400,000 cubic meters of ice and snow being used to make its landmark buildings and sculptures. Last winter, it welcomed more than 3.56 million tourists, the South China Morning Post reports.
