Winter tourism boom in China boosts flagging economy in the north as Xinjiang region and Heilongjiang province pull in domestic visitors
- China’s frozen north, struggling to recover after prolonged lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic, is enjoying a welcome boom in domestic winter tourism
- Its five-year plan for tourism emphasises ‘ice and snow tourism’ and skiers, snowboarders and families are being drawn to Xinjiang, and Harbin in Heilongjiang
Winter tourism in China has rebounded sharply, bringing some welcome income to economically weak regions in the north struggling to recover from years of pandemic gloom.
Destinations in China’s northeastern rust belt, such as the city of Harbin, in Heilongjiang province, have attracted droves of domestic visitors from warmer climes in the past weeks.
The growing popularity of winter sports has also drawn skiers and snowboarders to the slopes of the Xinjiang autonomous region in northwest China.
It is the first time since late 2019, and the arrival of Covid-19, that many Chinese tourists have enjoyed their winter holidays without worrying about lockdowns and infections.
Data from booking platform Ctrip shows pre-ordered year-end ski passes were double those of the year before, while ski group tour bookings grew nearly 30 per cent from the previous year.