Nowadays, the ice and snow economy has become a buzzword in China. According to the China Tourism Academy (CTA), the 2024-2025 snow and ice season is expected to receive 520 million visitors nationwide, and the total income from snow and ice tourism is expected to exceed €79.98 billion, an increase of about 21% and 20%, respectively, year-on-year. At the same time, a more complete industrial layout, stronger R&D capabilities, and an abundant product supply are helping to promote China’s ice and snow economy.
In Heilongjiang, China’s northernmost province, the ice and snow economy is already showing significant growth. The province has established the first statistical monitoring system for the ice and snow economy in the country, under the support and guidance of the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS of China). In 2024, Heilongjiang’s total output from the snow and ice economy amounted to €33.79 billion, of which €23.15 billion came from snow and ice tourism. The establishment of this statistical monitoring system is aimed at providing decision-making references for further promoting the development of the ice and snow economy.
Heilongjiang’s ice and snow tourism continues to grow rapidly. In 2024-2025, the province received 135 million tourists, marking an 18.5% increase from the previous year, with tourist spending rising by 30.7%. The 9th Asian Winter Games Harbin 2025 further helped solidify the province’s status as a top ice and snow tourism destination. The province’s tourism-related industries have seen impressive growth, with accommodation and catering industries showing strong performance, and transportation seeing double-digit growth in passenger volumes.
The demand for ice and snow products has been rising sharply across the country, and companies are expanding to meet this need. The Ice and Snow Sports Equipment Industrial Park, located in Xuanhua District, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, is a prime example of this industrial expansion. Wu Yutong, the representative of Zhangjiakou Kenuo Chemical Industry, noted that the company added a simulation ice plate production line and four curling production lines, and its independent research and development efforts have led to over 80 national patents, with many of its products now exported overseas.
As part of the development of ice and snow products, other regions have also contributed innovative solutions. In Jilin Province, Liaoyuan North Socks Industry Group’s self-heating ice and snow socks are highly popular in Chinese ski resorts. Bai Chunwei, the company’s sales manager, explained that these socks can increase temperature by more than 8°C in extremely cold weather, making them a hot seller in major ski resorts.
Research and development in the ice and snow equipment sector are also booming. Xin Benlu, director of the Key Laboratory of Culture and Tourism Ministry of Jilin University, noted that the demand for ice and snow sports equipment is growing with the increasing number of participants. The lab has independently developed a bionic penguin that attracts tourists by mimicking an emperor penguin skiing.
China’s ice and snow tourism market is booming, with several new products helping to attract more tourists. At the end of last year, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism released 12 national ice and snow tourism boutique routes, helping to drive up the number of visitors to key ski resorts. Harbin Ice and Snow World set a new record for single-day visitors, surpassing 100,000, while other resorts, like Xinjiang Altay General Mountain Ski Resort and Jilin Songhua Ski Resort, also saw significant growth in visitor numbers.
Driven by these developments, the ice and snow economy has become an essential part of China’s future plans. In November 2024, China’s General Office of the State Council issued issued guidelines to stimulate the vitality of the ice and snow economy through the high-quality development of winter sports, aiming for the total scale of the ice and snow economy to reach €1523.33 billion by 2027 and €1904.17 billion by 2030. This plan highlights the importance of the sector in China’s economic development, particularly through the continued expansion of ice and snow sports and tourism.
Source: Xinhua, CGTN, People’s Daily, hrbicesnow, China Daily
