Opening a New Era of China's Ice and Snow Tourism Development: Analysis of Ice and Snow Tourism Development Trends

When night falls, the Harbin Ice and Snow World in Heilongjiang comes alive with hand-carved ice sculptures of all shapes and sizes, illuminated by colorful lights, creating a magical dreamlike world. During this year’s Spring Festival holiday, Harbin Ice and Snow World welcomed 249,700 visitors, a year-on-year increase of 47.75%, with revenue reaching 67.54 million yuan, up 54.03% year-on-year.

In recent years, following the successful bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics, ice and snow tourism in China has faced unprecedented development opportunities. From Ningxia, Shaanxi, and Gansu to Hubei and Sichuan, scenic spots with suitable conditions have built ski resorts and carved ice sculptures to develop ice and snow tourism. Official data shows that 30 provinces and cities have launched ice and snow products, with the ice and snow economy playing an increasingly important role in regional development. Regions are fully leveraging their unique characteristics, amplifying advantages, and highlighting features, leading to a booming ice and snow tourism scene.

(1) The surge in ice and snow tourism, and building distinctive brands becomes a trend

In recent years, ice and snow tourism has been thriving and has become a new driving force for the tourism industry and regional economic development. Since 2013, the number of ice and snow tourism visitors and revenue have been rising year by year, with a nationwide trend of transforming “cold resources” into “hot economy.” Particularly in regions rich in ice and snow resources, such as Northeast China, the battle for the ice and snow economy has been elevated to a strategic level, with ice and snow tourism seen as a strategic pillar industry for revitalizing the Northeast economy.

Earlier this year, the China Ice and Snow Tourism Promotion Alliance, together with the People’s Daily Online Public Opinion Monitoring Room, released the “2016 China Ice and Snow Tourism Competitiveness Big Data Report” at the 33rd China·Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival and the Second China Ice and Snow Tourism Summit. The report shows that provinces such as Heilongjiang and Jilin have issued special documents to scientifically plan the ice and snow economy, including ice and snow tourism. The results are already becoming apparent: Harbin’s ice and snow tourism industry accounts for half of the city’s tourism industry; Inner Mongolia’s winter tourism revenue has grown by more than 30%; and Jilin Province’s comprehensive revenue from ice and snow tourism now accounts for one-third of its annual comprehensive tourism revenue.

Apart from the Northeast, regions like Inner Mongolia, the Northwest, and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area are also key areas for winter ice and snow tourism development in China. Each region leverages its local resources to develop distinctively, tackling the issue of homogenization in ice and snow tourism and gradually forming regional specialization and differentiation.

Among them, the Northeast has a comprehensive development, covering ice and snow natural landscapes, ice and snow sports, hot springs, and other tourism activities. As a region with abundant ice and snow resources and a longer development history, the natural wonders and cultural landscapes of ice and snow in the Northeast remain a focus of attention. In the Northwest, represented by Urumqi, policies and cultural connotations like the Silk Road and the Belt and Road Initiative have become key drivers for ice and snow tourism development. In Inner Mongolia, ethnic culture is the highlight, with terms like the Ice and Snow Nadam and camels reflecting netizens’ fondness for folk experiences. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, primarily Beijing and Hebei, hosted the Winter Olympics jointly in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, embedding concepts of sports and health deeply into people’s minds.

At the same time, major ice and snow tourism provinces (districts, cities) are actively creating unique brand characteristics based on their local features. For example, Heilongjiang’s “Crown of Ice and Snow” brand is growing in influence and competitiveness; Liaoning’s brands of ice and snow, hot springs, and New Year flavor strongly attract ice and snow tourists; Beijing’s “Joyful Ice and Snow,” Hebei’s “Health and Sports,” and Inner Mongolia’s “Ice and Snow Sky Road” are also highly popular.

(2) Continuous Industry Integration, “Ice and Snow+” Industry Chain Gradually Improving

Currently, the development of ice and snow tourism is no longer limited to simple sightseeing. To enhance economic driving power, the “Ice and Snow+” strategy, integrating multiple industries, is becoming a new trend in ice and snow tourism development across various regions. China’s ice and snow tourism development is entering a stage that emphasizes creativity, content, and experience. Development models such as ice and snow + vacation, ice and snow + culture, and ice and snow + sports are receiving widespread attention, and the ice and snow tourism industry chain is gradually extending.

Heilongjiang proposes to promote the expansion, upgrading, and integrated development of multiple industries, including ice and snow tourism, ice and snow culture, ice and snow sports, ice and snow education, and ice and snow equipment manufacturing. Jilin proposes to focus on building an ice and snow tourism product system that includes ice and snow leisure vacations, ice and snow hot spring wellness, ice and snow sightseeing experiences, and ice and snow folk culture. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, leveraging the Winter Olympics platform, is building ice and snow sports leisure bases, fully integrating ice and snow tourism with sports projects.

It is understood that the current “Ice and Snow+” strategy mainly focuses on sightseeing experiences, vacation leisure, folk culture, sports, and hot spring wellness. Among these, the development of ice and snow tourism projects in sports and hot spring wellness is relatively sufficient. Folk culture is a key development direction for various regions, but it still accounts for a relatively small proportion in the ice and snow tourism industry chain.

Relying on its unique geographical location, Heilongjiang has formed natural and cultural landscapes centered on ice and snow resources. In the winter of 2016, Heilongjiang launched winter tourism routes such as “Beautiful Snow Town,” “Crane Dance on Snow Plains,” “Ice and Snow Forest,” “Secret Frozen Lake,” and “Arctic Christmas.” These feature ice and snow art and leisure sports entertainment resources in Harbin, Yabuli, and Xuexiang; hot springs in Daqing; crane culture and hot springs in Qiqihar; the winter fishing festival of Jingpo Lake, Shaman culture, and historical culture of Hengdaohezi; the ice, snow, and rime in the Lesser Khingan Mountains of central and northern Heilongjiang; and the extreme cold characteristics and Christmas culture of the Arctic region, highlighting the unique features and advantages of winter tourism in Heilongjiang.

A relevant official from the Heilongjiang Provincial Tourism Development Committee stated that the era of explosive growth in ice and snow tourism is about to arrive. As China’s top province for ice and snow resources, ice and snow sports, and ice and snow tourism brands, Heilongjiang will further unleash its accumulated advantages in ice and snow resources over the years, transforming them into high-level tourism products to meet the diverse and multi-layered needs of tourists.

(3) Regional coordination is significantly accelerating, working together to grow the ice and snow tourism pie

To avoid homogeneous competition and strengthen the ice and snow tourism industry, major ice and snow tourism provinces across the country have broken through administrative boundaries, continuously enhancing cooperation in ice and snow tourism, forming a pattern of coordinated regional development.

At the end of 2015, under the guidance of the National Tourism Administration, the Heilongjiang Provincial Tourism Development Committee initiated the first China (International) Ice and Snow Tourism Summit and promoted the establishment of the China Ice and Snow Tourism Promotion Alliance. In December 2016, the China Ice and Snow Tourism Promotion Alliance was officially established, marking the first ice and snow tourism marketing consortium initiated by provincial-level tourism management agencies in China. Its current formal members include the tourism bureaus (committees) of Heilongjiang, Beijing, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang. Entrusted by the National Tourism Administration, the China Ice and Snow Tourism Promotion Alliance is responsible for building the “North Country Ice and Snow” tourism brand and premium routes, one of China’s top ten international tourism brands, representing Chinese ice and snow tourism on the global stage.

The relevant official stated that the alliance is committed to strengthening collaborative development of the ice and snow tourism market, sharing development experiences, cultivating customer groups, and driving the transformation and upgrading of China’s ice and snow tourism industry, while promoting the sustainable development of China’s winter tourism market.

On January 5, 2017, during the second China (International) Ice and Snow Tourism Summit, member units of the alliance jointly released the “North Country Ice and Snow” brand logo and launched five premium North Country Ice and Snow routes themed around ice and snow New Year celebrations, ice and snow culture, vibrant energy, ice and snow art, and leisure vacations, integrating local resources, covering top attractions, and catering to market demands.

A relevant official from the Heilongjiang Provincial Tourism Development Committee stated that a new era of explosive growth in ice and snow tourism is on the horizon. As the top province in China for ice and snow resources, winter sports, and ice and snow tourism branding, Heilongjiang will further leverage its accumulated advantages in this area, transforming its ice and snow tourism resources into high-quality products to meet the diverse and multi-level needs of tourists.