Dai Bin | Ice and snow are integrated into life and tourism is booming - Keynote speech at the 2025 China Ice and Snow Tourism Report Release Event

On January 5, 2025, the 2025 Ice and Snow Tourism Development Conference, co-organized by the China Tourism Academy and Harbin Madiel Cultural Tourism Investment Group Co., Ltd., was held in Harbin. The theme of the conference was "Stimulating the Vitality of Ice and Snow Consumption and Building an Ice and Snow Economic Highland". Dean Dai Bin delivered a keynote speech entitled "Ice and Snow Integrate into Life and Tourism to Flourish", the full text of which is shared as follows:

New Tourism Bureau on Ice and Snow

Ice and snow tourism has become an important part of the good life of urban and rural residents. In the long history, the long winter and the ice and snow are not conducive to people's production and life, so there is a saying of "hibernating". There are not only intangible cultural heritages such as "winter fishing", "ice fishing", "ice sculpture", "splashing water to make ice", "slipping", and "green ants and new wine, red mud stove. In the evening, the sky is about to snow, can you drink a cup?" There are also various cold memories caused by material scarcity. With the development of economy and society and the expansion of international vision, we have seen sports such as alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, short track skating, figure skating, ice hockey, curling, bobsleigh, and sledding, as well as hot spring resorts, ice and snow parks, polar sightseeing and other desirable leisure life. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will make more people understand ice and snow and fall in love with ice and snow. Since the new era, we have not only achieved the established goal of "300 million people participating in ice and snow sports", but also formed an ice and snow tourism market of 500 million people and 600 billion yuan. According to the latest survey by the China Tourism Academy's Ice and Snow Tourism Research Group: 71.2% of respondents hope to experience ice and snow leisure tourism activities in the 2024-2025 ice and snow season, 53.4% ​​of tourists will increase the frequency of ice and snow leisure tourism, 45.5% of tourists hope to be able to travel long distances, and 64.2% of tourists will increase or maintain their spending levels in previous years during this ice and snow season, all of which are record highs. Whether it is "Southern tourists go north, Eastern tourists go west", or travel nearby or local leisure, the market scale of ice and snow tourism and ice and snow leisure has been formed, while the consumption level continues to improve and the consumption structure continues to optimize, thus laying the market foundation for the ice and snow economy.

Ice and snow tourism has broken the old resource space of "ice and snow do not enter Shanhaiguan" and formed a new development pattern of "expanding to the south, expanding to the west and advancing to the east". In the traditional sense, ice and snow tourism is a sightseeing experience mainly centered on natural resources, and the destinations are mainly concentrated in the Northeast. Harbin Ice and Snow World, Sun Island Snow Expo, Mohe Arctic Village, Changchun Ice and Snow New World, Jilin Rime, Hulunbuir Ice and Snow Nadam, as well as ski resorts such as Yabuli, Changbai Mountain, Beida Lake, and Qipanshan are all ice and snow tourism destinations that tourists are happy to visit. Contemporary ice and snow tourism requires not only sightseeing experience, but also participation in sports, and more importantly, experience of the beautiful life at the destination. The coupling of social investment, scientific and technological progress, product research and development, and ice and snow consumption has effectively expanded the spatial layout of ice and snow tourism projects. From the perspective of spatial pattern, the Northwest regions of Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, and other regions at high latitudes, and the North China regions of Beijing, Hebei, and Shanxi, together with the Northeast, constitute the basic pattern of "three norths forming an arc" of ice and snow tourism from east to west. Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan and other southwestern regions are combining local natural and cultural resources to accelerate the layout of special ice and snow tourism projects. Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Fujian and other east and south China regions are taking advantage of their proximity to source markets, leveraging the power of investment institutions and market players, and focusing on the layout of ice and snow theme parks, thereby forming a "three-line concurrent" spatial layout of the ice and snow economy from north to south.

Ice and snow tourism promotes "cold resources" to become "hot economy", and becomes a key area for expanding domestic demand and promoting consumption. Tourist visits are the prerequisite for building tourist destinations, and consumption is the key to opening the tourism economy. As final consumption and comprehensive consumption, tourism activities directly drive the prosperity and development of the ice and snow economy, promote the extension of the ice and snow industry chain and the development of the destination economy and society. The survey found that my country has formed 15 major categories of ice and snow equipment product systems, covering the entire industry chain from venue construction, snow and ice making equipment, supporting equipment, and personal equipment research and development, manufacturing, and maintenance from competitive competitions to tourism and leisure projects. The sales revenue of ice and snow equipment has increased from less than 5 billion yuan in 2015 to 22 billion yuan in 2023. According to incomplete statistics, the investment in heavy asset projects in my country's ice and snow tourism field has reached 1,315.7 billion yuan from 2018 to 2024. Zhangjiakou, Harbin, Qiqihar, Changchun, Songyuan and other cities have built and put into operation large-scale ice and snow equipment industrial parks, cultivated innovative ice and snow tourism equipment and equipment manufacturers, as well as ice and snow national trend brands such as Hongwei, Heilong, Anta, and Tianxingjian. The traditional and modern, classic and fashionable ice and snow culture complement each other. Fur board skiing, ice play, ice lanterns, ice sculptures, ice sleds, ice lanterns, and winter fishing have been rejuvenated with vitality. Snow sculpture art, alpine skiing, ice and snow health care, Snow Country Train, and ice and snow concerts have injected new connotations into contemporary ice and snow culture and created a new scene for ice and snow tourism.

Ice and snow tourism has become an important force in reconstructing the development of the global tourism industry and ice and snow economy. Once the ice and snow awareness of 1.4 billion people is awakened, it will drive the growth of the global ice and snow market from quantitative change to qualitative change from the demand side, and then promote revolutionary changes in ice and snow tourism. More Chinese tourists will appear in ski resorts, ice and snow parks, and hot spring resorts around the world, and more Chinese ice and snow investment institutions and market operators will go global, while attracting tourists from all over the world to come to China and Harbin to enjoy different ice and snow experiences. In this process, China's ice and snow tourism destinations, ice and snow tourism investment institutions, developers, operators and distributors will inevitably participate deeply in the global market competition and make Chinese contributions to the prosperity and development of the world's ice and snow economy and tourism industry.

Theory guides practical innovation

Implementing the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on ice and snow sports, the goal of "300 million people participating in ice and snow sports" was achieved ahead of schedule. Professional athletes, ice and snow sports enthusiasts, and ice and snow tourists together constitute the market foundation of the ice and snow economy. Among them, ice and snow sports are the main engine of the ice and snow economy. The Winter Olympics, the Asian Winter Games and international ice and snow events are the best window period for cultivating mass bases and consumer markets. In February 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping talked with IOC President Bach and said: "In China, ice and snow sports do not enter Shanhaiguan. If ice and snow projects can be promoted within the customs, it is expected to drive 200 to 300 million people to participate, thereby igniting the torch of China's ice and snow sports." On the eve of the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the State Sports General Administration issued the "Statistical Survey Report on "Drive 300 Million People to Participate in Ice and Snow Sports". Since Beijing successfully bid for the Winter Olympics in 2015, the number of residents nationwide who have participated in ice and snow sports is 346 million.

Implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on ice and snow tourism, and continue to expand the market scale of ice and snow tourism, ice and snow leisure and ice and snow culture. The development of any cause is inseparable from the mass base, social participation and market mechanism. During the 2016 National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that green waters and green mountains are gold and silver mountains, and Heilongjiang's ice and snow are also gold and silver mountains. Building ice and snow tourism projects, cultivating ice and snow tourism routes, and expanding ice and snow leisure consumption are the feasible paths for turning ice and snow into gold and silver mountains. In the 2016-2017 ice and snow season, the country received 170 million ice and snow tourists and realized ice and snow tourism revenue of 270 billion yuan. The market scale of ice and snow tourism in the 2021-2022 ice and snow season reached 344 million people and 474 billion yuan, and 430 million people and 524.7 billion yuan in the 2023-2024 ice and snow season. The 2024-2025 ice and snow season is expected to exceed 500 million people and 600 billion yuan. Two months ago, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Several Opinions on Stimulating the Vitality of the Ice and Snow Economy with the High-quality Development of Ice and Snow Sports" (Guobanfa [2024] No. 49), focusing on promoting the development of the entire industry chain of ice and snow sports, ice and snow culture, ice and snow equipment, and ice and snow tourism. The total scale of the ice and snow economy will reach 1.2 trillion yuan in 2027 and 1.5 trillion yuan in 2030. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism supports the construction of 3-5 world-renowned high-quality ice and snow tourism destinations, and jointly launches the 2024 "Winter Wonders" National Winter Tourism Promotion and National "Happy Ice and Snow Tourism Season" activities with local cultural and tourism departments and 26 national ski tourism resorts, and released the top ten national ice and snow tourism boutique routes. Benefiting from market growth and favorable policies, entrepreneurs have investment confidence and local governments have development momentum, forming ice and snow tourism destinations represented by cities such as Harbin, Mudanjiang, Yichun, Changchun, Jilin, Shenyang, Zhangjiakou, Hulunbuir, Altay, and Beijing Yanqing. They are the beneficiaries of the era of ice and snow tourism and the innovative promoters of ice and snow tourism.

Implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the ice and snow economy, continue to extend the ice and snow economic industry chain, and continuously expand the ice and snow tourism ecosystem. In 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a symposium on deepening the revitalization of Northeast China, requiring full use of the unique resources and advantages of the Northeast region to promote the accelerated development of the cold-region ice and snow economy. In 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during his inspection in Heilongjiang that the development of the ice and snow economy should be regarded as a new growth point to promote the development of the entire industry chain of ice and snow sports, ice and snow culture, ice and snow equipment, and ice and snow tourism. The Office of the Central Leading Group for Regional Coordinated Development issued the "Implementation Plan for Promoting the High-quality Development of the Ice and Snow Economy in the Northeast and Helping to Achieve New Breakthroughs in Comprehensive Revitalization" (hereinafter referred to as the "Implementation Plan"), based on the endowment of ice and snow resources in the Northeast, focusing on the development of the entire industry chain of ice and snow tourism, ice and snow sports, ice and snow culture, ice and snow equipment, and clarifying the ideas, goals, key tasks and policy measures for promoting the high-quality development of the ice and snow economy in the Northeast. Cultural leadership, technological empowerment, and integrated innovation are leading the high-quality development of ice and snow tourism. Sunac, Fosun, Chimelong, Yinji, Haichang, Madiel and other tourism groups have launched popular and popular ice and snow tourism and leisure projects such as the Ark of the Day, the Miracle of Hot Snow, the Leman Ice and Snow Kingdom, the Magic Snow Romance, the Ice and Snow Hotel, and the Polar Pavilion. It is worth noting that the widespread application of digital technology, intelligent equipment, new materials, drones, big data, artificial intelligence and other scientific and technological applications in ice and snow scenes has brought better ice and snow experience to tourists. The cooperation between government and business has created more and more new ice and snow scenes and new tourism formats, such as Harbin's "Ice World, Snow World", "Harbin X Bosideng", Urumqi's Silk Road Ice and Snow Festival, Altay's "Origin of Human Skiing", Zhejiang's Yunshang Grassland one-stop skiing service and other innovative cases.

Improve quality and efficiency and integrate development

First, we will plan and implement the plan to double the number of ice and snow tourism. Guided by promoting consumption, expanding domestic demand, stabilizing expectations, and boosting confidence, we will implement, reserve, and pre-research a number of policies to promote the ice and snow economy for the next five years, and do everything possible to expand the market base of the ice and snow economy. We will develop national leisure, implement inclusive tourism, ensure the steady growth of the ice and snow tourism market, and during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, half of the country's population, or 700-800 million people, will participate in ice and snow sports, ice and snow leisure, and ice and snow tourism, and steadily increase the contribution of tourism and leisure to the ice and snow economy. We must strengthen special statistics and data monitoring for ice and snow tourism, guide local development of the ice and snow economy and the integrated development of culture, science and technology, tourism, industry, and modern service industries, promote the localization of ice and snow equipment, cultivate the "national tide" brand of personal equipment, encourage provinces and cities with conditions to establish ice and snow days, and innovate ice and snow festival activities.

Second, we should speed up the construction of a strong country in ice and snow tourism. We should learn from the development experience of developed countries, make good special plans for ice and snow tourism, and clarify the role and function that ice and snow tourism plays in the construction of a strong tourism and cultural country. In conjunction with the construction of ice and snow tourism destinations, we should build a number of world-class tourist attractions and resorts with profound cultural heritage, cities and leisure blocks with distinctive cultural characteristics, and world-class and national-level tourist routes. In terms of destination image, market promotion, infrastructure, public services and key project construction, we should focus on improving the reception system, building a new space for a better life shared by hosts and guests, and promoting tourist destinations from winter tourism to four-season tourism.

Third, we will strive to improve the modern ice and snow tourism industry system. We will strive to give full play to the decisive role of the market mechanism and cultivate world-class ice and snow tourism enterprises, ice and snow leisure projects and service brands. We will enhance the cultural connotation of ice and snow tourism with modern civilization, contemporary art and fashionable sports, extend the ice and snow tourism industry chain with scientific and technological research and development, advanced manufacturing and modern services, and build an ice and snow tourism ecosystem that satisfies and benefits the people with ecology, employment and income increase. We will regularly conduct tourist satisfaction surveys and consumer behavior analyses, listen to the opinions and suggestions of front-line practitioners and community residents, and form a broad consensus and social synergy for the high-quality development of ice and snow tourism.

Fourth, improve the modernization level of the ice and snow tourism governance system and governance capacity. Build tourist-friendly cities and villages, and improve the reception system for individual tourists in tourist attractions, resorts, historical and cultural blocks and business districts. Strengthen market supervision of key areas, key enterprises, and key groups of practitioners, especially the "price backstab", "big data killing familiarity", "forced transactions", "induced consumption", "inferior goods" and other commercial behaviors that tourists strongly reflect on. During the ice and snow season, the government can "go viral" and "fancy pampering tourists", and can also make timely and decisive disposal of events that form public opinion. It can also make good use of local legislative resources and law enforcement systems to consolidate the legal and regulatory basis for governing and promoting tourism in accordance with the law.

Author | Dai Bin Editor | Liu Xin Source | China Tourism Academy (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism) Please indicate the author and source for reprinting