Ice, snow economy eyed to heat up northeastern Chinese province with tourist influx

Northeast China’s Jilin province is leveraging the snow season to enhance the ice and snow economy, with a plan to attract 230 million tourists and generate 420 billion yuan (US$57.7 billion) in revenue by 2027-28.

Authorities announced on Thursday an action plan aiming to establish the province as a globally hub for the ice and snow economy by supporting winter tourism, sports and related equipment manufacturing through targeted policies.

The plan includes applying for up to two additional national-level ski tourism resorts, and ensuring at least 100 snow parks operate annually.

Data from the local commerce department showed that nine major ski resorts in Jilin generated a combined revenue of 1.647 billion yuan during the last snow season, representing a 37.1 per cent year on year increase.

The number of operational snow parks also rose by 68 per cent, reaching 158.

The plan also focuses on growing leading brands and companies in the snow equipment sector, targeting a total output value of over 5 billion yuan by 2030.