China tourism: cold spots are hot tickets as southern residents head north to ski

With temperatures falling and holidays approaching, ski resorts across northern China are experiencing a surge in visitors from the south, a trend that is cheering airlines as well as resort operators including Malaysia-based Genting Group.

Since the ski season opened on November 15, the Changbai Beautiful China Resort in the northeast province of Jilin, a complex owned by China Green Development Group, has welcomed more than 110,000 visitors, marking a nearly 40 per cent year-on-year increase. More than 80 per cent of these tourists came from southern China, significantly higher than in previous years. The peak season is expected to run from Christmas through the Spring Festival.

The resort said this reflected southern consumers’ sustained interest in winter experiences, a key driver of the resort’s revenue growth.

Data from three of the resort’s hotels showed that women aged 30 to 39 formed the core customer segment among Greater Bay Area travellers, and the region’s tourists tended to stay longer than those from other areas.

The launch of the Shenyang-Changbaishan high-speed rail in September, coupled with expanded flight connectivity to ice-and-snow destinations, has significantly boosted travel convenience for southern tourists.