An aerial drone photo shows a view of the Harbin Ice-Snow World in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Jan. 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

The 26th edition of the Harbin Ice-Snow World, the world's largest ice-and-snow theme park, witnessed more than 1 million visitors in just 20 days after opening, setting a record high for the annual winter wonder. It was a hot spot during the Spring Festival holiday, attracting an impressive 610,000 visitors over the eight-day celebration. February 1 was particularly busy, with over 100,000 people marveling at the icy wonders, setting a new daily attendance record for the park.

The iconic park, featuring ice palaces, sculptures, winter sports facilities and local cuisine, has helped transform Harbin, the capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang province, into a premier winter destination.

The numbers tell a striking story. From November 2024 to January 2025, Harbin saw visitor numbers climb 18.6% compared to the previous year, with international tourists surging 41.1%, according to the city's cultural and tourism bureau. Moreover, the city welcomed more than 87 million visitors during the last snow season, a 300% increase, generating tourism revenue of 124.8 billion yuan ($17 billion), up 500%. The 25th edition of Harbin Ice-Snow World alone drew 2.7 million tourists.

Since the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China has witnessed a significant rise in the popularity of ice and snow sports. In preparing for the Olympics, China adopted an inclusive, green and open development approach, aiming to create lasting social and economic benefits by encouraging nationwide participation in winter sports.

Given the importance of infrastructure in winter sports development, China built various facilities across the country during the preparations for the Olympics to make winter sports more inclusive and diverse. For example, to ensure a barrier-free environment at the Beijing Winter Paralympics, China built around 14 million barrier-free facilities for the Games. 

China also saw a significant increase in winter sports venues during preparations for the Games, according to the International Olympic Committee. By the end of 2020, there were nearly 1,200 ice rinks across the country, up from 609 in 2018. At the start of 2021, China had 803 ski resorts, a 41% increase over 2015. Additionally, 2,897 primary and secondary schools across China had incorporated winter sports and Olympic and Paralympic education into their curriculum by the end of 2021, helping students pursue both athletic and academic goals.

China's intensified efforts have yielded remarkable results. Since the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, about 313 million people have engaged in ice and snow sports or related leisure activities in China, accelerating the industry's growth and boosting tourism.

The China Tourism Academy projects 520 million ice and snow leisure trips during the 2024-2025 winter season, with tourism revenue expected to exceed 630 billion yuan. This follows 430 million visitors and revenue of 525 billion yuan during the 2023-2024 season.

As China hosts the 9th Asian Winter Games this week, the event is expected to drive further growth in winter sports. For the first time in the Games' history, all competition venues and supporting facilities use green electricity during renovation, construction and events, promoting sustainable development.

In 2024, China issued guidelines to develop its ice and snow economy. The plan aims to grow the sector to 1.2 trillion yuan by 2027 and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030. To help realize this goal, China is now focusing on growing a complete industry chain, forging synergy across various fields, including winter sports, cultural promotion, equipment manufacturing and tourism. This strategy aims to build a vibrant economic ecosystem and fully unlock the potential of the ice and snow economy to support overall growth in the Chinese economy. 

Over the next five years, China plans to promote growth through measures such as business development, infrastructure improvement, sports promotion, and international cooperation. As a result, the government anticipates that by 2030, the ice and snow economy will play a more prominent role in job creation and fostering high-quality development. Additionally, ice and snow consumption is anticipated to become a significant driver of domestic demand.

China's commitment to expanding its ice and snow economy over the next five years signals a significant investment. The planned initiatives encompass a wide range of efforts, from promoting industry growth and upgrading infrastructure to boosting winter sports and strengthening international partnerships, reflecting ambitious development.

Looking ahead to 2030, China has a clear vision: to position the ice and snow sector as a key driver of job creation and high-quality economic growth, while also enhancing domestic demand through increased winter sports tourism and related consumption. China's emergence as a significant player in the global winter sports market presents a compelling opportunity for the international ice and snow industry. The scale of the Chinese market, combined with its growing enthusiasm for winter sports, promises unprecedented potential for growth and expansion for businesses worldwide.

Alexander Ayertey Odonkor is a global economist with a keen interest in the social, environmental, and economic landscapes of developed countries, emerging markets, and developing economies, particularly in the Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe and North America.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.