China bets on winter sports and tourism to turn its ice and snow economy into a growth engine, revitalizing the northeast of the country
It is not known if Xi Jinping has already practiced extreme sports in the snow. However, during a banquet in Harbin, he highlighted the importance of winter tourism. “Ice and snow are as valuable as gold and silver,” he said. He suggested that frozen water could boost local economic development. Thus, his statements encouraged investments in various areas.
According to The Economist, these investments include snowboarding classes, winter hosts and technologies such as self -regulatory socks and snowmaking machines. In addition, these initiatives are part of the so -called “ice and snow economy”. Consequently, Harbin -one of China’s coldest cities, with temperatures below -20 ° C -has become a popular destination.
Last winter, the city received 87 million visitors. This represents an increase of four times compared to the previous year. Tourism revenue has grown six times. During the Lunar New Year, 12 million people visited Harbin, an increase of 20%.
For decades, local residents have cut ice blocks from the Songhua River and turned them into statues. Recently, the sculptures gained greater prominence. Last winter, integer buildings made of illuminated ice viralized on social networks.
Most tourists are Chinese. “The Chinese, especially us, southern, yearn for the snow,” said Mrs. Chen, visiting with her son coming from Hangzhou. Therefore, this internal demand strengthens Chinese growth with winter tourism.
With economic growth slowing down, China bets on winter sports. The government wants the sector worth 1.5 trillion yuans by 2030. In the last winter season, 26 million people visited national ski resorts. Revenue increased by 140% over the previous year.
In 2014, Xi Jinping set the goal of involving 300 million people in winter sports. This goal was achieved before the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Until the end of 2023, China had 1,912 skating clues and 935 ski resorts.
Structural difficulties in the Northeast
The Northeast has faced economic difficulties for decades. The provinces of Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang depend on the state sector and the heavy industry. After the 1978 reforms, they were behind compared to southern cities.
Heilongjiang had the second smallest GDP per capita in 2023. In addition, its population shrinks quickly. Thus, revitalizing the region is a major challenge for the government. With or without staples, Xi has a climbing mountain.
Limitations of Winter Tourism
Many experts are skeptical about the lasting impact of ice and snow economy. Andrew Batson of Gavekal Dragonomics says ski resorts do not solve structural problems. However, something is better than nothing.
Recent efforts have created well -paid jobs. For example, Gao Yu, skiing instructor in Daqing, earns about 7,500 yuans per month. This is almost double the local average salary.
Local authorities now seek to promote summer tourism. The goal is to attract visitors running away from the southern heat. Thus, income will continue to flow even after the melting of ice and snow. Therefore, this plan can help support the regional economy.
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2025/02/17/china-aposta-na-economia-de-gelo-e-neve-para-crescer/
