Chinese skiers hit the slopes in Europe

Successful Winter Olympics bid spurs sports industry

Beijing's successful bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics has been the catalyst for the rapid growth of winter sports in China.

It has also seen European ski resorts raise their game after stagnating because of an ageing baby-boomer generation and a wider range of alternative leisure pursuits.

The number of skiers in China reached 13.2 million last year, up from 9.6 million in 2015, a rise of 37.5 percent, according to the latest China Ski Industry White Paper.

The white paper shows the number of ski resorts in China has grown by 81 percent over the past five years, to 742 nationwide.

The central government aims to raise the number of winter sports participants in China to 300 million by 2022, and estimates the value of the winter sports industry will reach 1 trillion yuan ($149 billion) by 2025.

Laurent Vanat, author of the International Report on Snow and Mountain Tourism, said the skiing industry is growing rapidly in China, driven by strong support from the government. "At this stage, the market potential remains mostly untapped," he said.

In Europe, most markets have a mature profile and face the challenges of an ageing society, meaning lower returns from their customer base and of worldwide competition, with holidaymakers having more choice of winter activities.

Ski operators in Europe are looking east to tap the potential market. Even a small number of Chinese skiing fans making their way to Europe could have a major positive economic impact on resorts.

St. Anton am Arlberg, a popular ski resort in the Tyrolean Alps in Austria and the gateway to the Arlberg skiing region, has found a way to court the Chinese market.