Winter tourism shifts toward consumer experiences

Snow and ice may have brought travelers to China's winter cities, but it is food, shopping and leisure services that are increasingly shaping how long they will stay and how they will experience the trip.

From resort dining to cultural souvenirs, China's winter tourism industry is shifting its focus beyond the slopes, turning seasonal travel into a broader consumption story.

That shift is particularly evident across China's winter destinations, where skiing and ice sightseeing are no longer standalone attractions but gateways into a wider ecosystem of travel, dining, leisure and cultural spending.

As visa-free entry policies expand and inbound tourism rebounds, services are emerging as the industry's next-growth engine.

"I had never done snow tourism before, so everything felt new," said Emma Shaw, a UK blogger, whose video of Harbin Ice-Snow World's giant ice slide attracted more than 43,000 likes on social media lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, or RedNote.

Shaw, who also runs her travel channel "always away" on YouTube and Bilibili, said she first learned about Harbin Ice-Snow World through a short video on TikTok. What she saw looked unlike anything she had experienced before.

She and her partner decided to visit over Christmas. The original plan was to stay three days. They ended up staying a week.

"The sculptures were amazing, but what surprised me was how much there was to do," she said, recalling ice rides, snow slides, a Ferris wheel and being pulled across the snow in a rubber ring by a jeep. "It was really fun."

Beyond the ice park itself, Shaw said the wider city experience played an equally important role. She described Harbin's transport system as modern and efficient, recalled dressing up for photos near Saint Sophia Cathedral, sampling local northeastern food and shopping for souvenirs. She mailed magnets, hats and scarves back to family in the United Kingdom.

"It wasn't just about seeing snow," she said. "It was the whole experience."

Emma's experience reflects a broader shift in China's winter tourism market as inbound travel rebounds under expanding visa-free access and increasingly convenient digital payment options.

According to the National Immigration Administration, China recorded 82.04 million cross-border trips by foreign nationals in 2025, a 26.4 percent increase year-on-year. Of these, 30.08 million entered China visa-free, accounting for 73.1 percent of all foreign arrivals, up 49.5 percent year-on-year.

Winter destinations have been among the most direct beneficiaries.

Data from Trip.com show inbound bookings to China's winter tourism destinations nearly doubled year-on-year, with growth exceeding 130 percent in places such as the Xinjiang Uygur and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions, and Hebei province. Visitors from Southeast Asia accounted for close to 70 percent of foreign tourists, highlighting the appeal of snow experiences for travelers from warmer climates.

Wu Liyun, a professor at the China Academy of Culture and Tourism of Beijing International Studies University, said the winter of 2025-26 marks a clear turning point for ice and snow tourism.

"We are seeing three major changes," Wu said. "Inbound tourism is surging, southern regions are heating up and product innovation has become decisive."

She noted that improved air connectivity has lowered travel barriers. At the same time, snow tourism is no longer confined to northern China. Southern destinations, supported by indoor ski facilities and diversified services, have also climbed in national popularity rankings.

The shift toward service-led consumption has been reinforced by policy-driven initiatives. In January, China launched the national "Shopping in China" Ice and Snow Consumption Season in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, positioning winter tourism as a platform not only for travel, but also for integrated spending across dining, culture and leisure.

While it is still early to quantify the result of the campaign, Wu said the most immediate effect has been a structural shift in spending. Curated lists highlighting what to eat, buy and experience in ice and snow destinations have helped to channel tourist flows into restaurants, cultural venues and entertainment spaces, creating visible economic spillover effects.

"At this stage, the impact is most obvious in consumption," Wu said, referring to food, shopping and leisure services. Manufacturing and sales of ice and snow equipment, she added, typically respond with a lag as participation builds gradually.

The approach reflects a broader recalibration of the "Shopping in China" initiative, which increasingly emphasizes experience-based spending and service quality.

At the operator level, resorts are adjusting quickly to changing demand.

At the Hu Resort in Beijing's Changping district, overseas visitor numbers have risen steadily over the past two years, according to the resort's marketing manager Shang Li. Foreign guests include expatriates living in Beijing, as well as families and small groups from Southeast Asia, Europe, Japan and South Korea.

Location remains a key draw. "Being close to Beijing allows visitors to switch quickly from urban travel to a snow experience," Shang said. But convenience alone is no longer enough.

Rather than focusing solely on skiing, the resort has expanded professional instruction, upgraded equipment rental services and diversified accommodation options. Dining now includes Western-style meals and cafes, while post-ski amenities such as hot spring pools, forest walks and social spaces are designed to encourage longer stays.

"We are building a 'ski plus vacation' experience," Shang said. "A one-stop winter retreat rather than a single-purpose ski trip."

In Northeast China, destinations that once relied heavily on sightseeing are also rethinking how to convert short-term popularity into sustained revenue.

At Jingpo Lake in Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, operators have shifted from fast-paced tours to immersive, slow-travel experiences rooted in local culture. Revenue is increasingly generated by diversified consumption channels, including cultural merchandise, themed activities and local cuisine, rather than ticket sales alone.

According to a report by the China Tourism Academy, ice and snow tourism visits are expected to reach 360 million during the 2025-26 winter season, generating revenues of around 450 billion yuan ($64.8 billion).

The broader ice and snow economy was expected to have surpassed 1 trillion yuan at the end of 2025, with more than 14,000 related enterprises nationwide. While equipment manufacturing continues to expand, analysts say future growth will hinge on service quality and visitor experience.

Expanded visa-free entry and 144-hour visa-free transit policies have shortened planning cycles for overseas visitors, while product innovation — from traditional skiing to "ice and snow plus" offerings such as culture, leisure and resort stays — has broadened the market's reach.

Public services have evolved alongside demand. From improved transport connectivity to logistics solutions that allow travelers to ship ski equipment home, these upgrades have helped smooth the visitor experience and raise service standards.

Wu said the sustainability of inbound growth will ultimately depend on quality. "If destinations can provide truly high-standard experiences for foreign visitors, they will become repeat customers," she said.

As China's winter tourism industry looks beyond its snow-covered slopes, it is increasingly selling not just scenery, but the services built around it.

For visitors like Shaw, the difference is clear.

"It wasn't only the ice," she said. "It was how easy everything felt."

lijing2009@chinadaily.com.cn