Job opportunities

A professor from the Tourism Institute of Changchun University said: "Snow tourism is related to six industries. One yuan of tourism income will drive 10.3 yuan in income for six other industries in Changchun."

Thus, he said, one job post in the tourism sector will create five other job opportunities in the city.

Since December last year, all city hotels above the three-star level have been booked. Many tourists are also interested in living in some villagers' homes, which boast a distinctive country style and are hard to find in metropolises.

A taxi driver said that many of his colleagues are so busy serving tourists that they can hardly find time for meals.

There are some 10,000 taxis in Changchun, and every taxi driver earns at least 50-100 yuan each day during the snow festival, far higher than other seasons.

According to the local government, some 10,000 residents in Changchun rely on "ice" and "snow": ice collecting, transportation and ice sculpturing create a huge workforce demand.

The maintenance of large snow slopes such as Jingyuetan and Lianhuashan also solves government headaches, by finding work for many laid-off workers.

In winter, farmers can also earn money by providing their horses to travellers to ski slopes.

"Changchun will make full use of its snow industry to make local residents' wallets swell," Wang said.

Unique advantage

The average winter temperature in Changchun is below 9.7 C, relatively warmer than some other traditional snow tourism cities in Northeast China, better satisfying the demand for travelers.

Changchun's snow period lasts 101 days, and the snow quality is good for snow sculpture.

With its location in the center of Northeast China, Changchun is within 300 kilometers of some 20 snow tourism resorts situated around the city.

                                                                      (China Daily 01/26/2007 page14)

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