China’s winter tourism rebound a bright spot in tepid economy

BEIJING: Winter tourism in China has rebounded sharply in a welcome boon to economically weak regions in the north struggling to recover from years of pandemic gloom, and providing a boost to sluggish domestic consumption.

Destinations in China’s northeastern rust-belt, such as the city of Harbin in Heilongjiang province, have attracted droves of domestic visitors from warmer climes in the past weeks. The growing popularity of winter sports has also drawn skiers and snowboarders to the slopes of Xinjiang in northwestern China.

It was the first time since 2019 before the outbreak of COVID-19 that many Chinese tourists enjoyed their winter vacations without worrying about lockdowns and infections. Data from booking platform Ctrip showed pre-ordered year-end ski passes doubling on a weekly basis, double the traffic the year before, while ski group tour bookings grew 70 percent weekly, nearly 30 percent more than the previous year. An official tourism report forecast 25-30 percent more tourists this season compared to the last, and numbers could exceed 400 million people for the first time, potentially generating as much as 550 billion yuan ($76.8 billion) in revenue.

In its five-year tourism development plan, China has called for a boost in “ice and snow tourism” from opening more ski resorts to tapping local culture and traditions. At an annual agenda-setting economic conference in December, the government said it would make efforts to spur domestic demand this year.

“It is necessary to stimulate potential consumption, expand profitable investment, and form a virtuous cycle in which consumption and investment promote each other,” it said.

China, which has set an economic growth target of around 5 percent for 2023, has grappled with multiple headwinds including mounting local government debt, a still ailing housing market and tepid demand at home and abroad. Faced with an uncertain economy, consumers have tightened their belts.