Southern parts of China discover joy of snow tourism

Travel

A child skis at the Lyucongpo Ski Resort in Badong, a county in Hubei province, on Feb 26. (Hu Jingwen/Xinhua)
Twenty-six-year-old Yi Wei could barely contain her joy as she watched snowflakes swirling around her while on a trip to Lushan Mountain in Jiangxi province in January last year. “My friends and I had planned to climb the mountain and enjoy a snowy day,” said Yi, who rarely gets to see snow in her native Fujian, a southeastern coastal province.
She did not have to travel too far to experience the thrill of this winter wonder. Jiangxi is right next to Fujian. After seeing numerous posts on the social media platform Xiaohongshu, Yi and her friends decided to go and enjoy the snow for themselves.
“We began monitoring the weather in Guling town about a month in advance because snowfall can be very unpredictable.
“When we noticed the temperature dropping below zero for three consecutive days on various weather apps and saw videos from local bloggers on Xiaohongshu showing heavy fog, we knew there was very high chance of snowfall,” Yi said.
On Jan 22 2024, Yi and her friends went to Lushan from Xiamen by high-speed train and set out on a three-day, two-night ice and snow tour.
“Fortunately, we experienced heavy snowfall in the mountains, it was breathtaking,” she said.
“As I walked, all I could hear was the sound of my boots crunching on the thick layer of snow and the wind whistling through the trees. A song called Sweet Rumors started playing in my mind. At that moment, my surroundings were entirely white, and the joy in my heart swirled like the snowflakes falling from the sky,” she said.
In recent years, thousands like Yi have visited Lushan Mountain to admire the snow-clad scenery. On social media platforms, Lushan Mountain is often referred to as the best place for viewing snow in southern China, with some even calling it the “Hokkaido of Jiangxi”.
In December 2023, Lushan Mountain attracted 174,100 visitors in just 10 days. Traditionally a summer resort, Lushan Mountain’s daily visitor numbers during winter now rival that of the summer months.
 

People visit Lushan Mountain after a snowfall in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province. (Liu Lixin/China News Service)
South bound
The craze for ice and snow tourism has heated up with dropping winter temperatures. Unlike in previous years, southern regions like Jiangxi are now actively competing for a share in the ice and snow tourism pie, luring visitors away from well-known northern winter attractions such as Harbin in Heilongjiang province.
Data from the hotel booking app Qunar indicates that since November, nationwide bookings for ice and snow-related attractions have risen by 30 percent compared to the same period last year.
Additionally, searches for terms such as “skiing”, “ice and snow”, and “ski resorts” have tripled. Notably, half of the most popular ice and snow destinations going by early bookings before the end of December are located in southern China.
Another popular winter destination in Jiangxi is the Qixingling International Ski Resort in Tonggu county, Yichun city, which is just a four-hour drive from Lushan Mountain.
At an altitude of approximately 1,400 meters, the ski resort offers various slopes, including beginner and intermediate trails, as well as a snow play area.
This spread attracts numerous visitors from nearby cities such as Yichun, Nanchang and Changsha in Hunan province, who come for skiing and recreational activities.
One such avid skier is Nanchang resident Guo Yajian. “I’ve been skiing for two years now, and the excitement surrounding the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has deepened my passion for this sport,” said Guo, who has mastered both single and double-board skiing techniques through constant practice.
As a skiing enthusiast, Guo has visited Qixingling several times, each time taking more and more friends along.
“Gliding on the snowboard, speeding down the slopes, and experiencing the exhilaration of chasing ice and snow-it’s a truly refreshing experience,” he said.
However, it’s not only young people making a beeline for the resort, it’s the destination of choice for a number of families too.
Deng Xide, the deputy general manager of the resort, said that since Dec 15, the resort has welcomed over 10,000 visitors a week. Early bird ticket sales have surpassed 8 million yuan, and he expects a vibrant snow season this winter.
Yuan Zhiqiang, director of snowfield planning at the resort, said that since the ski resort opened in 2016, it has attracted not only local visitors from Jiangxi but also guests from Hunan, Guangdong, Fujian, and other provinces, totaling over 300,000 so far.
“Last year, during the Spring Festival, we introduced night skiing, which allowed us to host 5,000 visitors daily, setting a new record,” Yuan said, adding that Qixingling ski resort exemplifies the growing trend of ice and snow sports moving southward.
For southerners, there is a sense of novelty surrounding ice and snow tourism, and thus its market potential is huge.
“People living in southern China have always been fascinated by snow. At the end of January 2024, during a cold wave, my friends and I visited Mingyue Mountain in Yichun city,” said Zhu Jie, a college student from Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi. Needless to say, she found it a fascinating experience.
“It was the day after a heavy snowfall, and we couldn’t resist going up the mountain. We spent over 100 yuan to take the cable car up. The soft snow and rime filled us with tremendous awe,” the 21-year-old said.
“That was the first time I had seen such a scenery. The mountain was truly worth visiting that day.”
 
Moving indoors
Recently, the General Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism released the 2024-25 National Ice and Snow Tourism Boutique Routes in a document. It identified 12 routes designated as national ice and snow tourism routes for 2024 and 2025, including three located in southern provinces such as Hubei and Sichuan.
The notice also highlighted that the growth rate of indoor ski resorts across the country had surpassed that of outdoor ski resorts.
During the 2013-14 ice and snow season, there were only five indoor ski resorts in China; however, by the 2023-24 season, this number had increased to 59, predominantly in southern cities.
Liu Gang, the director of the mass sports division of Jiangxi Provincial Sports Bureau, said that Jiangxi currently has two outdoor ski resorts, and cities such as Yichun, Xinyu, Ganzhou and Nanchang also feature both indoor and outdoor ice rinks.
“We encourage various ice and snow-related activities like dry land skiing and grass skiing to expand the ice and snow sports community throughout the province and meet the public’s demand for these sports,” said Liu.
On Jan 10, 2021, the local sports bureau launched a key project with the groundbreaking for the nationally recognized Jiangxi Ice and Snow Training Center in Yudu county of Ganzhou city.
Once completed, this center will not only host Jiangxi’s ice and snow sports teams but will also feature the world’s largest artificial snowfield and ski slopes.
“By constructing a world-class ice training center in Yudu, we can attract professional ski teams from across the country and even globally for training and competitions in Jiangxi. The training center will include professional tracks in addition to amateur tracks and a public fitness area,” said Zhang Songtao, an official from the Jiangxi Provincial Sports Bureau.
“Furthermore, ice and snow sports will be introduced in schools in Yudu, with plans to implement programs in five to six schools annually. This initiative aims to promote ice and snow sports in Jiangxi among the young,” he added.
In neighboring Hubei province, Badong county is also capitalizing on the opportunity to develop ice and snow sports as a means to boost the local economy.
The local government constructed a ski resort in the town of Lyucongpo, located at an altitude of over 1,700 meters.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the Lyucongpo Ski Resort has led to the development of over 160 hotels and homestays and more than 80 dining and entertainment venues in the surrounding area, contributing to local employment and income growth.
This snow season, Badong county expects to welcome over 100,000 ice and snow tourists, generating a total income of over 200 million yuan.
Anhui province, located in the central region of the Yangtze River Delta, is also witnessing rapid growth of ice and snow sports. Ski resorts in scenic areas such as Dabie Mountain and Tianzhu Mountain are currently handling peak crowds.
Due to the distance and high travel costs associated with extremely cold regions like Northeast China, many people in the south often search for and experience “snowy places” within their own provinces to satisfy their cravings.
Xu Mingming, a member of the post-1990s generation, recently drove with friends from Fuyang city, Anhui, to Dabie Mountain ski park. They purchased ski package tickets that included a night’s stay at a homestay and two tickets to the ski resort.
“After watching short videos of Harbin, I wanted to experience the icy landscapes in person. So, I decided to explore the snow and ice nearby first. When I have a longer holiday, I plan to travel to Harbin in the future,” Xu said.

A snow scenery of Youyang Tujia and Miao autonomous county, Chongqing. (Chen Bisheng/Xinhua)
 
Immense potential
According to a 2023 report on ice and snow tourism, the total scale of China’s ice and snow industry exceeded 800 billion yuan in 2022 and is expected to reach 1 trillion yuan by 2025.
The report said the current ice and snow tourism market primarily focuses on sightseeing experiences, entertainment, and basic skiing activities, indicating that market development is still in its early stages. In the future, ice and snow-themed vacations are expected to become an important sub-market, it said.
Industry experts believe that China’s ice and snow sports segment and its related economy are currently experiencing vigorous growth, and there is potential for many more ski resorts to come up in the future.
Ice and snow sports are expected to stimulate the development of related industries, extend the industrial chain, create new formats, and possibly establish a new model for ice and snow economic development, according to the report.
This industry chain can already be witnessed in Lushan Mountain.
 
 
(Web editor: Tian Yi, Zhong Wenxing)

The ONE message that California’s tourism industry has for Australians

Travel

At the Visit California tourism event held in Sydney this week, there was just one message that the Californian tourism industry had for Aussies: We are open for business.
The news over the past fortnight has been dominated by images of Los Angeles up in flames – in one instance an AI-doctored image even showed the Hollywood sign burning down.
Whilst Ryan Becker, senior vice president of communications and strategy, Visit California, did not downplay the huge destruction of fires that wiped out two LA neighbourhoods, he did note that much of LA is completely unimpacted.
From left: Dan Gordon, chair of Visit California and CEO of Gordon Biersch; Ryan Becker, senior vice president of Communications & Strategy, Visit California; Noreen Martin, Visit California board member & advisor, NLJM Investments; Leona Reed, vice president of Global Marketing, Visit California; Aunty Margret Campell; Susan Coghill, chief marketing officer, Tourism Australia and Rob Dougan, executive general manager, Strategy and Research Tourism Australia.
“We’ve all been fed a steady diet of [images of] the fires in Los Angeles, and while tragic, of course, more than 98 per cent of Los Angeles is completely unscathed, including the entire tourism infrastructure and tourism experience,” he said at an exclusive Visit California tourism event held on The Jackson yacht at Sydney Harbour on Tuesday.
“So most travelers arriving into Los Angeles and traveling around the Los Angeles region will never see any impacts of the fires itself.”
Becker echoed the sentiment expressed by all 12 Californian delegates at the event: now is not the time to stay away from LA.
“Now we’re ready for your help in Los Angeles’ recovery story. With your support, we can rise stronger and help businesses and residents that need tourism now more than ever,” he said.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
“Australian travelers are among our top travelers into California. They contribute $1.5 billion (AU $2.4 billion) to our economy and support a total California tourism workforce of more than 1.2 million people.”
Despite the huge numbers of Australian tourists going to the US, numbers are still down since pre-pandemic.
“We wanted to come here and make this a priority and tell you about what’s new and happening in the state,” Becker said.
Over the course of nine networking events and meetings in Sydney and Melbourne throughout the week, the delegation will connect with nearly 100 Australian and New Zealand trade and media partners. These engagements aim to bolster relationships, promote California, and drive increased visitation and spending across the state.
In a nod of support to the LA tourism industry, here is a roundup of some of the latest things to check out in California!
Foodies can help too – Dine LA Restaurant Week brought forward 
During tragedies, such as the recent fires in LA, restaurants (which operate at tight margins) can often be those most affected.
To ensure that LA’s restaurants are supported, LA Tourism has brought forward its DINE LA Restaurant Week – now taking place from 24 January to 7 February.
LA Tourism will donate $5 per reservation made to The American Red Cross with a match from Banc of California, raising the total donation to $100,000.
“We’ve got over 200 Michelin-rated restaurants in LA alone, and a lot of it are cuisines that aren’t common in Australia, such as Armenian, Ethiopian and Persian food. Our Mexican food is phenomenal – we rival Mexico City for the best tacos in the world,” Craig Gibbons, regional director Asia, LA Tourism and Convention Board said.
You can find out more about Dine LA here.

For those looking for a Californian food adventure closer to home, Visit California has also teamed up with Australian-born, California-based celebrity chef Curtis Stone to offer a taste of the Californian spirit.
On 23 January Stone will bring a slice of his new Beverly Hills culinary concept, The Pie Room, to Melbourne’s bustling Fed Square for an exclusive pop-up event where attendees can enjoy a pie free of charge or choose to make a small donation to the American Red Cross or World Central Kitchen.
Donations from the Pie Room will go to support those impacted by the fires, offering a meaningful way to enjoy this unique event while giving back to those in need. The event also offers the chance to win a dream holiday package for four to California, including flights and accommodation thanks to Flight Centre.
Anaheim – not just for kids!
Whilst the suburb of Anaheim might be known as the home of one of America’s biggest playgrounds – Disneyland Park – Mike Waterman, president and CEO of Visit Anaheim, says that the opening of immersive Orange County entertainment centre OCVIBE is about to change everything.
“OCVIBE is a privately funded development by one of the wealthiest families in California, the Samueli family. Henry Samueli started and currently owns Broadcom,” he said. “He’s worth something like $45 billion and he and his wife have pledged that they’re going to invest or give away their entire fortune.”
Part of that is the development of the 130 acre OCVIBE entertainment complex. OCVIBE is an immersive entertainment district that aims to ‘redefine the downtown experience for Orange County’ and significantly contribute to the local economy.
“There’s going to be 36 restaurants, six bars, two hotels, two four-acre parks. The city has also pledged to turn the Aqua duck, which is currently dry, into a working lake that you could kayak and paddleboard on,” Waterman says.
It’s also going to have four venues, starting at 350 for small acts (such as up-and-coming YouTubers) and rising to 20,000.
The OCVIBE will open in stages with the music venues to open in 2026.

Lovers of sports 
When it comes to travel, Australians specifically are very “experience-orientated”, says president and CEO of San Francisco Travel Association Anna Marie Presutti.
And the abundance of sporting events taking place in LA over the next two years – the FIFA World Cup in 2026, the 2028 Olympics, and the NBA – means that visiting Aussies will be right in the thick of it.
“Come to San Francisco in the next 18 months and see all the iconic things we have – whether it’s the bridge or the Painted Ladies – and you’re probably going to stumble upon a major sporting event and all the activations that go with that sporting event.
“For instance, in our Union Square area for the NBA All-Star game, they’re putting a basketball court with professional basketball players there to mingle with the patrons.
“The entire city kind of takes on whatever sporting event is happening.”
This is the first of several articles on the LA Tourism industry that Travel Weekly will be publishing over the coming weeks.
You can check out all of the updates about the fires here. 
Select Aussies can now apply for easier US entry

Greek Tourism 2024 | Reduced receipts from the French and the British in the 11 months

Travel

Travel receipts from France and the United Kingdom in our country decreased during the 11 months of January-November 2024, compared to the corresponding period of 2023. On the contrary, a double-digit increase was recorded in receipts from Italy and the USA.
Specifically, according to the Travel Balance of the Bank of Greece, from these markets:
Receipts from Germany increased by 3.5% to 3,645.7 million euros. Travel traffic from Germany increased by 13.8% and amounted to 5,328.8 thousand travelers,Receipts from France decreased by 11.7% to 1,246.1 million euros. Tourist traffic from France increased by 7.8% and amounted to 1,950.4 thousand travelers.Receipts from Italy increased by 13.0%, reaching 1,207.0 million euros. Tourist traffic from Italy also increased by 9.8%, reaching 1,993.5 thousand travelers.Receipts from the United Kingdom decreased by 3.9%, reaching 3,144.9 million euros. Tourist traffic from the United Kingdom decreased by 1.1% and reached 4,491.7 thousand travelers.Receipts from the United States increased by 13.3% to 1,528.4 million euros, while arrivals increased by 8.1% to 1,480.7 thousand travelers.In the period January-November 2024, travel receipts recorded an increase of 4.9% compared to the corresponding period of 2023 and amounted to 21,266.9 million euros. The increase is due to the increase in inbound travel traffic by 9.7%, as the average expenditure per trip decreased by 5.4%.
In particular, receipts from residents of EU-27 countries recorded an increase of 6.3% to 11,713.5 million euros and from residents of other countries by 0.5% to 8,453.9 million euros. More specifically, receipts from residents of euro area countries amounted to 9,256.3 million euros. euros, up by 3.5%, while receipts from residents of EU-27 countries outside the euro area also increased by 18.5%, reaching 2,457.2 million euros.
In November, travel receipts increased by 44.7%, while inbound travel increased by 23.6%.
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

New 11-Month High for Greece with 35M Tourist Arrivals in 2024

Travel

In line with forecasts for another record year in tourism, Greece welcomed a total of 35 million travelers in the January-November 2024 period marking a 9.7% rise over the same 11-month period in 2023 when 31.9 million visited the country, according to the Bank of Greece (BoG).In the period under review, traveler flows, which exclude cruise passengers, grew by 10.2% through airports and by 9.6%, as did road border-crossing points.In the January-November 2023 period, travel receipts also increased by 4.9% year‑on‑year reaching a total of 21,266.9 million euros.Central bank analysts attribute the positive performance to an increase in receipts generated by tourists from the EU, up by 6.3% to 11,713.5 million euros and to spending by non-EU nationals which was up by 0.5%.Driving tourism revenues for Greece in the given period were travelers from Germany with receipts up by 3.5% to 3,645.7 million euros; from Italy (+13.0% to 1,207.0 million euros); and from the US (+13.3% to 1,528.4 million euros).In the same period, traveler spending from France dropped by 11.7% to 1,246.1 million euros; from the UK by 3.9% to 3,144.9 million euros; and from Russia by 53.3% to 14.6 million euros.According to the BoG data, average spending per trip in the period under review dropped by 5.4%.

Armenia Prepares to Welcome 3 Million Tourists in 2025 – Head of Tourism Committee

Travel

The Chairperson of Armenia’s Tourism Committee, Lusine Gevorgyan, announced that the country is ready to host up to three million tourists in 2025, provided they are evenly distributed throughout the year rather than concentrated during the peak season from May to September.In an interview with Public Television, Gevorgyan emphasized the need to improve the quality of tourism infrastructure. She stated that special programs are planned to achieve this, including training courses for hotel sector workers in the regions of the republic.”We understand the importance of quality infrastructure—good roads, hotels, and high-level services. It is particularly crucial to redirect the tourist flow from Yerevan to other regions of the country,” the head of the Committee noted.Previously, BMG reported that more than 2.2 million tourists visited Armenia in 2024, representing a 5.1% decrease (or 120,000 fewer visitors) compared to 2023, according to the country’s Tourism Committee.The majority of tourists in December 2024 were from Russia, accounting for 43.1% of all visitors. Tourists from Georgia ranked second (13%), followed by visitors from Iran (8.4%).