Behind the burgeoning ice and snow economy is the success of acting on the development philosophy of "ice and snow are invaluable assets" and speaks to the enormous potential of China's economy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday.

Guo Jiakun, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson/MFA PRC

Guo made the remarks in response to a media question for comments regarding ice and snow have become increasingly "hot" in multiple places in China. Ice sports and winter tourism are now more popular, becoming new options for Chinese people to spend the Spring Festival holiday and attracting more foreigners to visit China.

"I bet you all remember that in early last year, the charm of ice and snow has made Harbin one of the top winter destinations. Over the past year and more, the dynamism of ice sports and winter tourism in many places in China has been tapped on and great vibrancy has been unleashed." Guo said.

Guo added that Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia have leveraged their "ice and snow" advantages, Shanghai and Guangdong built indoor ski resorts, and Yunnan and Guizhou developed winter tourism that features ethnic culture and natural wonders. The ice and snow consumption keeps flourishing across the country.

"Data show that China recorded 430 million winter leisure visits in the 2023-2024 snow season. The number is expected to reach 520 million in the 2024-2025 snow season and the total tourism income is expected to exceed RMB 630 billion. Winter tourism attracted more and more foreign visitors, which shows that the ice and snow economy in China also injects new impetus to the global tourism market." Guo said.

Guo finally noted that the ninth Asian Winter Games will soon kick off in Harbin. China welcomes friends from around the world to participate in the Games to jointly celebrate friendship, explore cooperation and enjoy the beautiful winter wonderland in China. (By Ma Ziqian/China Youth Daily)