The second China (International) Ice and Snow Tourism Summit was grandly held on January 5, creating an international exchange platform covering ice and snow sightseeing, sports, entertainment, art, folklore, and vacation. It aimed to jointly promote innovative development in ice and snow tourism. Attendees included Du Jiang, Vice Director of the National Tourism Administration, and Sun Dongsheng, Vice Governor of Heilongjiang Province, who delivered speeches. Representatives from ice and snow tourism cities in Germany, Finland, and other countries, along with domestic industry experts, scholars, and corporate representatives, gathered in Harbin to discuss strategies for the development of ice and snow tourism. The successful conclusion of this summit also reflected the initial achievements of the alliance’s mission to build and promote the “Northern Ice and Snow” tourism brand.
On the morning of the 5th, the China Ice and Snow Tourism Promotion Alliance held a closed-door meeting where members unanimously voted to officially admit the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Tourism Bureau as a new member. The alliance also upgraded and optimized its working mechanism by establishing a permanent secretariat under the council. Hou Wei, Deputy Director of the Heilongjiang Provincial Tourism Commission, was elected as the Secretary-General of the alliance, while Ge Lei, Executive General Manager of CYTS Linkage PR Consulting Co., Ltd., was appointed as the Executive Secretary-General. The operational structure was also confirmed, and the alliance mechanism was discussed.
The core element of the “Northern Ice and Snow” tourism brand logo—the interconnected “snowflakes”—symbolizes mutual support among China’s northern provinces rich in ice and snow resources, all striving to create the best ice and snow tourism experiences in China.
Five Northern Ice and Snow Themed Routes Draw Attention
In addition, at this summit, the alliance also launched five premium Northern Ice and Snow themed routes. These five high-quality routes were jointly developed by the Heilongjiang Provincial Tourism Commission and tourism bureaus (commissions) of member units including Beijing, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, and Xinjiang. They focus on themes such as ice and snow New Year celebrations, ice and snow culture, vitality and excitement, ice and snow art, and leisure vacations. Combining local resources and featuring premium attractions, these routes cater to market demand. Additionally, two flagship product routes tailored to the specific conditions of each province were proposed to enhance regional influence. The themed routes elevate brand visibility, while the flagship products drive the development of regional ice and snow markets. Together, they complement each other to achieve overall and localized market prosperity. Furthermore, the region’s ice and snow resources will be effectively transformed into valuable “white gold” that promotes socio-economic development, turning “cold resources” into a “hot economy” and becoming a premium showcase for city branding.
Authoritative Report Released, Creating a New Engine for the Ice and Snow Industry
At the summit, the alliance also collaborated with leading domestic big data institutions—People’s Daily Online Public Opinion Monitoring Office and TalkingData Mobile Data Research Center—to jointly release a special report on China’s ice and snow tourism.Research ReportThis provides a new engine and direction for the development of China’s ice and snow industry.
The “2016 China Ice and Snow Tourism Competitiveness Big Data Report,” jointly released by the People’s Daily Online Public Opinion Monitoring Office and the China Ice and Snow Tourism Promotion Alliance, shows that ice and snow tourism has become an emerging driving force for the tourism industry and regional economic development. Harbin, Changchun, Zhangjiakou, Shenyang, Hulunbuir, Urumqi, Jilin City, Mudanjiang, Yichun, and Yanqing were listed among the “Top 10 Ice and Snow Tourism City-Level Destinations in China for 2016.” Events such as the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, the Changchun Jingyuetan Vasaloppet International Ski Festival, and Inner Mongolia’s “Ice and Snow Sky Road” exploration tour were included in the “Top 10 Ice and Snow Tourism Marketing Events in China for 2016.”