Our Report (By Du Min) After the snowfall, Tianjin’s “ice and snow tourism” market has warmed up noticeably. This year, besides short-distance ice and snow trips to nearby destinations such as Jixian County and Chongli in Zhangjiakou, domestic destinations like Harbin and Jilin, as well as international ones including South Korea and Canada, have also attracted many citizens to make bookings.
“Recently, many citizens have been inquiring about travel routes for the Jilin Ice and Snow Festival, and we expect a peak in tourist departures in late December,” said a staff member at a local travel agency. For consumers who are short on time at the end of the year and unable to travel abroad, spending a “white Christmas” in an icy region is also a great option. Visits to the local tourism market revealed that recently, the number of citizens booking trips to destinations such as Harbin, Changchun, and Changbai Mountain (603099, stock symbol), as well as specific travel periods, has increased. The number of bookings has risen by about 15% compared to the same period last year. Looking at travel routes departing from Tianjin, for example, the “Harbin–Snow Town–Jilin Rime–Changbai Mountain Skiing 7-Day Tour” includes themed activities such as viewing ice lanterns, exploring Snow Town, skiing, and admiring rime, all rich in ice and snow characteristics, and has been well received by many citizens. In terms of pricing, current domestic ice and snow tour products for destinations such as Harbin and Inner Mongolia are priced between 2,000 and 4,000 yuan, outbound ice and snow tours to South Korea are around 3,000 yuan, and in-depth Canadian ice and snow tour packages average around 20,000 yuan per person, remaining level with the same period last year.
At present, the four major ski resorts in Jixian County have completed foundational work such as upgrading safety facilities and grooming ski runs in preparation for this winter’s ski season. Among them, Yulong Ski Resort has scheduled a trial skiing period with discounted rates from November 27 to December 8. The veteran ski resort Jizhou International Ice and Snow World, along with the newcomer Maojiayu Impression Ski Resort, also opened for business on November 28.