In recent days, the low temperatures and rainy and snowy weather in southern China have affected over one million people in provinces such as Hunan and Guizhou, where various measures are being taken to reduce disaster losses. Meanwhile, in the north, parts of Inner Mongolia have experienced extreme cold with temperatures dropping to minus 46.6 degrees Celsius, and average temperatures in the northeast and Beijing are also significantly lower than usual. In some southern cities like Wuhan, calls for centralized heating have been growing louder. “Not having centralized heating won’t kill anyone, but it will drive away talent,” some members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference have even stated outright.
Cold weather and frozen earth are common occurrences with the changing of seasons. How to handle heating relates to people’s livelihoods, while how to make the most of the cold for economic gain concerns the economy. Is extreme cold weather a boon or a bane for the ice and snow market? Industry insiders have varying interpretations.
Wu Yimin, assistant general manager of the National Stadium and person in charge of the “Happy Ice and Snow Season at the Bird’s Nest,” believes that the current prolonged cold weather has both advantages and disadvantages for the operation of the stadium’s self-owned brand event, the “Happy Ice and Snow Season at the Bird’s Nest.” The benefits mainly lie in snowfield maintenance and snowmaking, and some tourists and families actually prefer to visit the “Happy Ice and Snow Season at the Bird’s Nest” when it’s colder. “Perhaps it’s a mindset of challenging oneself,” he said. However, he also pointed out that a considerable number of tourists and families are reluctant to go out in cold weather. This was particularly evident in the early stages of the fourth “Happy Ice and Snow Season at the Bird’s Nest.” During two on-site visits, the reporter observed that the number of visitors was relatively lower compared to previous editions.
He Ping, person in charge of the Beijing Junshan Ski Resort, stated that first of all, whether it’s an extremely harsh winter depends on the location—in the suburbs of Beijing, he considers the current conditions normal. “It used to be this cold when I was a kid”; secondly, the current cold weather has resulted in excellent snow quality at the ski resort, which not only hasn’t affected visitor numbers but has instead led to booming popularity. “We didn’t even do much advertising.” In fact, as of January 8, the ski resort saw an 8% year-on-year increase in visitor numbers during the first 32 days of operation, and per capita spending by visitors was also slightly higher than last year.
Wang Shitong, general manager of the Beijing Huabei Ski Resort, described the impact of the current weather on ski resort operations as “a mix of joy and worry,” adding, “Maybe the positive factors outweigh the negative ones just a little.” The positives he referred to are mainly reflected in snow production efficiency and the atmosphere for skiing. According to him, most ski resorts that rely on artificial snow are no longer entirely dependent on natural conditions, and low temperatures, natural snowfall, and suitable humidity are key to ensuring good snow quality and increasing snow output. “If daytime temperatures are higher but nights remain consistently cold, ice shards can easily form, which is bad for snow quality.” Snowfall often triggers the desire to ski among many visitors, and this kind of positive atmosphere is something many ski resorts highly value. However, Wang Shitong also admitted that when Beijing experiences strong winds or heavy snow, yellow or blue alerts are issued, which does have a certain psychological impact on visitors’ willingness to travel. “There were two Saturdays with snow, and they did affect our visitor numbers somewhat.” In fact, as the earliest-opening suburban ski resort this season, the Huabei Ski Resort saw a year-on-year decline in visitor numbers in mid-December 2012, but the growth in late December 2012 and around New Year’s Day 2013 has still resulted in a slight overall year-on-year increase in visitor numbers so far.