The Chinese mainland's ski scene is rewriting the winter sports playbook! In the 2024-2025 season, it recorded a staggering 26.05 million ski visits, edging past Switzerland's 23.1 million last year. 😮🏂
A recent white paper on China's ski industry highlights the rapid acceleration of the market. One of the hottest spots? Xinjiang in the northwest, where resorts like Jiangjunshan are drawing crowds thirsty for slope adventures. ⛷️❄️
Domestic flight bookings to Xinjiang from December to January jumped past 390,000—a year-on-year rise of 11%—according to travel platform Umetrip. Meanwhile, the region's S-grade ski resorts welcomed over 3.57 million visits this season, up 10.22%, thanks to enhanced lifts, chalets, and snowy sightseeing trails.
What's fueling the boom? A blend of modern ski infrastructure, cultural experiences—from Uygur-led winter festivals to ice art exhibitions—and social media buzz that's making ski trips feel like the next big trend. 🌨️📸
As more resorts pop up and airlines add routes, the 2025-2026 winter season looks set to break new records. For young adventurers and travel buffs, it's time to grab your gear and hit the slopes! 🎿✨
Reference(s):
China tops Switzerland in annual ski visits as winter tourism surges
cgtn.com
