Skiing enthusiasts enjoy ice and snow at Yunding Ski Resort in Chongli district, Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, on Nov 22. (Photo provided to China Daily)

Chinese people’s love for ice and snow has been on the rise in recent years, giving a boost to the domestic snow and ice market, as well as the need for professionals, Workers’ Daily reported on Dec. 1.

The country is home to over 4,800 ski companies, according to data from database query platform Tianyancha.com, with ski resorts also expanding in southern China.

Indoor ski resorts have seen an explosive growth after China won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in 2015. By 2018, China had 26 indoor ski resorts, compared to seven in 2015.

The Chongli District of Zhangjiakou City in Hebei Province, selected to stage most of the skiing events of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, has built seven large-scale ski resorts with a total of 169 ski tracks maintaining a total length of 162 kilometers.

Statistics indicate that the industry is in need of about 20,900 professionals by 2022.