China's winter sports run at red-hot white (3)

Statistics on Ski Resorts &Skier Visits TIANSHU CHEN/CHINA DAILY

Promising industry

China's winter leisure tourism industry is forecast to welcome more than 520 million visitors and generate revenue of more than 720 billion yuan ($105.51 billion) in the 2024-25 ice and snow season, the China Tourism Academy said.

Lehner-Telic said the Beijing Games were the first important step in turning winter sports into a long-term economic and tourism industry in China, as they created a passion for sports.

"Combined with the increasing need of a growing urban population for fresh air and experiences in a natural environment, all kinds of winter sports are an ideal way to recharge the batteries while maintaining a modern and healthy lifestyle."

With younger and more experienced travelers particularly interested in winter sports, uncovering more novel, less-mainstream destinations for more individualized experiences will be important, Lehner-Telic said.

"The Chinese market offers Austria an ideal opportunity to promote its hinterland and winter sport regions, and to adapt its products to attract guests for a longer stay."

Daniela Chiani, Greater China director at Switzerland Tourism, echoed the view and said, "The Beijing Olympic Games were definitely a great opportunity to promote snow sports and snow sports destinations."

The country recorded 1.4 million overnights from tourists coming from the Chinese mainland.

While the winter season is historically weaker for inbound travel from China, with more than 70 percent of Chinese travelers usually choosing to visit Switzerland in the summer, Chiani said the country enjoyed a more than 400 percent increase in winter overnights in the 10 years before the pandemic.

People might have a misconception that Switzerland is only for professional skiers, which is not the case, she said.

"The Swiss slopes are open for all levels and guests from all around the world — from complete beginners to experts — and many of our resorts even offer Chinese ski and snowboard instructors to make our guests feel more at ease."

Switzerland's national travel agency forecast that about 40 to 45 percent of its overnight stays will be from China by the end of this year, and said it hopes to see a full recovery of its ski industry by 2025-26.