China's "ice city" Harbin sees tourism boom during New Year holiday

Tourists queue for rides on an ice slide at the Harbin Ice-Snow World in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Jan. 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

HARBIN, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Harbin, the capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, welcomed nearly 3.05 million visitors, raking in 5.91 billion yuan (about 832.39 million U.S. dollars) of tourism revenue, during the three-day New Year holiday, which ended Monday.

Both the number of tourists and the amount of tourism revenue surpassed the figures for 2019, marking a historical peak.

Data from the city's commerce department shows a significant growth of 129.4 percent in the accommodation and catering sectors during the period.

Wang Hongxin, an official from the city's tourism department, attributed this surge in tourism to Harbin's increasing popularity on social media platforms which transforms the city into a bustling holiday destination.

To attract more tourists and improve overall services, Harbin has rolled out an array of activities, including live performances on New Year's Eve, firework displays, theme parks, intangible heritage culture shows and concerts. A series of measures have also been introduced to enhance the visitor experience in Harbin, covering sectors such as dining, accommodation, travel, shopping and entertainment.