‘Ice and snow’ extreme weather brings merriment and misery to Chinese tourists amid Spring Festival travel rush

3.05 million tourists visited Harbin over the course of the three-day vacation, according to state news agency Xinhua, earning 5.91 billion yuan ( US$ 832 million ) in tourism revenue. These rates were higher than those before the pandemic, according to Xinhua.

According to a report by the online travel agency Tongcheng Travel, Harbin is the most well-liked holiday getaway during the Chinese New Season vacations.

According to Chinese media, the winter tourism growth has been largely fueled by short videos of the Harbin winter landscape and the region’s hospitality going viral on social media.

A growing number of winter sports enthusiasts who use this holiday season as an opportunity to go on ski trips at mountain hotels in China, according to Mr. Oliver Sedlinger, CEO of the tourism firm firm Seglinger &amp, Associates, is a trend that is already “very obvious.”

Subramania Bhatt, the founder and CEO of the selling company China Trading Desk, concurred. Winter activities like skiing and skating, as well as different ice and snow sightseeing initiatives, have gotten more interest from visitors.

Chinese leaders have even acknowledged the rise in winter travel. According to Mr. Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the international government, it demonstrates China’s expanding tourist industry and consumer spending.

According to local media, Mr. Wang said that” China’s consumption spree during holidays, festivals, and the recent winter travel boom have highly boosted the international tourism market and showed the country’t great economic vitality.”

SETTING ABROAD Scopes

Foreign tourists are increasingly searching abroad for upcoming vacations on arranging websites.

According to the travel website Booking.com, global requests have increased by four and a half days since the previous years, with France, Japan, and Thailand ranking among the top destinations for travelers from the Mainland China.

While Japan, Thailand, and Singapore are among the best places, Trip.com has seen inbound bookings for Chinese travelers increase by 10 times year over year.

Ms. Ru predicts that new strategic initiatives will hasten the healing of international travel as domestic travel gains momentum.

These include increasing the number of international flights, expanding the range of nations without visas, reinstatement of visa-free passage policies for a few locations, and streamlining the immigration and customs clearance procedures.

In order to encourage more visitors and business travelers to attend the nation before the vacations, China relaxed card restrictions, including the lessening of transit restrictions and extensions of remain for foreign nationals.

China’s visa-free scheme has also been expanding. Common 30-day visa-free submissions with Singapore and Thailand, which go into effect in February and March, are among the most recent changes.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said last week that it may continue to “upgrade methods” facilitating cross-border go, acknowledging that improving immigration laws is an important stage.