BEIJING: Over the New Year holiday, a record number of people visited the “ice city” of Harbin, the white capital of Heilongjiang province in northeast China, many of them drawn by the magnificent and subtle ice sculptures of its monthly Ice and Snow Festival.
Ice blocks from the local freezing Songhua River were used to construct the towering ice structures, which are lit up at night by a brilliant array of lights.
According to state media organization Xinhua, the festival this year brought 3.05 million tourists to Harbin over the course of the three-day New Year’s holiday that ended on Monday, earning 5.91 billion yuan ( US$ 826 million ) in tourism revenue.
These figures were higher than the number of pre-COVID trips in 2019.
According to local magazine Harbin Daily, rise in the state’s lodging and food sectors during the holiday season more than doubled from 2019. According to Xinhua, the state’s tourism division attributed the rise to Harbin becoming more well-liked on social media.
The tourism growth happened as China’s services sector expanded at its fastest rate in five months in December, bringing sector optimism to a three-month higher.
According to Xinhua, Harbin’s officials have implemented actions to draw tourists, such as live performances and recitals, theme parks and fireworks displays, as well as enhanced dinner, lodging, and buying services.
Over five times more than a year ago, the Ice and Snow Festival area welcomed 163, 200 customers during the New Year’s Eve, with nearly 40 % of those tourists coming on New Years Eve.
According to the provincial TV place, that brought in 46.18 million yuan in revenue, which is nearly six times higher than a year ago.
According to the station, Heilongjiang welcomed 6.619 million tourists over the course of three days, almost tripling that number from the previous month. This resulted in hospitality revenue of 6.920 billion yuan, or nearly five times that amount.
To coincide with the show’s formal entry, the city government declared Friday to be a particular public holiday known as the Ice and Snow Holiday.
The increase in domestic spring hospitality has benefited regional businesses in the industry.
Since the last week of December, stock of ChangBai Mountain Tourism, a northeast Chinese travel agency, have increased by 26 %, surpassing standard stock.