Since Beijing won the bid in 2015 to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, China has pushed for greater participation in winter sports and made developing the ice and snow industry a priority. Skiing and other winter sports have since become very fashionable pastimes for many Chinese.

In just a few years, China has become the fastest growing ski market in the world, with an ever increasing number of ski resorts and ski visits.

Chongli District of Zhangjiakou City, north China's Hebei Province, is the largest high-end ski area in China and will stage most of the ski events at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. In 2015, it had four ski resorts. Now, there are seven with 162 kilometers of ski pistes.

Tourist numbers and revenue in the sector have surged. In fact, the sector has seen higher growth in recent years than domestic tourism in general. The per capita consumption of ice and snow tourism reached around RMB 1,700 (USD 262). In comparison, in domestic tourism, it averaged just over RMB 900 (USD 139).

Between November 2019 and January 2020, the most popular destinations were Harbin, Hailin, Changchun, Shenyang and Mudanjiang. These northeastern cities, after years of work, have formed a mature winter tourism system, and become top choices for people looking for ice and snow.