Hebei to build Zhangjiakou, Chengde into elite ice tourism destinations

Hebei province in North China recently released a development plan that states its intention to take full advantage of the upcoming 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. It calls for cultivating Zhangjiakou and Chengde, two cities that will hold some of the winter sporting events, into renowned ice and snow tourism cities.

With the two top-class ice and snow destinations, Hebei is expected to register total ice and snow tourism revenue of 110 billion yuan ($16.5 billion) and receive 50 million trips by 2023. By then, the province will have developed a full-fledged ice travel industrial system that boasts appropriate structures and complete consumption categories and distinctive features.

According to the plan, Hebei will expand its supply of quality ice and snow tourism products by establishing a group of A-class ice and snow tourism resorts. It will support them with convenient traffic, upgraded infrastructure and quality services. The governments of Zhangjiakou and Chengde are encouraged to take the initiative to start their ice-and-snow tourism development plans.

Meanwhile, Hebei also advocates that large-scale cultural facilities, shopping malls, opera houses and theaters create skiing-related services.

The document promotes the combination of ice tourism with the nighttime economy to form a fashionable new industry with huge consumption potential. Multiple ice-and-snow-related activities can be held at night to boost the economy; for example, ice-themed shopping festivals, ice and snow experience campaigns and ice and snow sports carnivals.

As for national sports consumption pilot cities, such as Zhangjiakou and Qinhuangdao, and national cultural and tourism consumption pilot cities, such as Shijiazhuang, Langfang and Tangshan, Hebei calls for innovation and reforms to the ice-and-snow tourism consumption mechanism to increase its adaptability to domestic consumption needs.