Fledgling industry developing at fast pace

"According to a survey released by the China Tourism Academy, the number of visits made for ice and snow leisure in the country is estimated at reach 230 million during the 2020-21 winter season, with tourism revenue projected to exceed 390 billion yuan ($60 billion)," Chen said.

The number of quality ice and snow resorts in the Greater Bay Area is also growing, with Guangdong having 20 indoor ice rinks by the end of last year, with a total area of more than 20,000 square meters. The largest indoor skiing resort in South China, with a total floor area of 7.5 hectares, is run by Guangzhou Sunac Snow Park. New indoor skiing venues are also due to open in other cities in the region, including Zhaoqing and Shenzhen.

"We're also seeing a new trend for large shopping malls to be equipped with indoor skating rinks," Chen said.

According to media reports, the city of Guangzhou ranks second in the ranking of the country's 20 largest sources of ice and snow tourists. Meanwhile, Guangdong province ranks third nationally in the average amount that tourists spend on ice and snow activities, over 4,600 yuan per person.

"Ice and snow tourism is particularly attractive to tourists from the Greater Bay Area. Perhaps, the lack of ice and snow there sparks a bigger desire among residents for related recreational activities," Chen said.

"There's plenty of room to explore in building up the ice and snow industry in the Greater Bay Area."