What’s new: Ice sculptures and snowy slopes in the northern Chinese city of Harbin drew throngs of tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday, extending the city’s newfound popularity among many budget-conscious travelers.
The snowy capital of Heilongjiang province recorded more than 6.29 million visits made by travelers during the first five days of the Lunar New Year holiday from Feb. 10 to 14, a year-on-year increase of 82.9%, according to Zhu Zhanchun, deputy director of the city’s culture and tourism bureau at a press briefing Thursday.
Entries to major tourist attractions such as the Harbin Ice and Snow World and Yabuli ski resort surged 115% to 329,000 and 178% to 84,000, respectively, Zhu said. The official did not disclose tourism revenue figures.
The background: China’s northern cities, particularly Harbin, have been experiencing a tourism boom fueled by social media, attracting travelers from further south where there is less snow and those opting for “more value for money” destinations amid a weakened economy.
Analysts are keeping a close eye on Lunar New Year tourism spending figures as a key gauge of China’s consumption recovery. Last year, the country’s tourism sector saw a mixed picture as as the so-called “revenge travel” rebound of the immediate post-pandemic period in the beginning of the year was more short-lived than expected.
Since the beginning of the festival mass migration on Jan. 26, the number of visitors to major tourist destinations has reached 123 million, a 22.8% increase from the same comparable period last year, according to state broadcaster CCTV Tuesday.
Contact reporter Kelsey Cheng (kelseycheng@caixin.com)
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