Beijing 2022: European ski resorts bank on successful Winter Games to increase Chinese tourism arrivals
- The Chinese winter sports industry has grown at an unparalleled rate since Beijing was awarded the 2022 Winter Games in 2015
- Industry veteran says Europe’s top winter sports destinations may need to adapt their resorts to cater to ‘unique’ Chinese characteristics
Several European countries are hoping a successful 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will lead to an explosion of Chinese winter sports tourism, with experts suggesting that ski resorts in the continent may need to adapt to accommodate mainland arrivals.
A recent white paper by the China Tourism Academy highlighted the fast-paced growth of winter sports in China in recent years, while European resorts have already experienced a sizeable increase in mainland arrivals since Beijing was awarded the 2022 Games in 2015.
And while human rights groups have called for a boycott of the Games over issues in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong, some European countries are clearly hoping the 2022 Olympics is a success.
“Since Beijing won the bid for the Winter Olympics, the whole industry has received unprecedented attention, and many investments, as well as promotions, have boosted visitor numbers,” Bastite Pilet, promotions manager for China at Switzerland Tourism, was quoted as saying in recent media reports. “Not only has the number and quality of ice and snow facilities grown, the number of snow sports enthusiasts has risen too.”
The academy report, “2021 China Ice and Snow Tourism Development”, said ice and snow sports in China were expected to attract 230 million visits in the 2020-21 winter seasons, with expected turnover of 390 billion yuan (US$60.27 billion).
