China aims to develop ice-and-snow tourism and encourage spending on cruise and yacht-related activities according to the Five-Year Plan
TL;DR
China's Five-Year Plan prioritizes ice-and-snow tourism and cruise/yacht activities to boost domestic demand, with investments in regions like Harbin and Altay. The ice-and-snow economy aims to reach 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030, supported by infrastructure upgrades and service quality improvements. These efforts align with shifting consumption toward experiential services to stimulate economic growth.
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China aims to develop ice-and-snow tourism and encourage spending on cruise and yacht-related activities according to the Five-Year Plan
China has prioritized the development of its ice-and-snow tourism sector and services consumption under its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–30), aiming to stimulate domestic demand and diversify economic growth. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has pledged to direct policy and funding support toward regions with prominent ice-and-snow resources, including Harbin and Yabuli in Heilongjiang Province, Changbai Mountain in Jilin Province, and Altay in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. These areas will focus on building high-quality outdoor sports and tourism destinations, with central budget investments targeting public infrastructure and equipment upgrades for ice-and-snow activities.
Recent data highlights the sector's growing economic impact. During the 2025 Spring Festival holiday, Harbin reported a 20.4% year-on-year increase in total visitors, driven by the 9th Asian Winter Games and ice-and-snow tourism. The city's Harbin Ice-Snow World attracted 610,000 visitors over eight days, with single-day attendance exceeding 100,000. Similarly, ski resorts like Yabuli and Lake Songhua in Jilin Province saw hotel bookings double compared to 2024. The State Council's guidelines aim to expand the ice-and-snow economy to 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030, emphasizing improved infrastructure, service quality, and international competitiveness in winter sports.
Parallel efforts to boost services consumption include promoting cruise and yacht tourism, scenic rail routes, and inbound travel facilitation. A January 2026 work plan from the State Council outlined measures to enhance yacht infrastructure, expand visa-free entry for tourists, and incentivize cultural and sports events. These initiatives align with broader goals to shift consumption toward experience-based services, which accounted for 46.1% of per capita spending in 2024 but remain below global averages.
Economists caution that sustained growth will require deeper reforms to address household savings rates and income inequality. While trade-in subsidies for goods have had mixed results, services consumption—projected to grow 5.5% in 2026—offers a more viable path for stimulating demand. By integrating ice-and-snow tourism with broader service-sector innovations, China seeks to create a resilient economic model centered on domestic consumption and experiential spending.