A natural opportunity for growth

Tourism, hospitality, sales of merchandise and youth training are among areas where consumption potential could be further tapped with the continued development of outdoor sports destinations, said Yang.

According to the industry report, 26 national ski resorts had recorded 37.65 million visits during the 2024-25 winter season, achieving total revenue of 24.3 billion yuan from ticketing, catering, accommodation and training.

With yet another Winter Olympics just around the corner, ski resort operators across the country have been busy expanding their businesses and improving services.

"The Olympic season is always a strong season, no doubt about it," said Jia Dong, a deputy general manager at the Fulong Ski Resort in Chongli district of Zhangjiakou.

"We've renovated and expanded our snow park to make it 30 percent bigger than last year with a total area of 300,000 square meters. We are expecting peak season very soon."