A warm welcome awaits

On Jan 5, at the 2025 Ice and Snow Tourism Development Forum, the China Tourism Academy released the annual Harbin Ice and Snow Tourism Development Report, which summarizes the content and characteristics of, and offers suggestions for the city's tourism model.

According to the report, during the ice and snow season from November 2023 to February 2024, Harbin received more than 87 million visits — an increase of 300 percent over the previous year — and achieved tourism revenue of 124.8 billion yuan ($17.1 billion), a staggering 500-percent increase.

The report also emphasizes that Harbin should strengthen global cooperation in ice and snow tourism, with the goal of establishing the city as a preferred destination for international visitors.

Before the 9th Asian Winter Games kicked off, taxi drivers had begun learning English to better serve international guests and, in anticipation of visitors' needs, the city has increased its efforts to provide more heated spaces.