China's winter sports sector has reached a historic milestone, recording 26.05 million ski visits during the 2024-2025 season — surpassing Switzerland's 23.1 million visits last year, according to a newly released industry white paper. This achievement underscores the rapid transformation of the Chinese mainland's tourism landscape, with Xinjiang emerging as a pivotal growth engine.
Xinjiang's Jiangjunshan resort and other destinations are attracting record crowds, supported by a 11% year-on-year increase in domestic flight bookings to the region this winter. Data from travel platform Umetrip shows over 390,000 flight reservations between December 2025 and January 2026. The region's S-grade ski resorts alone welcomed 3.57 million visitors last season, marking a 10.22% increase from the previous year.
Analysts attribute this growth to strategic infrastructure investments combining winter sports with cultural tourism. "Xinjiang's model of integrating Uygur heritage experiences with premium ski facilities creates unique value," noted a tourism economist familiar with the white paper findings. The development aligns with broader efforts to diversify China's tourism offerings while stimulating regional economic development.
