China’s ski industry hit 25 million participants in 2023, up 15.5% from 2022. App-based bookings were used by 82% of skiers, and average spending reached 850 RMB per skier day. Ski demand is rising faster than some capacity, with weekend visitors making up 61% of frequent traffic.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, 25 million people participated in skiing in China, a 15.5% increase from 2022.
- Ski industry created 450,000 direct jobs in 2023, with 120,000 new hires.
- Projected 2025 market size: 120 billion RMB, CAGR 27% from 2023.
- As of 2023, China boasts over 1,001 ski resorts, a 15% increase from 2022, concentrated in the north.
- In 2023, China's ski industry generated total revenue of 45.6 billion RMB, reflecting a 28.4% year-over-year growth driven by increased domestic tourism.
China’s ski market is rapidly expanding, with growing participation and infrastructure boosting industry momentum.
Related reading
01 · Category
Consumer Participation26 stats
01
In 2023, 25 million people participated in skiing in China, a 15.5% increase from 2022.
02
42% of Chinese skiers are aged 18-35, totaling 10.5 million young adults in 2023.
03
Female participation rate reached 38% in 2023, up from 25% in 2019.
04
Average skier visits per person: 6.2 days in 2023 season.
05
68% of skiers come from Tier 1 cities like Beijing and Shanghai in 2023.
06
First-time skiers numbered 8.2 million in 2023, 33% of total participants.
07
Family skiing trips accounted for 52% of total visits, involving 13 million people.
08
Weekend warriors (1-2 days/month) make up 61% of frequent visitors.
09
75% of participants prefer beginner/intermediate slopes in 2023 surveys.
10
Northern provinces saw 18 million skier visits, 72% of national total.
11
App-based bookings used by 82% of skiers for tickets and lessons.
12
Average spend per skier day: 850 RMB, including lift, food, and gear rental.
13
29% of skiers own personal equipment, up 12% from 2020.
14
Corporate team-building ski events involved 1.8 million participants in 2023.
15
Children under 18: 4.5 million skiers, 18% of total with school programs.
16
Repeat visitors loyalty rate: 67%, with season pass holders at 3.2 million.
17
Social media influence: 55% book based on Weibo/Douyin recommendations.
18
Night skiing attracts 22% of total visits, peaking at 1.1 million weekly.
19
International tourists: 450,000 ski visitors in 2023, mostly from Asia.
20
Lesson enrollment: 12 million sessions, avg 4 hours per beginner.
21
Peak season (Dec-Feb) saw 19.5 million visits, 78% of annual total.
22
Solo travelers: 15% or 3.75 million, preferring freestyle parks.
23
Upper-middle class (income >200k RMB) comprises 48% of skiers.
24
Mobile payments used in 96% of transactions at resorts.
25
35% of skiers travel >500km for trips, avg group size 4.1.
26
Freestyle enthusiasts: 2.8 million, 11% focusing on parks/jumps.
Interpretation
Consumer Participation Interpretation
In 2023, ski participation in China hit 25 million people, up 15.5% from 2022, and the fast-growing, app-driven scene is powered by beginner-friendly visitors who generate 19.5 million of the 78% of annual visits during Dec to Feb.
02 · Category
Economic Impact25 stats
01
Ski industry created 450,000 direct jobs in 2023, with 120,000 new hires.
02
Indirect employment from supply chain: 1.2 million jobs supported.
03
Total economic output from ski industry: 180 billion RMB in 2023., source multiplier: 4x direct revenue.
04
Tax revenues from ski sector: 8.7 billion RMB paid to government in 2023.
05
Foreign direct investment in ski resorts: 2.5 billion USD since 2018.
06
Local GDP boost in Heilongjiang: 25 billion RMB from skiing alone.
07
Equipment manufacturing employs 80,000, exporting 40% of production.
08
Tourism multiplier effect: every RMB spent generates 3.2 RMB locally.
09
150 resorts received 50 billion RMB in upgrades post-Olympics.
10
Supply chain spending: 32 billion RMB on local goods/services.
11
Chongli area's economy grew 18% to 45 billion RMB due to skiing.
12
Insurance and risk management sector earned 1.2 billion RMB.
13
Marketing agencies pocketed 2.1 billion RMB from ski promotions.
14
Construction jobs from new resorts: 60,000 annualized positions.
15
Retail outlets (1,200 stores) generated 18 billion RMB in sales.
16
Transport sector gained 4.5 billion RMB from skier mobility.
17
Hospitality jobs: 200,000 in ski-adjacent hotels/lodges.
18
Agricultural support for snowmaking water: 1.8 billion RMB value.
19
Tech firms in ski apps/sensors: 950 million RMB revenue.
20
Event organizing companies earned 1.5 billion RMB from comps.
21
Energy consumption costs: 3.2 billion RMB, spurring green tech.
22
Import duties on foreign gear: 450 million RMB collected.
23
Venture capital infused 1.8 billion USD into startups.
24
Rural revitalization via skiing: 12 billion RMB in poor areas.
25
Banking loans to resorts: 35 billion RMB outstanding.
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
China’s ski industry is rapidly scaling into a broad economic engine, with 450,000 direct jobs in 2023 expanding into 1.2 million supply chain jobs and delivering 180 billion RMB in total output.
03 · Category
Future Projections And Trends28 stats
01
Projected 2025 market size: 120 billion RMB, CAGR 27% from 2023.
02
Skier numbers forecast to hit 40 million by 2025, doubling 2023.
03
Indoor skiing to grow 35% annually, reaching 200 domes by 2030.
04
Southern China resorts to add 150 new sites by 2027.
05
AI snow management adoption in 70% resorts by 2026.
06
Carbon-neutral resorts target: 50% by 2030 via green energy.
07
VR/AR training to capture 20% of lesson market by 2025.
08
International arrivals projected at 2 million skiers annually by 2028.
09
Equipment localization rate to 85% by 2025 from 65% now.
10
Mega-resorts (>50km) to number 50 by 2030.
11
E-sports skiing leagues to attract 5 million viewers by 2026.
12
Family-oriented facilities in 90% resorts by 2025.
13
Blockchain ticketing to eliminate 95% fraud by 2027.
14
Northeast snow tourism hub to generate 80 billion RMB by 2025.
15
Drone snow grooming in 40% parks by 2026.
16
Women's pro circuit to expand with 20 events annually by 2025.
17
Off-peak usage to rise 50% via pricing incentives by 2027.
18
Hydrogen-powered lifts piloted in 10 resorts by 2026.
19
Personalized ski apps for 80% users with AI coaching by 2025.
20
Cross-country skiing participants to triple to 9 million by 2030.
21
Luxury glamping at resorts to boom, 300 sites by 2025.
22
FIS World Cup venues to increase to 15 by 2026.
23
Sustainable materials in gear: 60% market share by 2028.
24
Youth academies in 500 resorts training 1 million kids by 2030.
25
Metaverse ski experiences for 10 million virtual visits by 2027.
26
Revenue from wellness retreats at slopes: 10 billion RMB by 2025.
27
Autonomous shuttles to all major resorts by 2028.
28
Backcountry guided tours to grow 40% yearly to 2027.
Interpretation
Future Projections And Trends Interpretation
China’s ski industry is set for rapid mainstream expansion, with skier numbers projected to double to 40 million by 2025 while indoor skiing scales 35% annually and reaches 200 domes by 2030.
More related reading
04 · Category
Infrastructure And Resorts26 stats
01
As of 2023, China boasts over 1,001 ski resorts, a 15% increase from 2022, concentrated in the north.
02
Beijing's Zhangjiakou National Ski Resort features 29 km of slopes post-2022 Olympics upgrades.
03
Total skiable terrain in China exceeds 650 km as of 2023, with 40% added since 2018.
04
China has 3,456 ski lifts operational in 2023, including 1,200 high-speed detachables.
05
Harbin Ice and Snow World integrates 50 km artificial ski slopes for winter festivals.
06
Over 250 snowmaking systems installed nationwide, covering 45% of slopes with 2,500 snow guns.
07
178 indoor ski domes operational by 2023, totaling 120,000 sqm of indoor skiing space.
08
Chongli region added 15 new resorts since 2022, with 200 km combined piste length.
09
Northeast China's Heilongjiang province hosts 312 resorts, 31% of national total.
10
Average resort elevation in China is 1,850m, with 120 resorts above 2,500m.
11
650 km of groomed pistes maintained annually, using 1,200 grooming machines.
12
Shanghai Sunac Snow World, largest indoor resort, spans 80,000 sqm with 3 slopes.
13
95% of resorts now have night skiing capabilities, adding 150,000 hours of lighting.
14
Jilin province invested in 120 terrain parks with 450 features for freestyle skiing.
15
Total snow volume capacity: 15 million cubic meters from reservoirs at 400 resorts.
16
320 resorts equipped with IoT snow monitoring systems for real-time conditions.
17
Wanlong Ski Resort expanded to 40 km pistes, including 8 black diamond runs.
18
Guangdong's southernmost ski hall covers 25,000 sqm with year-round operations.
19
2,100 km of cross-country ski trails developed in Inner Mongolia by 2023.
20
High-speed rail access improved for 280 resorts, reducing travel time by 40% avg.
21
15 Olympic-standard halfpipes built post-2022, with FIS homologation.
22
Artificial turf bases under 60% of summer training slopes for multi-sport use.
23
Beijing suburbs added 45 micro-ski parks under 5 km each for urban access.
24
Total gondola length: 1,200 km across resorts, with 500 new cabins installed.
25
210 resorts with on-site snow parks featuring 1,800 jumps and rails.
26
Xinjiang's Altay region has 89 resorts with 250 km extreme terrain.
Interpretation
Infrastructure And Resorts Interpretation
By 2023 China had more than 1,001 ski resorts and 650 km of skiable terrain, growing 15% from 2022 and adding 40% since 2018, showing rapid expansion backed by heavy investment in lifts, snowmaking and indoor facilities.
05 · Category
Market Size And Growth30 stats
01
In 2023, China's ski industry generated total revenue of 45.6 billion RMB, reflecting a 28.4% year-over-year growth driven by increased domestic tourism.
02
The market size of China's ski sector expanded to 52.1 billion RMB by Q4 2023, with a CAGR of 25.7% from 2019-2023.
03
Ski equipment sales in China hit 12.3 billion RMB in 2022, up 35% from pre-pandemic levels due to rising participation.
04
China's ski tourism market was valued at 28.9 billion RMB in 2023, accounting for 63% of total industry revenue.
05
The overall ski industry GDP contribution in China reached 1.2% of national sports economy in 2023, equating to 67 billion RMB.
06
From 2020-2023, China's ski market grew at an annual rate of 32.1%, outpacing global average of 8.5%.
07
Premium ski resort revenues in China surged 41% to 18.7 billion RMB in winter 2022-2023 season.
08
Total ski pass sales revenue across China exceeded 9.8 billion RMB in 2023, with digital passes comprising 72%.
09
China's indoor ski market segment grew to 3.4 billion RMB in 2023, representing 7.5% of total market.
10
Export value of Chinese-made ski gear reached 2.1 billion USD in 2023, up 19% YoY.
11
Northern China's ski market dominated with 68% share of national revenue at 31.2 billion RMB in 2023.
12
Post-2022 Olympics, ski apparel market in China valued at 6.5 billion RMB, growing 29% annually.
13
China's ski lesson and training services generated 4.2 billion RMB in 2023, with 1.5 million enrollments.
14
E-commerce ski product sales hit 15.7 billion RMB in 2023, led by platforms like Tmall and JD.com.
15
Mid-tier ski resorts contributed 22.4 billion RMB, or 49% of total industry revenue in 2023.
16
Ski industry advertising spend in China totaled 1.8 billion RMB in 2023, focusing on social media.
17
Rental equipment market size was 2.9 billion RMB in 2023, with 85% utilization rate at major resorts.
18
China's ski insurance premiums collected 450 million RMB in 2023 for 25 million skier days.
19
Food and beverage revenue at ski resorts reached 5.6 billion RMB in 2023, up 33% from 2022.
20
Luxury ski lodging segment valued at 3.1 billion RMB, with occupancy rates averaging 78% in peak season.
21
Digital ticketing platform revenues from ski industry hit 1.2 billion RMB in 2023.
22
China's ski media and content creation market size was 890 million RMB in 2023.
23
Sponsorship deals in China ski industry totaled 2.3 billion RMB for 2023 season.
24
Maintenance and operations costs for ski resorts averaged 15% of revenue, totaling 6.8 billion RMB.
25
Merchandise sales at ski venues generated 1.4 billion RMB in 2023.
26
VIP ski membership programs brought in 780 million RMB across 150 resorts in 2023.
27
Off-season event revenues for ski resorts summed to 1.1 billion RMB in 2023.
28
China ski franchise model revenues reached 890 million RMB with 200 new outlets.
29
Ancillary services like spa and wellness at ski resorts: 2.2 billion RMB in 2023.
30
Total ski industry employment-related payroll costs: 12.5 billion RMB for 450,000 jobs in 2023.
Interpretation
Market Size And Growth Interpretation
China’s ski industry is accelerating fast, with revenue reaching 45.6 billion RMB in 2023 and the market growing at a 32.1% annual rate from 2020 to 2023, far above the global 8.5% average.
Reference
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APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). China Ski Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/china-ski-industry-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "China Ski Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/china-ski-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "China Ski Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/china-ski-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
100 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level