Beyond ice and snow, China’s tourism officials are innovating winter travel marketing

Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

As the winter travel season arrives, cities across China are ready to welcome visitors with open arms. Their hospitality can be seen in their attention to details and efforts to innovate. No matter if it’s providing heartwarming gestures like welcome signs at airports, enhancing infrastructure to combat extreme weather conditions, offering discounts and immersive experiences for travelers, or having tourism officials sing on stage, cities are working hard to elevate travelers’ winter tourism experience. 

Upon landing at the airport in Harbin, the capital city of China’s northernmost Heilongjiang Province, a heartwarming sign greets passengers: “Welcome to Harbin, and thank you for your efforts to get here.”…