The scale of China's ice and snow industry will exceed one trillion RMB this year, a sure sign that the ice and snow economy has become an emerging force in China's economic development.

That's according to the Snow Industry Development Research Report (2025), released recently at the main forum of the World Winter Sports Expo (WWSE). Many heads of international sports organizations have praised the sustainable development of China's winter sports, expressing their willingness to deepen cooperation with China, promote the projects and strengthen the cultivation of young talent.

Contributions to global winter sports

More than 500 internationally renowned and domestic brands from countries such as Austria, Italy, Canada, Finland, and Slovenia took part in the WWSE. The participants said that the successful hosting of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games and the effective utilization of the Winter Olympics' legacy have made significant contributions to the development of global winter sports.

Giovanni Malago, president of the Italian Olympic Committee, said the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games have left significant Olympic legacies, bringing the younger generation closer to sports activities.

The cooperation between China and Finland in the field of winter sports is very close. From the construction of facilities for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Games, to coach training and the utilization of post-event legacies, both sides have completed many successful exchanges. Lauri Kangasniemi, the Embassy of Finland, Beijing Counsellor, said winter sports have become a bond for cooperation between China and Finland.

Johan Eliasch, president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation was deeply impressed by the high-standard snowfield facilities in China. "More and more teenagers are stepping onto the ski slopes, not only promoting the popularization of winter sports, but also [helping] the [whole of] Asia play a more significant role in the winter sports landscape."

Expanding into a multi-sectoral economy

The Chinese ice and snow industry is undergoing a transformation from a "game-driven" model to a "consumption-oriented" one. Ice and snow sports are evolving into a diversified and multi-faceted experience known as "ice and snow plus".

In 2024, an iiMedia Research report on the winter sports industry's prospects for the coming winter in 2025, said the market was worth just under 1.05 trillion RMB, and could surpass 1.5 trillion RMB by 2029.

The report said more than half of the participants are aged between 24 and 30, and over 70 percent are women. Meanwhile, more than 60 percent buy equipment each season, typically budgeting 1,000 to 2,000 RMB, which has fueled growth in domestic supply chains for snow suits and goggles, along with those for the ice- and snow-making machines demanded by the expanding winter sports industry.

Samuel Ventura, manager of the Asian Region of Italy's TechnoAlpin, said that the Chinese market has become one of the most dynamic and promising regions in the global snow and ice equipment sector. "We hope that through technology and cooperation, the snow and ice economy can become more environmentally friendly and sustainable," he said.