Mass participation
As China prepares to host the Games, there has been a dramatic increase in winter sports participation.
Once a poor county nestling in mountains and little-known to the rest of the country, Chongli district in Zhangjiakou, where most of the snow sports will be held in 2022, is already benefiting from the Games.
Linked to Beijing by a high-speed rail line that began operating in December, Chongli has become one of the country's hottest skiing destinations. The line has reduced traveling time between the capital and mountain resorts from more than three hours by car to about 50 minutes.
The Olympic venues for cross-country skiing, biathlon and ski jumping can be reached by shuttle bus from Taizicheng station, the final stop on the line in Chongli. An increasing number of arrivals were using the station until the COVID-19 outbreak forced all seven major ski resorts in Chongli to close in late January.
However, before the onset of the pandemic, the rising number of tourists to Chongli in recent years bore testimony to the influence of the 2022 Games.
During the 2018-19 winter season, a record 1 million-plus skiers and snowboarders visited Chongli, more than double the 480,000 in the 2015-16 season, according to the district tourism bureau.
By 2022, as part of a national plan to further promote winter sports as a lifestyle choice, China aims to build 650 skating rinks and 800 ski resorts, up from 334 and 770 respectively by the end of last year. This work will lay the foundation for winter sports and recreational activities for 300 million people in the buildup to the Games.
Bullish outlook
Although there was an unprecedented fall in winter revenue due to the pandemic, ski industry insiders remain bullish about the sector's long-term future. Resort owners predict a rebound in the 2020-21 winter season in the buildup to the Olympics.
Luo Li, founder and chairman of Wanlong Paradise Resort in Chongli, said during an online forum in April, "As long as we can meet the challenge, which I believe we can, we will see a recovery from next winter, with a rebound in consumption very likely.
"A public health crisis such as this pandemic will inspire people to embrace more-active lifestyles through sports participation, which I believe will be a boon for the outdoor leisure industry as a whole."
China's determination to promote winter sports ahead of the 2022 Games, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, has impressed the International Olympic Committee.
Juan Antonio Samaranch, an IOC vice-president and chair of the committee's coordination commission for the 2022 Games, said after a meeting with the organizers in June: "China has faced an incredibly difficult period over the past few months. Our thoughts are with all those who have been impacted.
"Not only have we seen important progress with the venues, but the efforts to engage millions of people in winter sports are heartening."
