Since General Secretary Xi Jinping put forward the important assertion that "ice and snow are also valuable resources" in 2016, the national government has successively issued a series of policy documents, gradually establishing a comprehensive support system covering infrastructure construction and consumption promotion. Local governments have also responded proactively by formulating supporting plans and implementation paths, forming a policy synergy to advance the ice and snow economy in a coordinated manner. In 2023, during his inspection tour in Heilongjiang Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping further pointed out that the ice and snow economy should be developed as a new growth driver, and clearly required the promotion of the integrated development of the entire industrial chain encompassing ice and snow sports, ice and snow culture, ice and snow equipment, and ice and snow tourism. Since then, the ice and snow economy has become a crucial component of ecological civilization construction and high-quality development, emerging as a new engine for the ecological economy. Leveraging the opportunity of the Harbin Asian Winter Games, China's ice and snow economy has entered a new phase of full industrial chain development, with increasingly prominent synergy between the ice and snow economy and other economic sectors. As an important part of the national economy, the business economy has a natural foundation for integration with the ice and snow economy, and their synergistic relationship is concentrated in the integration and complementary mechanism from the perspective of the industrial chain.
The industrial chain of China's ice and snow economy mainly consists of three links: upstream equipment manufacturing and resource development, midstream operation services and talent training, and downstream cultural and tourism innovation and derivative consumption. From the upstream perspective, China has established a relatively complete ice and snow equipment manufacturing system. Ice and snow industrial parks in Harbin, Zhangjiakou and other regions have demonstrated a good agglomeration effect, and products such as ski boards, snow clothing, and snow-making machines have gradually achieved localization. The combination of government guidance and market mechanisms has promoted the scientific evaluation and sustainable utilization of ice and snow resources, strengthened the construction of infrastructure such as ski resorts and cableways, and improved supporting service functions. From the midstream perspective, the operation of the ice and snow economy has formed a diversified cooperation model led by the government, participated by enterprises, and coordinated by associations. Ice and snow events have become increasingly diverse, covering both professional competitions and mass-participation activities to meet multi-level needs. Talent training includes both the cultivation of high-level athletes and the ice and snow skill training for ordinary consumers. From the downstream perspective, the ice and snow economy is accelerating its expansion into the integration of cultural and tourism industries and derivative consumption. Ice and snow-themed handicrafts, souvenirs, and film and television works are constantly emerging; brands such as Harbin "Ice and Snow World" and Mudanjiang "Snow Town" have been gradually established; and fields such as catering, accommodation, and transportation have increasingly demonstrated the huge potential of the ice and snow economy in expanding consumption.
The synergistic development of the ice and snow economy and the business economy can be realized in all links of the ice and snow economy industrial chain. In the upstream link, the two can achieve synergy through spatial integration and functional complementarity. For example, setting up retail flagship stores, brand exhibition areas, and ski experience spaces in ice and snow equipment manufacturing bases can connect the industrial chain of "R&D - production - sales" to achieve spatial integration; the rational layout of shopping centers, characteristic catering, and leisure and entertainment facilities around ski resorts can enhance tourists' consumption stickiness and commercial conversion capabilities, forming a "front-store and back-factory" development model to achieve functional complementarity. In the midstream link, the operational synergy between ice and snow venues and the business system can be realized through the joint operation of ski resorts, resort hotels, shopping malls, and convention centers; in terms of event-business synergy, equipment expositions, ice and snow forums, and business matching activities can be held simultaneously during professional events to achieve the integration of "customer flow - business flow - information flow"; in terms of training-business synergy, ski schools, hotels, and travel agencies can jointly establish practical training platforms to promote the interdisciplinary training of ice and snow talents and business talents. In the downstream link, cultural and tourism innovation and consumption innovation can become highlights of synergy. The construction of "ice and snow + night economy" cultural and tourism innovation can be carried out, developing new products such as night skiing, light shows, ice and snow performances, and hot spring experiences to achieve ice and snow-business synergy; customized consumption innovations such as "parent-child + skiing + accommodation" and "team building + skiing + annual meeting" can be launched to stimulate diversified demands and realize ice and snow-business synergy.
Driven by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Zhangjiakou has built a relatively complete ice and snow economy industrial chain and achieved a strategic transformation from an "Olympic city" to a "famous ice and snow city", becoming a typical city in China for the synergistic development of the ice and snow economy and the business economy. The synergistic development of the ice and snow economy and the business economy in Zhangjiakou is mainly reflected in the following aspects: Firstly, it has introduced core enterprises such as France's MND and the United States' M3 in the field of equipment manufacturing, implemented targeted investment promotion, and simultaneously supported local small and medium-sized enterprises to build industrial clusters; Secondly, it has launched a "event + exhibition" linkage model in event organization, holding equipment expositions, investment promotion meetings, and high-level forums in conjunction with events to achieve mutual empowerment between events and exhibitions; Thirdly, it has set up brand discount stores, theme stores, and pop-up businesses in ski areas to promote the conversion of event traffic into commercial value; Fourthly, it has used ice and snow cultural brands to create ice and snow economy products, such as ice sculpture lantern shows, night skiing experiences, and ice and snow performances, to promote mutual improvement between brands and consumption. The practice of Zhangjiakou shows that the synergistic development of the ice and snow economy and the business economy can realize the high-quality integration of industries and drive the reconstruction of urban space and the optimization of economic structure.
The synergy between the ice and snow economy and the business economy is a strategic choice to promote the high-quality development of the regional economy. Regions with advantages in ice and snow resources and a foundation in the business economy should focus on continuously promoting synergistic development in six aspects: First, improve institutional design, establish a unified ice and snow business policy system, improve incentive measures in terms of land, taxation, and talents, and reduce institutional transaction costs; Second, strengthen factor guarantees, establish a special fund for the integration of ice and snow and business, and support key projects and "specialized, refined, characteristic, and innovative" small and medium-sized enterprises; Third, optimize spatial layout, arrange commercial supporting facilities around ice and snow scenic spots, promote the intelligent transformation of ski venues, and build a complete consumption closed loop; Fourth, establish a synergy mechanism, encourage ice and snow enterprises to cooperate with large commercial groups, and build industrial alliances and collaboration networks; Fifth, accelerate digital transformation, build a digital platform for the ice and snow economy, and promote the implementation of digital functions such as customer flow analysis, precision marketing, and intelligent operation; Sixth, expand the international market, build an internationally attractive ice and snow business base, improve service capabilities, and expand global market share. Through institutional innovation, technological empowerment, and platform construction, we will continuously increase the multiplier effect of the synergistic development of the ice and snow economy and the business economy, and provide a new model for the development of China's characteristic ecological economy.
Source: Harbin Daily
Original link: http://harbin.joyhua.cn/hebrb/20250430/mhtml/index.htm#page7
